Blah, Blah, Blah, Book Blog

As I’ve grown older, I realize how my perspective has changed, especially when I read different genres and consider which character I am relating to the most. When I read Middle Grade fiction, there is still a tiny part of me that unabashedly relates to the main character, despite what my appearance would lead you to believe. In Rebecca Stead’s newest book, I am acutely aware of being a parent, and in awe of the kindness, empathy, and generosity she has given to her characters. The “list” provides a brilliant device for Bea to work through the lows and highs of divorce and new beginnings. Stead, with her sharp, moving and compelling writing, shows all of us how to approach a complicated life with grace and humor.

Despite my wariness to read fiction with a writer as the main character, (because I really cannot help think it is thinly-veiled autobiography—though I know this is wrong and judge-y), when I saw this book was written by Lily King, it was an easy selection. I loved everything about Euphoria, including the cover, which I still sometimes pull out of my bookcase and turn so that everyone can see it…(ok, maybe that’s just for me.)  Anyway, Writers & Lovers is a poignant story of grief, anxiety, love and other life lessons. I especially love that the character is “coming of age” in her 30s, and fighting the status quo her former classmates have succumbed to. And, while I do think that the ending may have been a little too tidy, sometimes, in the middle of my messy life, I enjoy the respite of a tidy, happily ever after book.

The premise of this story hooked me right away, despite the fact that I did not love a good number of the characters. I immediately felt for Cloris, the 72-year-old survivor in this story. Perhaps that’s a function of my perspective as I age—love to see a story of grit and determination from an unexpected source. Her story was compelling and distracted me from some other less-credible storylines. The atmosphere of the story was so well-developed that the mountains and surrounding forest were almost as compelling a “character” as the others. Reading some other reviews, I tend to agree that the crew of rescuers that I would normally describe as quirky may be better described as motley... Regardless, Cloris’ story will provide hopeful, gripping drama.

This powerful novel blew me away. I went into this without any real knowledge of Laos, let alone what life could have been like there in the 1960s. This story offers a startling picture of the time and place, but it is the intimate details and the perfectly rendered characters that keep you turning the pages. It is a painful read, but well worth it. Definitely need to go back and read some of Paul Yoon’s other books. Let me know if you have recommendations.

Wow, it's been more than a year since I've posted! I was feeling frustrated with this site—I couldn't log into my account for a long time, and I also was unable to update my books. I pretty much bailed on this and just updated things on goodreads. Anyone else have this problem? I miss reading everyone posts and adding to my TBR list, but the experience with the site was just too frustrating. I am going to try to catch up now since it seems to be up and running again, and I have some time to post some books I've read this year. Am I the only one who had this problem?

I will add a caveat to my review—I rated this on the high side to compensate for the fact that I would have given the audiobook a 3. While I generally love listening, especially when the author (or anyone British, honestly) reads to me, I don't think this book lent itself to that form. The writing was spare and poetic, but the transitions were difficult (at least for me) to follow on audio, i.e. even though you might hear a new chapter number, the topic change was sometimes jarring. For such a short book, I spent a lot of time rewinding. I think this book, more poetry than prose, might be one you should hold in your hands and enjoy the old-fashioned way.

OK, full disclosure. I love Ann Patchett, and I say this with the authority of someone who has read a decent number of her books and has even visited her bookstore, where the people who ring up your purchase compliment you on your choices and tell you interesting facts about them that you won't find in the normal book blurb. So yes, I'm a super fan—skeptics take this with a grain of salt, but really, you should read it anyway. This is not a perfect book, but honestly, it is about as close as I've come in a while. The characters are all flawed, and ugly and remarkable, just the way I like them. I've seen reviews that cast the narrator in a bad light, but he bared his soul in the telling, and was willing to admit he did not always do the right thing. Also, the narrator of the audio book is Tom Hanks, so you literally forgive him everything. Definitely recommend the audio-book on this one, especially if you are quarantined and eager to hear a new voice in your house. 

This was an epic novel. Reading this in quarantine, when I have the attention span of a flea, was a challenge given its length, but honestly, it was worth the effort. Beautifully written with a wealth of interesting, original characters, the book was genre defying— a Wild West tale dressed up as the best literary fiction. Read this book while you have some time, so that you can savor it. 

Anybody have any idea when they're going to fix our dates on here so that my reading challenge doesn't say 0 books?

I am trying to use the extra time I have now to catch up on some long-overdue posts. Hopefully you will be encouraged by these suggestions to contact your local bookseller and order some books! Curbside delivery or mailed to your home – we need to support our local businesses in this time of crisis.

I am going to review several books in one post, so that you don’t have to look through the feed for them. If you haven’t seen my posts before, you will notice that I don’t give bad reviews, I simply don’t post about books I didn’t like. By now, I am a pretty good judge of what I like, so it is extremely rare that I don’t finish a book, or find something to like about it. 

Paris, 7 a.m.  by Liza Wieland

I chose this book because I thought the premise was terrific — poet Elizabeth Bishop, who painstakingly chronicled her life in journals, omitted three weeks she spent in Paris after graduating from Vassar. But why the gap? With Paris on the brink of war, Wieland—a poet herself—offers her own theory in this evocative book. Though the book is well-researched, the writing drew me in with its ethereal quality, setting it apart from most historical fiction I’ve read. Recommended for anyone interested in interesting viewpoints on World War II, or Elizabeth Bishop, before she became one of the most influential poets of the twentieth century.

Mrs. Everything  by Jennifer Wiener

I am pretty sure you can’t go wrong with a Jennifer Weiner book, but maybe I’m biased, having read several others. I also have a sweet spot for stories about sisters, especially two seeming opposites like these, who share so much more than they realize. Weiner spares no feelings with the trauma and tragedies they face, but she crafts her story with care and grace. While I will admit that I noticed some timeline inaccuracies here (like many others on Goodreads), I tried not to let that distract me from enjoying what was otherwise a compelling story.

Inland  by Téa Obreht

Inland is one of those books where I say, who knew this topic could be so compelling to me? I understand that plenty of people would find it compelling, but I am not always as open-minded as the rest of you when it comes to certain historical fiction topics. Obreht’s mythic narrative captures the vast, lawless Arizona territory in stunning detail. Despite the little-known history of the time, her characters come to life in a world that is moving and deeply intimate. There is suspense and drama—it’s the wild west, after all—in this gem of a book.

The Last Book Party  by Karen Dukess

This is a perfect, be-careful-what-you-wish-for kind of story, a light read for the weeks ahead. A peek into the publishing world set in a lovingly described Cape Cod community, the story seems even more nostalgic than its 1987 setting would seem. Or is that just me dating myself? The protagonist is a 20-something would-be writer, who hasn’t yet found her footing, and gets distracted along the way. If it sounds familiar, yes, this is the story of many would-be writers, but this one has prettier people fumbling about in more elegant settings, and Dukess’ sharp writing will make you care how it all works out.

Scars Like Wings  by Erin Stewart

I am a fan of middle grade books (and yes, I’m too old for that), so I had no problem reading and loving, Wonder. For those who want something that skews a bit older, Scars Like Wings, while technically still a YA book, offers a more grown-up story in this vein. This felt to me like a much more difficult and personal story, given that teenagers can already be so swift and ruthless in their assessments. The emotions run heavy, but, I think, equal to the circumstances; and these fraught relationships remind you that everyone has their own battles they fight every day.

Olive, Again  by Elizabeth Strout

I am a fan of Elizabeth Strout, and I think I’ve read most, if not all, of her books. I don’t know if I’m in the minority here, but I liked this one even more than Olive Kitteridge. Maybe it’s because I was already introduced to Olive, so, with the exception of seeing her older, and perhaps a bit more empathetic, it was like stepping back into a familiar place. Olive is not a perfectly sweet old lady—she can be ornery, funny, rude, crafty, wise, and occasionally kind. Just like all of us. Personally, I would like her to meet Ove, but maybe that’s for the next book.

Wild Game  by Adrienne Brodeur

I’m not going to lie, this was a crazy book. I had to remind myself throughout that this was a memoir, not some farfetched fiction. There were so many moments while reading this that I stopped to say to my husband, you’re never going to believe this! It was shocking and bizarre, and yes, of course, a gripping story. Brodeur’s got baggage beyond comprehension, all completely justifiable, but she manages to cobble together a life in spite of that. I am amazed at her resilience, and appreciate her lowering the bar for motherhood so that we can all sleep a little easier about the job we are doing.

Mobituaries  by Mo Rocca

This book was based on Rocca’s podcast, which I had not heard, but I am an obituary reader, and the fact that there are several books like this makes me understand that I am not the only one. These are not necessarily the lives celebrated in the NY Times pages, though many are familiar. Rocca celebrates people famous for unusual reasons, and also honors the demise of some unusual things: the station wagon, sports teams, and dragons. This is a perfect choice for these times, I think, not because it’s about people dying—it’s not, it’s celebrating lives—but because I seem to have a social-media-induced attention span, and these individual stories offer some respite from all of that.

A Good Neighborhood  by Therese Anne Fowler

This is one of those stories where you are waiting for the other shoe to drop from the very first chapter. Though Fowler takes us down a seemingly predictable path, she has more in store for these characters than a simple morality tale. I think Fowler’s writing, fresh and smart, saved this from becoming an “issue” book; though the amount of hot-button topics still seemed a little unrealistic. I like a book with multiple points of view, so this added to the story for me, though not every character felt authentic. Regardless, Fowler has given us a lot to chew on here; a perfect read for a neighborhood book club.

Naked Mole Rat Saves the World  by Karen Rivers

This is not your typical middle-grade book. Rivers has given us a cast of unconventional characters who somehow seem ordinary despite their extraordinary circumstances. This is a complex, unapologetic book, overflowing with powerful emotion, necessary magic and superhero naked mole rats—really, what more can I say?  

Wow, I didn't even realize how behind I was on posts until today. I have been busy reading, though my challenge does not reflect that. Has anyone figured out the bug that won't let me add books I've read in 2020? I thought that bug was a millennium problem?

Anyway, I just found out that some of my recent reviews for the Wiley journal, Global Business and Organizational Excellence, have been posted where people can read them! Usually they are subscription only. So, if you are interested in business books, I actually started the year out very optimistically, and these choices reflect that. 

Even if you are not a business book fan, I highly recommend Range, which has special appeal to parents in these questionable times.

READ MY REVIEW HERE

Wow, this was a beautiful story, and a really great audiobook. If you've never listened to a book before, this might be a great one to try, since it's under four hours. Also, there is a remarkable cast reading it, including the author. I have never done this before, but I marked one chapter while I was listening, and then, when I finished, I went back and listened to it again. And again. Chapter 7. This book is truly amazing, a gift.

This book wins points for its diverse, inclusive cast of characters, with each of five friends telling a part of the story. Since it’s a heist story involving hackers, a digital reader would seem appropriate, right? Not exactly. While the characters have distinct stories, the switching points of view were difficult for me to track, and I spent a lot of time going back to the chapter heads to figure out who was talking. I did, however, appreciate the smart and funny dialogue; reminded me of a modern version of Friends, only they were all just a wee bit smarter. Despite the title, I was disappointed that only one of the characters seemed to have a moral conscience. Yes, I feel old now, having just used the term “modern version of Friends” and worrying about the moral conscious of fictional characters, but still.

As a parent of a child the age of the characters in this book, I am clearly not the intended audience, but I still consider myself an open and caring reader. I kept wondering why, if Bellamy was as brilliant as I’m supposed to believe she is, she could not confront her father (or mother) more directly about the money before it got to the point of a heist. Yes, I know there wouldn’t have been much of a story, but this plotline seemed incredible to me—and the neatly wrapped up ending kind of proved my point. I admit, the idea of robbing my parents (or attempting any kind of heist) would definitely have been more appealing to teenage-me than it was to mommy-me, so there is a decidedly large audience for this story regardless of my take on it. In any case, I finished the book because the writing was sharp and often funny, and I will be interested to see what Clark comes up with next.

As a partner in a women-owned business, I am always interested in reading stories about successful women. Fischmann’s rags-to-riches story does not disappoint. Her ability to envision the future of OPI, a blockbuster cosmetics company, from the remnants of a pretty uninspiring dental supply company, will be heartening to anyone considering a grassroots startup. Besides this, her stories about the creation of her iconic polish names are fun and engaging, and her determination to empower women and support her community makes for a compelling and thoughtful read.

I think there might be mixed feelings about the format of this book—told mostly in lists—but I thought it was engaging and made for a fast-paced read.

(yes, you know I’m totally going there with the lists)

This book has so much going for it:

1. a smart, charming, funny protagonist…
2. who quits his job to open a bookstore.
3. Ok, yeah, so that was really enough to get me to read it.

But, as we all know, owning a bookstore is not a get-rich quick scheme. So, when the business starts to fail (or actually, never really gets off the ground),

does Daniel Mayrock decide to:

1. Host author events
2. Promote the store in social media and in town
3. Talk to his wife?

No, he does not. Instead, he comes up with an idea to get out of debt that is:

1. Spectacularly far-fetched
2. Kind of insulting, at least to this reader.

What happened to smart Daniel?

1. He became a wimp
2. The story went off the rails
3. I kept waiting for him to say, “yeah, I was kidding. It was a joke.”
4. He did not.

But wait, you gave it 4 stars!

1. The writing was so engaging that I finished it despite being annoyed.
2. I am hoping that next time Dicks stays true to his character, because Daniel deserved better.
3. But I can’t wait for the next one, because this was a story with heart.
4. I am a sucker for heart.
5. Who isn’t?

I had Lily and the Octopus on my to-read list, but then I saw Steven Rowley’s new book on NetGalley, and of course I bumped my ridiculously long line to read that one first (thanks, NetGalley!). I couldn’t help myself—this book has a terrific hook of a premise. As an author, getting your first book deal seems achievement enough, but Rowley ups the ante when the debut author in his novel meets his editor—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Of course this must have happened to many people over her two decades in publishing, but I had never thought of the day-to-day reality of it before. I checked online to see if there were other stories about Jackie’s career in books, and ironically, two came out within months of each other in 2010 and 2011, but it doesn’t look like either of them gained any real traction.

Rowley comes at this from a different angle, in novel form rather than a straight biography or collection of anecdotes. I think this book draws its success from the fact that, while we are inspired by Onassis and the glamour of Camelot that she represented, we probably appreciate the working-woman ordinariness of her even more. Onassis is truly just a hook, because this story is not about the public figure we think we know. Instead, Rowley tells the moving story of a writer’s journey to find his truth, at the urging of his caring and sometimes enigmatic editor. The fact that this editor is Onassis is merely incidental; because at the end of the day, all that truly matters to each of them is bringing the very best story to the page.

Morgenstern's first book, The Night Circus, continues to be one of my favorite books, so I was eager to see if her next book would live up to that promise. It did not disappoint. Given what I consider to be an extraordinarily high bar, this is a terrific accomplishment. My biggest dilemma reading this one was trying to savor it without racing through it; but, in taking my time, losing some of the thread of the complicated story. When I picked it up, I tended to do a bit of rereading to get me back into the action. This is not a criticism, maybe just a warning. If you have a comfy couch, a lot of free time, and enough snacks, I would definitely recommend binging on this book.