If you’re going to publish a juvenile fantasy book in this post-Harry Potter world, you invite comparisons. Particularly if your cover features a red and gold bird, three kids wearing cloaks, and a large castle (that we learn is under a powerful curse called...a Krux). Also if your heroine is an orphan raised by mean aunts. Especially if your heroine learns she belongs to another world and returns there along with other clueless kids who now know they have magical abilities. And if, in the dining hall, your heroine notices a shifty, greasy-haired adult who favors the bully in the group (and said bully, born and raised in the magical world, has only nasty things to say about the newcomers who weren’t raised with magic), have you gone too far?
Synopsis: Root Karbunkulus, an orphan from the world of DreAmm, was raised by two "aunts" who treat her as a slave. One day, she hears the ring of a phone no one else can hear. She finds out the truth of her origins and reports to DreAmm where she becomes part of a Quest, a competition to find six magical items. The first item is the Miist of Kalliope, and she is teamed up with Lian (whose father is powerful in DreAmm) and another orphan, Dwyn. Notable competitors include the bully, Kor, and the Pinks, a team led by an annoying girly-girl whose influential mother has always gotten her way. These aren't the only obstacles, of course, as the Quest is very dangerous, but the team is guided by the elderly and eccentric Jorab. Will Root and her team find the Miist so they can go on to star in five more books, each devoted to a different magical item?
This is a difficult book for me to rate. The Harry Potter similarities dominated the reading of first part of the book for me, and there are a couple of glaring flaws (not to mention inept comma usage and other editorial problems that drove me to distraction), but the bottom line is that I want to read Book 2, and not just because I'm a desperate soul in need of a Harry Potter fix. I was fortunate to win this copy from a giveaway at Mama Bear Reads, which is now The Library at the END of the Universe, and I'm very glad that I had the opportunity to read it. Kamilla Reid has a fine imagination and a way with storytelling, when she's not overly conscious of being clever or outdoing Harry Potter. The latter half of the novel was particularly engaging, and I finally forgot that I was reading a post-Potter fantasy. One of her characters, a wisteria vine, was really creative (in fact everything about the scenes with Bumplekins was spot-on), and I loved the Hovermutts with their sweet backstory. Root's meeting with the gentle Mordge was a lovely, touching scene. And the whole bit with the Simp is beyond cool--very inventive and well-executed.
The two glaring flaws: First, Root shows a startling lack of interest in her origins. If you discovered that your aunts weren't your aunts at all, but had found you with a note telling them to take you to an orphanage, and you were returned to the magical land from which you came...wouldn't you be wondering, "Am I really an orphan? If not, where are my parents? If so, what happened to my parents? Why was I sent to live on earth? Why was I called back now?"
Second, they are barely in DreAmm (ugh, that overly clever name drives me nuts--it's pronounced Dray-am, not Dream), and many have not even found their magical abilities, when they are sent on this quest, and we have no idea what the purpose is. Is it a contrived contest, like in Goblet of Fire, or are the items needed for some greater purpose (to save DreAmm from the enemy we finally hear a bit about after page 140 or so)? If it's a contest, why not have training for the newcomers first? What’s the occasion? If it's for a greater purpose, why send children, especially the clueless, magically inept newcomers? I can understand wanting to save background for future books (even Rowling did that, with Dumbledore saying he'd tell Harry about things when he's older), but to not even acknowledge that the reader would have these questions is sloppy.
Overall (finally, I can hear you muttering), I would recommend that fans of Harry Potter and other juvenile fantasy novels give this one a try. I found a lot to like here, and I hope that the issues that were driving me bonkers will be addressed in future books, and that Reid will step out of the Harry Potter shadow and embrace her own ample creativity.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Saturday, September 06, 2008
The Eight by Katherine Neville
It took me forever to read this nearly 600-page book and I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to be concise in this review. There were so many things going on in this crazy web of a novel.
Two stories flip-flop back and forth throughout the course of the novel: one begins in an abbey in France in 1790 and the other begins at the end of 1972 in New York City. The 1790 storyline starts by telling the story of The Montglane Service. A storied chess set belonging to Charlemagne which supposedly holds the secret to infinite power. It was extremely dangerous if all the pieces of the Montglane Service were united. There were people searching for the pieces to gain this power and others who worked hard to make sure the pieces did not fall into the wrong hands. It fell to a young nun named Mireille to keep the pieces safe and we follow her journey to discover the secret contained in the chess set. According to the novel, many were after the Montglane Service including Catherine the Great, her son Paul I, and Napoleon. The novel really is a fictionalized account of European history.
Fast-forward to the 1970 storyline. We meet Catherine Velis, an incredibly smart woman on the rise in the computer industry. She is the only woman in the company she works for, and when she stands up for herself against her boss, he retaliates by sending her on assignment in Algiers. After Catherine witnesses two murders just before her trip to Algiers, and encounters a Fortune Teller who tells her not to go to Algiers, she is intrigued. She enlists the help of several friends: a physicist named Nim, a chess player named Lily Rad and her family, as well as Solarin, a Russian chess player with a mysterious side to him. She figures out that the Fortune Teller's message is in code, and through a series of events she becomes very involved in a worldwide hunt for the mysterious Montglane Service.
I spent the entire book trying to figure out how everything pieced together and while the book becomes extremely long in the middle, it finishes quite well. The two storylines eventually come together in a somewhat mystical way. Chess is the entire book, not just about the chess set, but we learn the characters in the book are playing a real life game of chess. The question is: Who will win The Game?
The blurb on the front of the book compares it to The Da Vinci Code. In my opinion, this book is far superior to that. It is much more well-written and not quite so sensational. I felt The Eight was an incredibly dense and academic book. I was treated to a history lesson of late 18th century France and the start of the French Revolution. In the more present day story, OPEC and the politics/social customs of Algiers take center stage. I don't think this book needed to be 600 pages. I think it would have done fine at 450 with a little less description. Mireille's journey gets to be a little bit tedious. I also think there were just too many characters. At the end of the book, I was still saying to myself, "Okay, now who was that character's brother again?" It was difficult for me to remember and keep all the relationships straight.
But I must say I thought it was a good book. And I find it amazing how intricately Neville weaves all the characters and stories together. She clearly did an incredible amount of research in order to create this novel. I can't say I enjoyed this read because it really did seem like work to get through the book. But I liked the story and liked where it ended up. If you are looking for a bit of a more dense read and like puzzles and working things out I really would recommend this book. I give this one 4 stars only because it is too long, otherwise it would have been 4.5 or 5 stars for me.
Look for a review of the sequel, The Fire coming in the next couple weeks. Just have to throw in a few light reads before I tackle that one. :-)
Two stories flip-flop back and forth throughout the course of the novel: one begins in an abbey in France in 1790 and the other begins at the end of 1972 in New York City. The 1790 storyline starts by telling the story of The Montglane Service. A storied chess set belonging to Charlemagne which supposedly holds the secret to infinite power. It was extremely dangerous if all the pieces of the Montglane Service were united. There were people searching for the pieces to gain this power and others who worked hard to make sure the pieces did not fall into the wrong hands. It fell to a young nun named Mireille to keep the pieces safe and we follow her journey to discover the secret contained in the chess set. According to the novel, many were after the Montglane Service including Catherine the Great, her son Paul I, and Napoleon. The novel really is a fictionalized account of European history.
Fast-forward to the 1970 storyline. We meet Catherine Velis, an incredibly smart woman on the rise in the computer industry. She is the only woman in the company she works for, and when she stands up for herself against her boss, he retaliates by sending her on assignment in Algiers. After Catherine witnesses two murders just before her trip to Algiers, and encounters a Fortune Teller who tells her not to go to Algiers, she is intrigued. She enlists the help of several friends: a physicist named Nim, a chess player named Lily Rad and her family, as well as Solarin, a Russian chess player with a mysterious side to him. She figures out that the Fortune Teller's message is in code, and through a series of events she becomes very involved in a worldwide hunt for the mysterious Montglane Service.
I spent the entire book trying to figure out how everything pieced together and while the book becomes extremely long in the middle, it finishes quite well. The two storylines eventually come together in a somewhat mystical way. Chess is the entire book, not just about the chess set, but we learn the characters in the book are playing a real life game of chess. The question is: Who will win The Game?
The blurb on the front of the book compares it to The Da Vinci Code. In my opinion, this book is far superior to that. It is much more well-written and not quite so sensational. I felt The Eight was an incredibly dense and academic book. I was treated to a history lesson of late 18th century France and the start of the French Revolution. In the more present day story, OPEC and the politics/social customs of Algiers take center stage. I don't think this book needed to be 600 pages. I think it would have done fine at 450 with a little less description. Mireille's journey gets to be a little bit tedious. I also think there were just too many characters. At the end of the book, I was still saying to myself, "Okay, now who was that character's brother again?" It was difficult for me to remember and keep all the relationships straight.
But I must say I thought it was a good book. And I find it amazing how intricately Neville weaves all the characters and stories together. She clearly did an incredible amount of research in order to create this novel. I can't say I enjoyed this read because it really did seem like work to get through the book. But I liked the story and liked where it ended up. If you are looking for a bit of a more dense read and like puzzles and working things out I really would recommend this book. I give this one 4 stars only because it is too long, otherwise it would have been 4.5 or 5 stars for me.
Look for a review of the sequel, The Fire coming in the next couple weeks. Just have to throw in a few light reads before I tackle that one. :-)
Friday, September 05, 2008
Jane Austen-o-rama
I'm an instant gratification book blogger. I read a book, put it down, and post a review. So it was REALLY hard for me to wait to post the review of the first book in this post, but I thought it'd be fun to do a themed post with several reviews. I really should have done that with Wife in the North and Queen of the Road, since they begged to be compared to each other. Anyway, if you're not a fan of Jane Austen books, movies, and derivative works (the endless spin-offs, alternate point-of-views, sequels, and mystery novels), you can skip this post. If you are an Austen junkie, please enjoy this review of the good, the bad, and the hilarious in Austen-lit, and don't miss the EXCITING GIVEAWAY at the end of the post!
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler: I won this book through Reading Group Choices, a neat site that offers great suggestions for book clubs. This book had a lot of potential, but it never lived up to it. After Courtney Stone nurses a broken heart (both her fiance and her best friend, Wes, have betrayed her) with vodka and Jane Austen novels, she wakes up in another body, in another time and place. Everyone calls her Jane Mansfield (ha!), and she struggles to assimilate into her new world (where it appears she's engaged, or close to it) while figuring out how she got there and how to get back. There are some really, really funny parts to this book (Jane's mother is a horrible woman who threatens to have Jane committed if she doesn't do as she's told by marrying well and Courtney's snide internal monologue and passive-aggressive dealings in letters and conversation are gems), but ultimately, it was disappointing. Courtney is plagued by memories from Jane's brain, leading her to wonder about her identity and the nature of self, and this novel suffers from a similar identity crisis. Is it a gentle satire of Jane Austen's works, sharing the "truths" that Austen leaves out (it's smelly, the air is polluted, bathing is rare, chamber pots are disgusting, tooth powder-ew, not to mention what happens in a Tampax-free world when a woman has her "monthly courses")? Is it a reflection on modern society and how it compares to "simpler" times? Is it a scifi/fantasy novel about a woman dropped into another place and time who must find her way back? Is it a romance between Courtney and Wes? Rigler can't seem to decide, so it ends up doing most of these things, but none of them terribly well. The main problem is the Courtney/Jane dichotomy. I had trouble even thinking of her as Courtney because her life in LA is barely part of the story. I didn't care if she got together with Wes because I never saw Wes except in a couple of flashbacks. It would have been better if she and Jane had shared a name. Courtney spends too much time overanalyzing the situation--if I'm going to have to suspend disbelief in such a major way (and I'm fine with that!), I'd rather get it over with and skip Courtney's wondering about whether she's dreaming for pages and pages when it's obvious she's not. The explanation for what happened isn't particularly satisfying, and it might have been better to have skipped an explanation entirely or made the explanation more central to the story. Instead, the storytelling is caught between "What happened?" and "How do I cope in this time/place?" and "Do I love Wes?" The last was the least interesting. It would have been more cohesive if either the story had started before Courtney wakes up as Jane so I could see her interaction with Wes and what's-his-name-the-fiance and what happens to send her to Regency England OR (my preference) if the novel focused on her assimilating into Regency England. There is a lot to like here--the parts with Courtney struggling to act like Jane are lots of fun, and she gets to go to London and Bath in addition to her country home. It's fun to see this life through the eyes of a modern woman. The novel as a whole just fails to hang together. Die-hard Austen fans will probably enjoy the description of real life in Regency England, though--I did.
Austenland by Shannon Hale: What a fun, fun book. This one knows EXACTLY what it is--fluffy chick lit with a Jane Austen bent, and it does it well. Jane Hayes has a bit of an addiction to Colin Firth's Pride and Prejudice (Hale adds a tongue-in-cheek dedication to Colin Firth), and it's ruined her for normal men. Her great-aunt finds this out and leaves her a trip to Austenland in her will. Austenland is the ultimate haven for Austenphiles, a realistic Regency resort where guests (all female) dress up in empire waist gowns and corsets and basically pay to have Regency gentlemen court them. Jane thinks Austenland might be the perfect way to rid herself of her Mr. Darcy obsession, and off she goes. The resort is hilarious, and Jane waffles between enjoying the experience and needing something more "real" in the form of an attractive, forbidden gardener. She's intrigued by the gentlemen, especially the infuriating Mr. Nobley, but she realizes they're paid to be intriguing. Meanwhile, Jane, a graphic designer, rediscovers her love of painting (it beats sitting around doing embroidery) and figures out what she actually wants from life and relationships. This isn't great literature, but it's cute and entertaining.
Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster: This is exactly what it sounds like, a choose-your-own-adventure with Austen's novels as the storylines. If that sounds stupid, don't buy it (though amazon had it for $3.99, which is why I picked it up), but I really enjoyed it for what it was. It's silly, yes, but I haven't done choose-your-own-adventure in decades. I always loved them, but I'd peek at the options I didn't choose :( I know, it's a character flaw, and I still do it. Anyway, I've had fun with this! There are optional scorekeeping categories, but I didn't bother with that. The scorekeeping notes and other commentary are hilarious. You start out in Pride and Prejudice and can veer into other novels. Make the wrong choice and end up ruining your family, having a tragic marriage, or even dying a horrible death. I would have liked to see more choices, as there are several long sections during which important decisions are made, and not by you. But it's a fun little game, and I enjoyed it.
Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange: I really wonder how many more of these Amanda Grange will do. She's done Mr. Darcy's Diary, Mr. Knightley's Diary, and Captain Wentworth's Diary. And I see that she's done Colonel Brandon's Diary, but it doesn't seem to be available in the US. I wonder if she'll do Northanger Abbey next, or Edward Ferrars from S&S. At any rate, I enjoy these! They're like popcorn for Jane Austen addicts. Is it necessary to have the diaries of the heroes of Jane Austen's novels? No, the novels stand on their own just fine. But it's awfully fun. Grange does a good job of blending the familiar scenes with the addition of offstage occurrences, and Edmund's diary is no different. It actually made me remember why I think Edmund is a bit of a doof, but he's a lovable doof, so that's fine. It's a fun, extremely quick read.
NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!! I happen to have a spare copy of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Among these four books, that was my least favorite, but I hope I made it clear that it has its enjoyable parts. There must be other Jane Austen fans who would enjoy a FREE hardcover copy. If you would like this one, here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment with your e-mail address and your favorite Jane Austen hero (and why).
2. For an extra three entries, blog about this post and tell me you did.
3. Enter by Sunday, September 14 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Don't forget about our Anatomy of a Boyfriend giveaway! Enter by the very last moment of THIS SUNDAY for your chance to win.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler: I won this book through Reading Group Choices, a neat site that offers great suggestions for book clubs. This book had a lot of potential, but it never lived up to it. After Courtney Stone nurses a broken heart (both her fiance and her best friend, Wes, have betrayed her) with vodka and Jane Austen novels, she wakes up in another body, in another time and place. Everyone calls her Jane Mansfield (ha!), and she struggles to assimilate into her new world (where it appears she's engaged, or close to it) while figuring out how she got there and how to get back. There are some really, really funny parts to this book (Jane's mother is a horrible woman who threatens to have Jane committed if she doesn't do as she's told by marrying well and Courtney's snide internal monologue and passive-aggressive dealings in letters and conversation are gems), but ultimately, it was disappointing. Courtney is plagued by memories from Jane's brain, leading her to wonder about her identity and the nature of self, and this novel suffers from a similar identity crisis. Is it a gentle satire of Jane Austen's works, sharing the "truths" that Austen leaves out (it's smelly, the air is polluted, bathing is rare, chamber pots are disgusting, tooth powder-ew, not to mention what happens in a Tampax-free world when a woman has her "monthly courses")? Is it a reflection on modern society and how it compares to "simpler" times? Is it a scifi/fantasy novel about a woman dropped into another place and time who must find her way back? Is it a romance between Courtney and Wes? Rigler can't seem to decide, so it ends up doing most of these things, but none of them terribly well. The main problem is the Courtney/Jane dichotomy. I had trouble even thinking of her as Courtney because her life in LA is barely part of the story. I didn't care if she got together with Wes because I never saw Wes except in a couple of flashbacks. It would have been better if she and Jane had shared a name. Courtney spends too much time overanalyzing the situation--if I'm going to have to suspend disbelief in such a major way (and I'm fine with that!), I'd rather get it over with and skip Courtney's wondering about whether she's dreaming for pages and pages when it's obvious she's not. The explanation for what happened isn't particularly satisfying, and it might have been better to have skipped an explanation entirely or made the explanation more central to the story. Instead, the storytelling is caught between "What happened?" and "How do I cope in this time/place?" and "Do I love Wes?" The last was the least interesting. It would have been more cohesive if either the story had started before Courtney wakes up as Jane so I could see her interaction with Wes and what's-his-name-the-fiance and what happens to send her to Regency England OR (my preference) if the novel focused on her assimilating into Regency England. There is a lot to like here--the parts with Courtney struggling to act like Jane are lots of fun, and she gets to go to London and Bath in addition to her country home. It's fun to see this life through the eyes of a modern woman. The novel as a whole just fails to hang together. Die-hard Austen fans will probably enjoy the description of real life in Regency England, though--I did.
Austenland by Shannon Hale: What a fun, fun book. This one knows EXACTLY what it is--fluffy chick lit with a Jane Austen bent, and it does it well. Jane Hayes has a bit of an addiction to Colin Firth's Pride and Prejudice (Hale adds a tongue-in-cheek dedication to Colin Firth), and it's ruined her for normal men. Her great-aunt finds this out and leaves her a trip to Austenland in her will. Austenland is the ultimate haven for Austenphiles, a realistic Regency resort where guests (all female) dress up in empire waist gowns and corsets and basically pay to have Regency gentlemen court them. Jane thinks Austenland might be the perfect way to rid herself of her Mr. Darcy obsession, and off she goes. The resort is hilarious, and Jane waffles between enjoying the experience and needing something more "real" in the form of an attractive, forbidden gardener. She's intrigued by the gentlemen, especially the infuriating Mr. Nobley, but she realizes they're paid to be intriguing. Meanwhile, Jane, a graphic designer, rediscovers her love of painting (it beats sitting around doing embroidery) and figures out what she actually wants from life and relationships. This isn't great literature, but it's cute and entertaining.
Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster: This is exactly what it sounds like, a choose-your-own-adventure with Austen's novels as the storylines. If that sounds stupid, don't buy it (though amazon had it for $3.99, which is why I picked it up), but I really enjoyed it for what it was. It's silly, yes, but I haven't done choose-your-own-adventure in decades. I always loved them, but I'd peek at the options I didn't choose :( I know, it's a character flaw, and I still do it. Anyway, I've had fun with this! There are optional scorekeeping categories, but I didn't bother with that. The scorekeeping notes and other commentary are hilarious. You start out in Pride and Prejudice and can veer into other novels. Make the wrong choice and end up ruining your family, having a tragic marriage, or even dying a horrible death. I would have liked to see more choices, as there are several long sections during which important decisions are made, and not by you. But it's a fun little game, and I enjoyed it.
Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange: I really wonder how many more of these Amanda Grange will do. She's done Mr. Darcy's Diary, Mr. Knightley's Diary, and Captain Wentworth's Diary. And I see that she's done Colonel Brandon's Diary, but it doesn't seem to be available in the US. I wonder if she'll do Northanger Abbey next, or Edward Ferrars from S&S. At any rate, I enjoy these! They're like popcorn for Jane Austen addicts. Is it necessary to have the diaries of the heroes of Jane Austen's novels? No, the novels stand on their own just fine. But it's awfully fun. Grange does a good job of blending the familiar scenes with the addition of offstage occurrences, and Edmund's diary is no different. It actually made me remember why I think Edmund is a bit of a doof, but he's a lovable doof, so that's fine. It's a fun, extremely quick read.
NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!! I happen to have a spare copy of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Among these four books, that was my least favorite, but I hope I made it clear that it has its enjoyable parts. There must be other Jane Austen fans who would enjoy a FREE hardcover copy. If you would like this one, here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment with your e-mail address and your favorite Jane Austen hero (and why).
2. For an extra three entries, blog about this post and tell me you did.
3. Enter by Sunday, September 14 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Don't forget about our Anatomy of a Boyfriend giveaway! Enter by the very last moment of THIS SUNDAY for your chance to win.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
More giveaways!
Hi! Yes, I'm still here. See, I was smart in roping Allison into co-blogging with me. She sure knows how to pick up the posting slack when I haven't been posting much lately (THANKS Allison!). I am currently reading The Eight by Katherine Neville with The Fire also on deck before the end of September. It's taken me awhile to get through The Eight. But I'm almost done so hopefully I'll be able to post a review in a couple days.
Anyhoo, the reason for this post! Abby the Librarian is hosting a giveaway where two lucky winners can pick from a list of her favorite books of 2008. You can check it out here!! And here is a list of the books you might win:
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
George Washington Carver by Tanya Bolden
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale
Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor
Nate the Great Collected Stories (audio!) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, read by John Lavelle.
Good Enough by Paula Yoo
Anyhoo, the reason for this post! Abby the Librarian is hosting a giveaway where two lucky winners can pick from a list of her favorite books of 2008. You can check it out here!! And here is a list of the books you might win:
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
George Washington Carver by Tanya Bolden
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale
Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor
Nate the Great Collected Stories (audio!) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, read by John Lavelle.
Good Enough by Paula Yoo
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion
(Shameless plug: Don't forget to enter our first-ever (but not last!) book giveaway by this Sunday, September 7!)
I picked up Queen of the Road at the same time as Wife in the North. Both were memoirs about women relocating in a dramatic way to accommodate their husbands' dreams, both grew from blogs (though I didn't know it when I ordered them), and both were LibraryThing Early Reviewer selections in the same month. The reading experiences could not have been more different. I won't go on and on about my disappointment that Wife in the North simply reprinted blog entries, as I've already written that review, but I will say that Queen of the Road was a blast. Refreshingly written in normal-book format, with chapters, and character development, and unity of purpose (not to mention hilarious, delectable martini recipes preceding each chapter), Queen of the Road chronicles the year Doreen spent with her husband in a converted bus (don't feel too sorry for her--it's a luxury home on wheels), seeing America and learning what's really important in life. At the very beginning, when Doreen announces she's a proud Long Island Princess with 200 shoes, I was bummed because I never understand women with that many shoes, and I'm not so much into fashion. Fortunately, Doreen proves to be much different from the shallow, materialistic woman I had expected. The best part of the book is watching her grow as a person (from a semi-hermit who works from home and spends as much time in pajamas as possible to a true Queen of the Road), closely followed by learning about different places in America along with her.
If you had asked me before I read this book, "Hey, would you ever spend a year in a converted bus?" I would have laughed and laughed, but Doreen's journey actually seems...fun. And liberating, eye-opening, and life-changing. Doreen is funny and instead of whining constantly about "the bus thing" her husband is so keen on, she embraces the experience. Her marriage with Tim is really inspiring, and "the bus thing" manages to bring them even closer together. There were a few points of self-reflection when I uncharitably thought she devolved into trite platitudes, but you know what? Reminders that "things" are not as important as people, or that people can change and grow, or that venturing out of your comfort zone can open your eyes--these are not unique, but that's because they are a part of the human experience, and the way Doreen finds her way (and herself) is refreshing. This book is highly readable, fun, and inspirational.
I picked up Queen of the Road at the same time as Wife in the North. Both were memoirs about women relocating in a dramatic way to accommodate their husbands' dreams, both grew from blogs (though I didn't know it when I ordered them), and both were LibraryThing Early Reviewer selections in the same month. The reading experiences could not have been more different. I won't go on and on about my disappointment that Wife in the North simply reprinted blog entries, as I've already written that review, but I will say that Queen of the Road was a blast. Refreshingly written in normal-book format, with chapters, and character development, and unity of purpose (not to mention hilarious, delectable martini recipes preceding each chapter), Queen of the Road chronicles the year Doreen spent with her husband in a converted bus (don't feel too sorry for her--it's a luxury home on wheels), seeing America and learning what's really important in life. At the very beginning, when Doreen announces she's a proud Long Island Princess with 200 shoes, I was bummed because I never understand women with that many shoes, and I'm not so much into fashion. Fortunately, Doreen proves to be much different from the shallow, materialistic woman I had expected. The best part of the book is watching her grow as a person (from a semi-hermit who works from home and spends as much time in pajamas as possible to a true Queen of the Road), closely followed by learning about different places in America along with her.
If you had asked me before I read this book, "Hey, would you ever spend a year in a converted bus?" I would have laughed and laughed, but Doreen's journey actually seems...fun. And liberating, eye-opening, and life-changing. Doreen is funny and instead of whining constantly about "the bus thing" her husband is so keen on, she embraces the experience. Her marriage with Tim is really inspiring, and "the bus thing" manages to bring them even closer together. There were a few points of self-reflection when I uncharitably thought she devolved into trite platitudes, but you know what? Reminders that "things" are not as important as people, or that people can change and grow, or that venturing out of your comfort zone can open your eyes--these are not unique, but that's because they are a part of the human experience, and the way Doreen finds her way (and herself) is refreshing. This book is highly readable, fun, and inspirational.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Yet another giveaway!
Kelly over at The Optimistic Bookfool is giving away a copy of Brad Metzer's Book of Lies. I've seen this book all over the blogosphere lately. It's gotten really good reviews and sounds interesting. Check it out!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wife in the North by Judith O'Reilly
Judith O'Reilly is very funny and insightful, and I was very excited to read this book. The premise sounded fantastic (city woman moves to Northumberland to fulfill her husband's dream), and I think I laughed out loud half a dozen times in the first couple dozen pages. The very first paragraph holds such promise. Wondering whether she could kill her husband and plead insanity, she concludes, "In truth, the only abuse I have ever suffered is his music collection and the fact he can only cook two meals--fish pasta and bacon and leek pasta. I am not sure that would be considered adequate grounds for murder. Particularly if the jury insisted on sampling them because they are really rather nice." The book is written in short diary entries, beginning with the family's move to the middle of nowhere with a four-year-old, a two-year-old, and seven-months-pregnant Judith convinced to try out country living.
There were lovely, poignant passages and very funny passages, and Judith really nails the highs and lows of being a parent. But after about 100 pages, it started to be a hard slog to keep going. I realized it was the short entries, lack of cohesion, and my inability to connect with other characters. Basically, the problem is that, though this is categorized as a memoir, it is actually a collection of blog entries. "Memoir" implies reflecting on one's past in a meaningful way, while this is like reading someone's summarized daily thoughts, which is good in small doses, but, like life, is repetitive, disjointed, and lacking a central story to move things along. I hadn't realized this was a blog-to-book, or I doubt I would have picked it up. The really frustrating thing is that I would have loved to read a real memoir by Judith. She's an excellent writer, really witty and sharp, and her insights are funny and moving.
I had difficulty identifying with anyone but Judith because she's given them all cutesy blog names to shield their identities (Yorkshire Mother, Oyster Farmer's Wife, Best Friend From School--even the kids start out as the four-year-old and two-year-old, progressing as needed to five-year-old and three-year-old, etc. The baby stays the baby) and their characters are not really developed. Her husband is a mystery to me. He drags the whole family up there, but continues to work in London, leaving Judith alone with the kids for three weeks at a time? I could not understand his motivation, or her capitulation, in light of those circumstances, and this was a real problem. When he gives her an out partway through, I could not identify with her not taking it after reading about her misery up to that point. As expected with a blog, there is a fair amount of self-indulgence and whining (yes, you miss London--I get it), but the lack of cohesion is really the biggest problem with this book. Is this what publishers are doing these days? Finding someone with an entertaining blog and reprinting entries so people will pay for what they can read for free? Count me out.
Save a tree. Save $14.95. Go read her blog at wifeinthenorth.com.
There were lovely, poignant passages and very funny passages, and Judith really nails the highs and lows of being a parent. But after about 100 pages, it started to be a hard slog to keep going. I realized it was the short entries, lack of cohesion, and my inability to connect with other characters. Basically, the problem is that, though this is categorized as a memoir, it is actually a collection of blog entries. "Memoir" implies reflecting on one's past in a meaningful way, while this is like reading someone's summarized daily thoughts, which is good in small doses, but, like life, is repetitive, disjointed, and lacking a central story to move things along. I hadn't realized this was a blog-to-book, or I doubt I would have picked it up. The really frustrating thing is that I would have loved to read a real memoir by Judith. She's an excellent writer, really witty and sharp, and her insights are funny and moving.
I had difficulty identifying with anyone but Judith because she's given them all cutesy blog names to shield their identities (Yorkshire Mother, Oyster Farmer's Wife, Best Friend From School--even the kids start out as the four-year-old and two-year-old, progressing as needed to five-year-old and three-year-old, etc. The baby stays the baby) and their characters are not really developed. Her husband is a mystery to me. He drags the whole family up there, but continues to work in London, leaving Judith alone with the kids for three weeks at a time? I could not understand his motivation, or her capitulation, in light of those circumstances, and this was a real problem. When he gives her an out partway through, I could not identify with her not taking it after reading about her misery up to that point. As expected with a blog, there is a fair amount of self-indulgence and whining (yes, you miss London--I get it), but the lack of cohesion is really the biggest problem with this book. Is this what publishers are doing these days? Finding someone with an entertaining blog and reprinting entries so people will pay for what they can read for free? Count me out.
Save a tree. Save $14.95. Go read her blog at wifeinthenorth.com.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Yet another giveaway!
The author Meg Waite Clayton (The Wednesday Sisters) hosts a blog dedicated to getting the word out about first time authors. Meg is currently hosting a giveaway for the book Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman. She's going to throw in a copy of her book The Wednesday Sisters.
The Chessman book describes Lydia's life as she models for her sister Mary Cassatt. At first I thought it sounded charming when I only read half of the book description. When I went back and finished reading the description, it said that Lydia was dying of Bright's disease. So it doesn't sound quite as charming as I thought, but still very interesting.
The Chessman book describes Lydia's life as she models for her sister Mary Cassatt. At first I thought it sounded charming when I only read half of the book description. When I went back and finished reading the description, it said that Lydia was dying of Bright's disease. So it doesn't sound quite as charming as I thought, but still very interesting.
Another book giveaway!
Head on over to Bart's Bookshelf to enter a drawing for The End of Mr. Y or a pair of books by Michael Malloy (The Witch Trade and The Time Witches). Contest ends August 31.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Q & A With Daria Snadowsky
Daria Snadowsky, author of Anatomy of a Boyfriend, was kind enough to answer some pretty nosy questions by e-mail. We enjoyed the book, and so can you! See below for an opportunity to win a SIGNED copy.
Read Holly's review here.
Read Allison's review here.
Visit Daria Snadowsky's web page.
Allison: I have to ask, with all the comparisons between Anatomy of a Boyfriend and Judy Blume's Forever...Do you have any interest in writing a book for pre-teen girls? Even when I read Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret, there were some outdated bits, and that was...ahem...a while ago.
Daria: Now that you mention it, I think tween books would be an interesting avenue for me to consider. Middle school was an endless gauntlet of adolescent "firsts" that still scar me to this day, so it might be cathartic to tackle those topics in a novel intended for younger readers.
Allison: Were there books that particularly spoke to you during your childhood and teen years?
Daria: I swore by Judy Blume, especially Forever. Blume has an unabashed, totally candid way of conveying her characters' emotions that always made me feel less alone. I read her books not for escapism or entertainment but rather empathy.
Allison: What was the most challenging part of Anatomy of a Boyfriend to write? The most fun? (I know, I sound like a college application essay question.)
Daria: The most fun part was writing about Dom's first kiss. I still remember mine more vividly than I do just about anything else that has happened to me before or since, so it was fun reliving that magical moment in my mind and then translating it to Dom's world.
The most challenging part were the love scenes. Walking that tightrope between graphic and pornographic, between sensual and sensationalized, between honest and gratuitous was a constant struggle. Judy Blume's Forever remained my guide throughout. That the character of Dom was an aspiring doctor who loved anatomy allowed me to get away with giving more clinical, detailed descriptions that I might have been able to otherwise.
Allison: Any memorable ex-boyfriend stories you'd like to share?
Daria: On Valentine's Day of my sophomore year at Emory, my then-bf and I went parking in his car on the top level of Peavine Parking deck. Seconds later campus security came by and found us. They made us stand outside while they lectured to us how stupid we were being and threatened to write us up. It was reeeally embarrassing, and they were right it was a pretty dumb thing for us to do, but it did inspire one of my favorite chapters in Anatomy of a Boyfriend.
Allison: You've written what seems destined to be a YA classic...what's next?
Daria: Thank you so much! I spent most of my time since Anatomy's release practicing law, but ideas are always going through my head for new projects. I can pretty much guarantee you that if I should write again, it won't involve anything with a fantasy/supernatural element. A lot of people have asked for a sequel to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, so that's always a possibility.
Thank you so much, Daria! Now for the contest! Enter to win a SIGNED, hardcover copy of Anatomy of a Boyfriend before it comes out in paperback September 23. Here's how to enter:
1. For one entry, leave a comment below, telling me your favorite book as a teenager. Don't forget to leave your e-mail address so I can contact the winner!
2. For a bonus entry, add an embarrassing story from your teen years.
3. For another entry, blog about this contest, linking to this post, and tell me you did in the comments.
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 P.M. EDT ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7! I will select a winner at random from all entries and contact the winner by e-mail. Good luck!
Read Holly's review here.
Read Allison's review here.
Visit Daria Snadowsky's web page.
Allison: I have to ask, with all the comparisons between Anatomy of a Boyfriend and Judy Blume's Forever...Do you have any interest in writing a book for pre-teen girls? Even when I read Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret, there were some outdated bits, and that was...ahem...a while ago.
Daria: Now that you mention it, I think tween books would be an interesting avenue for me to consider. Middle school was an endless gauntlet of adolescent "firsts" that still scar me to this day, so it might be cathartic to tackle those topics in a novel intended for younger readers.
Allison: Were there books that particularly spoke to you during your childhood and teen years?
Daria: I swore by Judy Blume, especially Forever. Blume has an unabashed, totally candid way of conveying her characters' emotions that always made me feel less alone. I read her books not for escapism or entertainment but rather empathy.
Allison: What was the most challenging part of Anatomy of a Boyfriend to write? The most fun? (I know, I sound like a college application essay question.)
Daria: The most fun part was writing about Dom's first kiss. I still remember mine more vividly than I do just about anything else that has happened to me before or since, so it was fun reliving that magical moment in my mind and then translating it to Dom's world.
The most challenging part were the love scenes. Walking that tightrope between graphic and pornographic, between sensual and sensationalized, between honest and gratuitous was a constant struggle. Judy Blume's Forever remained my guide throughout. That the character of Dom was an aspiring doctor who loved anatomy allowed me to get away with giving more clinical, detailed descriptions that I might have been able to otherwise.
Allison: Any memorable ex-boyfriend stories you'd like to share?
Daria: On Valentine's Day of my sophomore year at Emory, my then-bf and I went parking in his car on the top level of Peavine Parking deck. Seconds later campus security came by and found us. They made us stand outside while they lectured to us how stupid we were being and threatened to write us up. It was reeeally embarrassing, and they were right it was a pretty dumb thing for us to do, but it did inspire one of my favorite chapters in Anatomy of a Boyfriend.
Allison: You've written what seems destined to be a YA classic...what's next?
Daria: Thank you so much! I spent most of my time since Anatomy's release practicing law, but ideas are always going through my head for new projects. I can pretty much guarantee you that if I should write again, it won't involve anything with a fantasy/supernatural element. A lot of people have asked for a sequel to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, so that's always a possibility.
Thank you so much, Daria! Now for the contest! Enter to win a SIGNED, hardcover copy of Anatomy of a Boyfriend before it comes out in paperback September 23. Here's how to enter:
1. For one entry, leave a comment below, telling me your favorite book as a teenager. Don't forget to leave your e-mail address so I can contact the winner!
2. For a bonus entry, add an embarrassing story from your teen years.
3. For another entry, blog about this contest, linking to this post, and tell me you did in the comments.
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 P.M. EDT ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7! I will select a winner at random from all entries and contact the winner by e-mail. Good luck!
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky
Holly's review here
Daria Snadowsky's dedication to Judy Blume is an apt one; she certainly owes a debt to Blume, whose honest books on the facts of life were so important to girls of my generation. This is not to say that Anatomy of a Boyfriend is just a rehashing of Forever and other works; rather, it's a needed update. Snadowsky uses clean, spare prose (with a hint of humor) to examine high school infatuation (and maybe love), teenage sex lives, growing up, and taking control of your body. The first part of the book introduces Dom, a 17-year-old virgin whose best friend, Amy, has an "anything but" policy in her frequent hookups with whatever guy she finds cute that week. Dom finds most boys unworthy of her time and attention, and she's consumed with college applications, Science Quiz, and keeping her grades up for a good pre-med program. Then she meets Wes, and they begin a classic adolescent infatuation/flirtation during which Dom's brain apparently falls out of her head so that she's unable to think of anything but Wes. And what to wear when she sees Wes. And why Wes hasn't kissed her yet. And...you get the idea. I was getting a little annoyed when I realized--that's pretty much infatuation, isn't it? It bores/annoys everyone except those directly involved. It was hard to see Dom having trouble concentrating on her schoolwork when preparing for college had been her obsession before she met Wes, but it's accurate. And when Dom and Wes start fumbling around the edges of a sexual relationship, the intensity and awkwardness ring true. I obviously cared about the characters, because when Dom waffles on whether to go to her original second choice school, Tulane, (Stanford had rejected her) or Wes's NYU, I could have screamed at her not to be an idiot. Dom decides that she's ready to go all the way, and she and Wes make plans for prom night. Snadowsky doesn't shy away from the details, but the actual sex scenes are more tasteful than anything I've read in romance novels. The next part of the book deals with Dom starting college, meeting new people, trying to get good grades and figure out if she really wants to be pre-med, and, of course, missing Wes. Gradually, she begins to find an identity for herself independent from her great love, and I was pleased to see her make the transition toward growing up.
I have to say that overall this was an excellent novel for teen girls. As a parent (Holly and I are both parents, so you'll have to look elsewhere for the non-parent point-of-view) I think it would be a good starting point for parent-teen conversations about sex. I don't know that I would want this to be my daughter's only reference, but it isn't meant to be. Dom's parents really said very little about sex, except a couple of vague "be carefuls" and I wasn't thrilled that Dom was so non-judgmental about Amy's less-than-safe sex life (though there was finally a comment about it). On the other hand, I was pleased that Dom took charge of her health by providing condoms, and she's not one of those girls agreeing to sex so her boyfriend will like her. There's also a "Future Cosmo Woman" vibe (pun intended) as far as Dom being in control of her body that I thought was an empowering counterpoint to popular culture's emphasis on men's pleasure. I would recommend this to (mature) teen girls, and especially to parents of pre-teen or teen girls, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Anatomy of a Boyfriend sticking around for a whole new generation.
Stay tuned to On My Bookshelf--Daria Snadowsky has agreed to answer a few questions in our first-ever author interview, and we'll be giving away an autographed, hardcover copy of Anatomy of a Boyfriend (out in paperback September 23).
Daria Snadowsky's dedication to Judy Blume is an apt one; she certainly owes a debt to Blume, whose honest books on the facts of life were so important to girls of my generation. This is not to say that Anatomy of a Boyfriend is just a rehashing of Forever and other works; rather, it's a needed update. Snadowsky uses clean, spare prose (with a hint of humor) to examine high school infatuation (and maybe love), teenage sex lives, growing up, and taking control of your body. The first part of the book introduces Dom, a 17-year-old virgin whose best friend, Amy, has an "anything but" policy in her frequent hookups with whatever guy she finds cute that week. Dom finds most boys unworthy of her time and attention, and she's consumed with college applications, Science Quiz, and keeping her grades up for a good pre-med program. Then she meets Wes, and they begin a classic adolescent infatuation/flirtation during which Dom's brain apparently falls out of her head so that she's unable to think of anything but Wes. And what to wear when she sees Wes. And why Wes hasn't kissed her yet. And...you get the idea. I was getting a little annoyed when I realized--that's pretty much infatuation, isn't it? It bores/annoys everyone except those directly involved. It was hard to see Dom having trouble concentrating on her schoolwork when preparing for college had been her obsession before she met Wes, but it's accurate. And when Dom and Wes start fumbling around the edges of a sexual relationship, the intensity and awkwardness ring true. I obviously cared about the characters, because when Dom waffles on whether to go to her original second choice school, Tulane, (Stanford had rejected her) or Wes's NYU, I could have screamed at her not to be an idiot. Dom decides that she's ready to go all the way, and she and Wes make plans for prom night. Snadowsky doesn't shy away from the details, but the actual sex scenes are more tasteful than anything I've read in romance novels. The next part of the book deals with Dom starting college, meeting new people, trying to get good grades and figure out if she really wants to be pre-med, and, of course, missing Wes. Gradually, she begins to find an identity for herself independent from her great love, and I was pleased to see her make the transition toward growing up.
I have to say that overall this was an excellent novel for teen girls. As a parent (Holly and I are both parents, so you'll have to look elsewhere for the non-parent point-of-view) I think it would be a good starting point for parent-teen conversations about sex. I don't know that I would want this to be my daughter's only reference, but it isn't meant to be. Dom's parents really said very little about sex, except a couple of vague "be carefuls" and I wasn't thrilled that Dom was so non-judgmental about Amy's less-than-safe sex life (though there was finally a comment about it). On the other hand, I was pleased that Dom took charge of her health by providing condoms, and she's not one of those girls agreeing to sex so her boyfriend will like her. There's also a "Future Cosmo Woman" vibe (pun intended) as far as Dom being in control of her body that I thought was an empowering counterpoint to popular culture's emphasis on men's pleasure. I would recommend this to (mature) teen girls, and especially to parents of pre-teen or teen girls, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Anatomy of a Boyfriend sticking around for a whole new generation.
Stay tuned to On My Bookshelf--Daria Snadowsky has agreed to answer a few questions in our first-ever author interview, and we'll be giving away an autographed, hardcover copy of Anatomy of a Boyfriend (out in paperback September 23).
So cozy!
One Bad Apple by Sheila Connolly is the first in a new cozy mystery series starring Boston banker Meg Corey. After being dumped by boyfriend Chandler Hale and losing her job to downsizing, she jumps at the opportunity her mother presents: rehab the 250-year-old family property in tiny Granford. Meg's mother has rented it out since inheriting it, and the condition is much more dire than Meg expected, but everyone assures her it's a beautiful house, and the old apple orchard is charming (not to mention an important research tool for the college). Chandler shows up to ask Meg about selling off the orchard land to a development project he's working on. When the septic tank gives up the ghost, she meets Seth, the local plumber. Before the new trench is filled in, Chandler's body is found stuffed inside. Yuck. Local law enforcement suspects that Meg tried to rekindle her romance with Chandler and killed him when she was spurned. The other suspect is Seth, whose land is involved in the possible development deal. Meg pokes around to see if she can clear their names.
This was one of the most promising new series I've tried recently. Meg is likable, Granford is charming, and the mystery is interesting, with twists and turns. Many side characters had limited development, and I was wondering why Meg's voice wasn't in first person, but it's the first in a series, so I look forward to more character development in the next installment. There is information on apple orchards and recipes included at the end, but New England history, apple farming, and rehabbing are all featured in the main story. All in all, a pleasant, cozy read for anyone who enjoys small-town mysteries with lots of charm and not too much imminent danger.
This was one of the most promising new series I've tried recently. Meg is likable, Granford is charming, and the mystery is interesting, with twists and turns. Many side characters had limited development, and I was wondering why Meg's voice wasn't in first person, but it's the first in a series, so I look forward to more character development in the next installment. There is information on apple orchards and recipes included at the end, but New England history, apple farming, and rehabbing are all featured in the main story. All in all, a pleasant, cozy read for anyone who enjoys small-town mysteries with lots of charm and not too much imminent danger.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Why Some Cats Are Rascals
There are three books in the series Why Some Cats Are Rascals, by Boszenna Nowiki, called Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 in defiance of the author's creativity. I had a lot of fun zipping through all three, and I will enjoy reading them aloud to my cat-adoring daughter when she's a bit older. My main complaint about these books is not with the stories, but with production values. I looked up the publisher, Healthy Life Press (an odd-sounding choice for children's book publication), and I'm not really sure how these books came to be in their catalogue. They do offer Polish/English translation services on their website, so that may be the connection. At any rate, I thought the stories were darling, offering educational value and positive moral (but not religious) values in a very engaging, fun way. But I would have liked to have seen a better translation (there is no translator credited, so I'm not sure if the Healthy Life Press person is just not up to the task or if Ms. Nowiki chose to write in English or translate her own work), as there are many passages that just read...oddly. Weird word choices and strange syntax abound. The editing is also strange, with sentences that stop mid-line and re-start on the next line. And these stories are crying out for illustrations! There are only a couple in each book.
So far, I haven't really sold this book, so let me tell you why I care. In Book One, there are two parts. In the first, the cats are crazy for adventure and make a break for freedom (planning all along to return to the children of the house). They encounter obstacles they must overcome with teamwork, positive thinking, loyalty, and non-violent problem-solving, to make it back home. In the second part, they enter the Enchanted Forest and meet Prehistoric Cat. They help some downtrodden mice escape persecution from large, Prehistoric Mice (yeah, I know that sounds dumb, but it's a cute story). There are messages of hope, helping others, not being vengeful, and more problem-solving. Again, the cats solve the problem without resorting to violence. Throughout, we learn about different species of wild cats, among other things. In Book 2, the first (and longest) part takes place in ancient Egypt. The cats navigate ancient Egypt and overcome being trapped in a pyramid, then avoid being sacrificed. There is a lot of information on ancient Egypt and desert animals. Then a brief interlude takes the cats to Medieval Europe, where we learn about the witch hunts and the Black Plague. The last segment is really rather silly, a Home Alone story with the cats fending off robbers back at home, but I think kids would think it hilarious. In Book 3, the first part takes place in the Wildly Wild West, with an outlaw cat who has retired from a life of crime (or has he?), a Sheriff, and a rescue of cats imprisoned by rats. The second (and longest part) takes place on the Oregon Trail. And of course, the story ends at home.
I thought Ms. Nowiki did a fantastic job of weaving in information about animals, history, and anything else related to the adventures. Sometimes these passages did feel slightly textbooky, but mostly they were interesting asides during the story. I was also really excited about the moral aspect of the book. Most books that advertise a moral message are blatantly Christian, but these messages were just about being a good cat (or person)--loyalty, solving conflict without violence, cooperation, helping others, resisting the urge for revenge, persistence, and creative problem solving. I really liked the non-violent part--can you tell? Anyway, these were really cute books, and I wish a major publisher would reprint them with illustrations and a better translation. There was also a line at the end of Book 3: "Book 4 coming soon" but Book 3 was in 2006, so I'm not sure. I hope so!
So far, I haven't really sold this book, so let me tell you why I care. In Book One, there are two parts. In the first, the cats are crazy for adventure and make a break for freedom (planning all along to return to the children of the house). They encounter obstacles they must overcome with teamwork, positive thinking, loyalty, and non-violent problem-solving, to make it back home. In the second part, they enter the Enchanted Forest and meet Prehistoric Cat. They help some downtrodden mice escape persecution from large, Prehistoric Mice (yeah, I know that sounds dumb, but it's a cute story). There are messages of hope, helping others, not being vengeful, and more problem-solving. Again, the cats solve the problem without resorting to violence. Throughout, we learn about different species of wild cats, among other things. In Book 2, the first (and longest) part takes place in ancient Egypt. The cats navigate ancient Egypt and overcome being trapped in a pyramid, then avoid being sacrificed. There is a lot of information on ancient Egypt and desert animals. Then a brief interlude takes the cats to Medieval Europe, where we learn about the witch hunts and the Black Plague. The last segment is really rather silly, a Home Alone story with the cats fending off robbers back at home, but I think kids would think it hilarious. In Book 3, the first part takes place in the Wildly Wild West, with an outlaw cat who has retired from a life of crime (or has he?), a Sheriff, and a rescue of cats imprisoned by rats. The second (and longest part) takes place on the Oregon Trail. And of course, the story ends at home.
I thought Ms. Nowiki did a fantastic job of weaving in information about animals, history, and anything else related to the adventures. Sometimes these passages did feel slightly textbooky, but mostly they were interesting asides during the story. I was also really excited about the moral aspect of the book. Most books that advertise a moral message are blatantly Christian, but these messages were just about being a good cat (or person)--loyalty, solving conflict without violence, cooperation, helping others, resisting the urge for revenge, persistence, and creative problem solving. I really liked the non-violent part--can you tell? Anyway, these were really cute books, and I wish a major publisher would reprint them with illustrations and a better translation. There was also a line at the end of Book 3: "Book 4 coming soon" but Book 3 was in 2006, so I'm not sure. I hope so!
The Empress of Weehawken by Irene Dische
The Empress of Weehawken is a faux memoir from the point-of-view of Elisabeth Rother, leading us through her amazing life and the lives of her daughter, Renate, and her granddaughter, Irene. Yes, Irene, as in Irene Dische, the author. But as Elisabeth would say, more on that later. At first glance, Elisabeth is an unrepentant snob, an anti-Semite who marries a Jew, a borderline abusive mother, and if I had put aside the book after fifty or so pages, I would have come away disliking Elisabeth despite her amusing turns of phrase. Dische has absolutely nailed Elisabeth's incisive, witty, condescending, observant voice, and though Elisabeth says she is anti-Semitic and disdainful of the lower classes, Dische allows her actions to tell a more nuanced story. By the end of the story, I adored Elisabeth, and though I'm not a big crier while reading, I wept at the end.
The story begins with Elisabeth telling of her difficulties conceiving with her husband Carl, and Elisabeth's disappointment that the eventual child (Renate) is a girl. It is the 1930s in Germany and Carl is a Jew, regardless his conversion to Elisabeth's Catholicism before their wedding. As life becomes more and more restrictive, Elisabeth bullies the Catholic church into helping relocate him to America. She sends Renate to a convent school as a "good Catholic girl." Elisabeth's strength of spirit becomes very clear as she protects her family, and even attempts to help Carl's family using her family connections (her brother Otto is in the SS). Though Elisabeth is the one with the "good breeding" and noble family, it is Carl who is most scathing in his judgments about Jews, and Carl who enforces class delineations (though Elisabeth pays lip service to the idea of keeping the servant class in their place, her relationship with Liesel belies that position). In Part II, Elisabeth and Renate join Carl in America, where they have nowhere to stay, as Carl's unbelievable behavior has put him on the outs with the Catholic church. Elisabeth takes the reins of the family and steers them toward assimilation and even prosperity. After the war, she deals with the bitter correspondence from family, friends, and even unknown Germans, who congratulate her on getting out of Germany and ask for handouts. Her response is inspiring. Dische weaves the lives of Renate and Irene through Elisabeth's narrative, and Elisabeth often invokes a subject, promising to return to it later. Elisabeth is very, very funny on a variety of subjects. On old age: "After forty, if you wake up without feeling any pain, then you're probably dead." On Heinz kosher baked beans: "They came in glass jars, and the inside of the cap, if you put your nose right up to it, smelled like pork. It was some kind of trick. I believe this was used by the Jewish manufacturer to attract his own pork-starved people, and that trick is as much proof as one needs about the ingenuity of the race."
Irene Dische has placed this disclaimer before Chapter One: "Certain events and characters in this novel were inspired by real people and events. But the actual events, characters, and dialogue depicted are all fictional." If anything, the knowledge of the author's own connection to the story, was a minor drawback to me. On occasion, I was pulled out of the story wondering if the events were actually true (not just true to the story); the incidences of child abuse (did the maid/nanny actually lock the real Irene in a closet for punishment, leaving the house when the screaming got on her nerves? and, oh, the pants-wetting thing!) and Irene's wild adventures abroad (did some intervention actually abort the near-rape experiences of Irene, or is she rewriting her history our of wishful thinking? or did those scenes never happen at all?) I know that "real life" is very popular right now. Memoirs pop up right and left, and don't get me started on reality television. And if Irene hadn't been a character in her own book, I would have had no issues at all with the "inspired by real people and events"--in fact, I would have thought it an ingenious idea to write a biography of one's grandmother from the grandmother's point of view. Wondering about the truth of Irene's story was only a minor nuisance, but it did, at times, distract me from the story. Nevertheless, this is an engaging, moving story about an extraordinary woman, and I certainly recommend it.
The story begins with Elisabeth telling of her difficulties conceiving with her husband Carl, and Elisabeth's disappointment that the eventual child (Renate) is a girl. It is the 1930s in Germany and Carl is a Jew, regardless his conversion to Elisabeth's Catholicism before their wedding. As life becomes more and more restrictive, Elisabeth bullies the Catholic church into helping relocate him to America. She sends Renate to a convent school as a "good Catholic girl." Elisabeth's strength of spirit becomes very clear as she protects her family, and even attempts to help Carl's family using her family connections (her brother Otto is in the SS). Though Elisabeth is the one with the "good breeding" and noble family, it is Carl who is most scathing in his judgments about Jews, and Carl who enforces class delineations (though Elisabeth pays lip service to the idea of keeping the servant class in their place, her relationship with Liesel belies that position). In Part II, Elisabeth and Renate join Carl in America, where they have nowhere to stay, as Carl's unbelievable behavior has put him on the outs with the Catholic church. Elisabeth takes the reins of the family and steers them toward assimilation and even prosperity. After the war, she deals with the bitter correspondence from family, friends, and even unknown Germans, who congratulate her on getting out of Germany and ask for handouts. Her response is inspiring. Dische weaves the lives of Renate and Irene through Elisabeth's narrative, and Elisabeth often invokes a subject, promising to return to it later. Elisabeth is very, very funny on a variety of subjects. On old age: "After forty, if you wake up without feeling any pain, then you're probably dead." On Heinz kosher baked beans: "They came in glass jars, and the inside of the cap, if you put your nose right up to it, smelled like pork. It was some kind of trick. I believe this was used by the Jewish manufacturer to attract his own pork-starved people, and that trick is as much proof as one needs about the ingenuity of the race."
Irene Dische has placed this disclaimer before Chapter One: "Certain events and characters in this novel were inspired by real people and events. But the actual events, characters, and dialogue depicted are all fictional." If anything, the knowledge of the author's own connection to the story, was a minor drawback to me. On occasion, I was pulled out of the story wondering if the events were actually true (not just true to the story); the incidences of child abuse (did the maid/nanny actually lock the real Irene in a closet for punishment, leaving the house when the screaming got on her nerves? and, oh, the pants-wetting thing!) and Irene's wild adventures abroad (did some intervention actually abort the near-rape experiences of Irene, or is she rewriting her history our of wishful thinking? or did those scenes never happen at all?) I know that "real life" is very popular right now. Memoirs pop up right and left, and don't get me started on reality television. And if Irene hadn't been a character in her own book, I would have had no issues at all with the "inspired by real people and events"--in fact, I would have thought it an ingenious idea to write a biography of one's grandmother from the grandmother's point of view. Wondering about the truth of Irene's story was only a minor nuisance, but it did, at times, distract me from the story. Nevertheless, this is an engaging, moving story about an extraordinary woman, and I certainly recommend it.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky
Allison and I were contacted by the author of Anatomy of a Boyfriend to see if we'd like to receive a copy of her book to review on the blog. We were very excited and of course said yes! I received the book in the mail last week and dived in yesterday.
It is a very candid account of a high school girl's first real relationship with a boy and the highs and lows of dealing with that. The main character, Dominique (Dom) is seventeen and very focused on her college applications, planning to be premed, and hanging out with her best friend, Amy.While hanging out with Amy at a football game, Dom meets Wes and almost immediately becomes completely preoccupied with him. The relationship moves along quickly. Dom and Wes become consumed with each other spending the last spring of high school together and the summer before college. Then off they go to separate colleges and their perfect relationship takes an inevitable turn.
I received a bookmark along with the book, which says, "An unflinching account of teen love, sex and heartbreak". I think the sex part should be first there. The first half of the novel was filled with a lot of description about Dom and Wes's sexual relationship. Actually, the experiences leading up to the eventual "deed", on prom night no less. As I was reading, I kept thinking to myself, "Is this what the whole book is going to be like?" It was very honest and Snadowsky did not hold back with the details. I was actually a little disappointed in the first half of the book because I was looking for more story and it seemed to me I was just reading about the characters going at it. However, around page 137 or so the story turns when Dom receives her college acceptance letters. The second half of the book is much more story driven and details the feelings of going off to college and leaving your best friend and boyfriend and trying to maintain long distance relationships.
I thought Snadowsky's book was quite accurate to many people's experiences senior year of high school and going off to college. She captures the first semester of college quite well from the shock of a bad test grade, to trying to have a relationship with a guy who is hundreds of miles away, while meeting new people who seem interesting. I also thought Snadowsky portrayed parents in the book well from a teenager's point of view. They seemed kind of lame but caring. They tried to be understanding and there for Dom if she needed them.
The bookmark I mentioned above also says "For ages 14 and up". I think I would put this at more like age 16 and up. Not that I'm naive, I know there are kids younger out there having sex. But I felt like this was almost a "how-to" book and I'm not sure I would want my daughters reading this at age 14. I'm hoping they have no clue about this stuff at age 14. :-) On another parental sidenote (sorry, I am a parent, it's hard to separate from that): I did like how Dom was portrayed in the sexual relationship. She took responsibility for herself about being safe so they would not be unprepared for the moment. I also thought it was interesting that Snadowsky portrayed Wes as the one who was holding back in the beginning. It's not often you think about the boy being nervous and holding back. The author also portrays the best friend as being sexual, but in an "anything BUT" kind of way. Amy has a goal of waiting until college. I think it was great to portray her with a goal and sticking to it. Overall, Snadowsky treats the topic of sex very responsibly in the book.
If you're looking for an honest account of an adolescent relationship, this is the book for you. Published in hardcover in 2007, you can find Anatomy of a Boyfriend in paperback in a few weeks! You can learn more about Daria Snadowsky here.
It is a very candid account of a high school girl's first real relationship with a boy and the highs and lows of dealing with that. The main character, Dominique (Dom) is seventeen and very focused on her college applications, planning to be premed, and hanging out with her best friend, Amy.While hanging out with Amy at a football game, Dom meets Wes and almost immediately becomes completely preoccupied with him. The relationship moves along quickly. Dom and Wes become consumed with each other spending the last spring of high school together and the summer before college. Then off they go to separate colleges and their perfect relationship takes an inevitable turn.
I received a bookmark along with the book, which says, "An unflinching account of teen love, sex and heartbreak". I think the sex part should be first there. The first half of the novel was filled with a lot of description about Dom and Wes's sexual relationship. Actually, the experiences leading up to the eventual "deed", on prom night no less. As I was reading, I kept thinking to myself, "Is this what the whole book is going to be like?" It was very honest and Snadowsky did not hold back with the details. I was actually a little disappointed in the first half of the book because I was looking for more story and it seemed to me I was just reading about the characters going at it. However, around page 137 or so the story turns when Dom receives her college acceptance letters. The second half of the book is much more story driven and details the feelings of going off to college and leaving your best friend and boyfriend and trying to maintain long distance relationships.
I thought Snadowsky's book was quite accurate to many people's experiences senior year of high school and going off to college. She captures the first semester of college quite well from the shock of a bad test grade, to trying to have a relationship with a guy who is hundreds of miles away, while meeting new people who seem interesting. I also thought Snadowsky portrayed parents in the book well from a teenager's point of view. They seemed kind of lame but caring. They tried to be understanding and there for Dom if she needed them.
The bookmark I mentioned above also says "For ages 14 and up". I think I would put this at more like age 16 and up. Not that I'm naive, I know there are kids younger out there having sex. But I felt like this was almost a "how-to" book and I'm not sure I would want my daughters reading this at age 14. I'm hoping they have no clue about this stuff at age 14. :-) On another parental sidenote (sorry, I am a parent, it's hard to separate from that): I did like how Dom was portrayed in the sexual relationship. She took responsibility for herself about being safe so they would not be unprepared for the moment. I also thought it was interesting that Snadowsky portrayed Wes as the one who was holding back in the beginning. It's not often you think about the boy being nervous and holding back. The author also portrays the best friend as being sexual, but in an "anything BUT" kind of way. Amy has a goal of waiting until college. I think it was great to portray her with a goal and sticking to it. Overall, Snadowsky treats the topic of sex very responsibly in the book.
If you're looking for an honest account of an adolescent relationship, this is the book for you. Published in hardcover in 2007, you can find Anatomy of a Boyfriend in paperback in a few weeks! You can learn more about Daria Snadowsky here.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Book Blogger Appreciation Week
In case you haven't heard about Book Blogger's Appreciation Week, it's being held September 15-19! Click here for the full story, at My Friend Amy. It sounds like a lot of fun. I've really enjoyed blogging here, and a week of celebration sounds great.
Can you tell I want to read this book?
Another contest to win a copy of The Questory of Root Karbunkulus by Kamilla Reid is being held here, at Mama Bear Reads. Enter by August 27 by posting a comment with your favorite childhood book, subscribing to this fun book blog, and/or posting a link to the contest, like I'm doing right here!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Lookin' Back, Texas by Leanna Ellis
I need to preface this review by saying that I am not a reader of Christian fiction. When I requested this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program, I did so on the basis of the publisher-provided summary, which gave a delightful premise and no indication of the real genre. I failed to click on the publisher's website, and the main page of Leanna Ellis's website referred to Lookin' Back, Texas as "women's fiction." That said, I found a lot to like in this novel, but I will have to review it as general fiction, since I have no basis for comparison to other Christian fiction.
Suzanne hasn't been back to her hometown of Luckenbach, Texas (say it out loud to get the title, which also refers to numerous characters) in years. She has a comfortable life with her husband and teenaged son in California. When a phone call from her father is cut off, and Linda Lou, Luckenbach's biggest gossip calls and mentions that Suzanne's father is dead, Suzanne packs up for a trip to Texas. She finds her mother acting the regal widow, planning the most elaborate funeral Luckenbach has ever seen. But her father isn't dead. Suzanne decides she'll have to be the one to reconcile her meek father with her controlling mother, and her husband (Mike) and son (Oliver) soon join her in this crazy town. Her own past sins haunt her as she's confronted with ex-boyfriend Drew (now the town sheriff) and her husband-stealing friend Josie is seen at a motel with Mike. Meanwhile, the town is splitting open quite literally--either by earthquake or drought as her parents push further apart, causing Suzanne to worry about the foundation of her own marriage.
I enjoyed Betty Lynne's over-the-top behavior. Always the perfect wife and mother, concerned to the utmost with image, she has decided that she would rather be a widow than a divorcee. Her glee in describing her husband's grisly death is hilarious. Ellis doesn't oversimplify the situation--she shows the toll the "death" takes on Suzanne's father's best friend, and she shows the outpourings of flowers and food from friends and neighbors. I enjoyed the metaphor of faulty foundation for both Suzanne's marriage and the parched earth, and found it to be well executed. Ellis has a wicked sense of humor, especially as she describes Betty Lynne: "It occurs to me that this whole scenario of a make-believe funeral is exactly like something the heroine of Gone With The Wind would do. The first time I saw the movie, I cried when Bonnie Blue Butler died after falling off the horse. I thought it was cruel of Margaret Mitchell to kill off an innocent child. Now I realize it was probably a good decision. I know what it's like to grow up with a mother like Scarlett" (p. 128). And when rumors about Mike and Josie start swirling, "Mother leans forward, resting her elbow on the table and whispers in a conspiratorial tone, 'Wanna have a double funeral?'"
That said, this was really a 300-page novel masquerading as a 400-page novel, so it dragged in places, and there was some repetition I could have done without. Had I been the editor, I would have immediately cut the chapters told from Drew's point of view, which really didn't add anything. I know that Ellis used to write romance novels, and convention in that genre usually dictates writing from both the hero's and the heroine's point of view, but it's out of place here. And at any rate, Drew isn't even a major character. Every twenty or thirty pages, Suzanne agonizes over her big secret, and while I understand that it's always on her mind, especially back in her hometown, the fretting about keeping the secret without any progress toward deciding to tell or deciding not to tell was tedious. As far as the Christian element goes, it wasn't pushed enough to make me dislike the book, but there were passages that were over-the-top for general or women's fiction, and I mostly rolled my eyes and skimmed past. There are several mentions of faith, being faithful, and being committed to marriage, and these were fine and flowed well with the narrative. It was only when they were intrusive on the story, trite ("No relationship is perfect. It's a dance."--Bleh.), unbelievable (her conversation with her son in the grocery store about Jesus just didn't ring true), or contradictory (Suzanne goes on about how she and her husband had to work at their marriage, then later says "My marriage survived, not because of me or Mike but because of God") that I was reminded that I was reading Christian fiction with a capital C. I think Ellis could certainly do well writing general or women's fiction, but I think the born-again element is a bit overdone for a general audience. Her snappy sense humor and apt characterization make me interested in checking out her first (non-romance) novel, Elvis Takes a Back Seat. I keep vacillating between a three-star review (based on the above criticisms and four stars (based on my enjoyment), so I think I'll split the difference.
Suzanne hasn't been back to her hometown of Luckenbach, Texas (say it out loud to get the title, which also refers to numerous characters) in years. She has a comfortable life with her husband and teenaged son in California. When a phone call from her father is cut off, and Linda Lou, Luckenbach's biggest gossip calls and mentions that Suzanne's father is dead, Suzanne packs up for a trip to Texas. She finds her mother acting the regal widow, planning the most elaborate funeral Luckenbach has ever seen. But her father isn't dead. Suzanne decides she'll have to be the one to reconcile her meek father with her controlling mother, and her husband (Mike) and son (Oliver) soon join her in this crazy town. Her own past sins haunt her as she's confronted with ex-boyfriend Drew (now the town sheriff) and her husband-stealing friend Josie is seen at a motel with Mike. Meanwhile, the town is splitting open quite literally--either by earthquake or drought as her parents push further apart, causing Suzanne to worry about the foundation of her own marriage.
I enjoyed Betty Lynne's over-the-top behavior. Always the perfect wife and mother, concerned to the utmost with image, she has decided that she would rather be a widow than a divorcee. Her glee in describing her husband's grisly death is hilarious. Ellis doesn't oversimplify the situation--she shows the toll the "death" takes on Suzanne's father's best friend, and she shows the outpourings of flowers and food from friends and neighbors. I enjoyed the metaphor of faulty foundation for both Suzanne's marriage and the parched earth, and found it to be well executed. Ellis has a wicked sense of humor, especially as she describes Betty Lynne: "It occurs to me that this whole scenario of a make-believe funeral is exactly like something the heroine of Gone With The Wind would do. The first time I saw the movie, I cried when Bonnie Blue Butler died after falling off the horse. I thought it was cruel of Margaret Mitchell to kill off an innocent child. Now I realize it was probably a good decision. I know what it's like to grow up with a mother like Scarlett" (p. 128). And when rumors about Mike and Josie start swirling, "Mother leans forward, resting her elbow on the table and whispers in a conspiratorial tone, 'Wanna have a double funeral?'"
That said, this was really a 300-page novel masquerading as a 400-page novel, so it dragged in places, and there was some repetition I could have done without. Had I been the editor, I would have immediately cut the chapters told from Drew's point of view, which really didn't add anything. I know that Ellis used to write romance novels, and convention in that genre usually dictates writing from both the hero's and the heroine's point of view, but it's out of place here. And at any rate, Drew isn't even a major character. Every twenty or thirty pages, Suzanne agonizes over her big secret, and while I understand that it's always on her mind, especially back in her hometown, the fretting about keeping the secret without any progress toward deciding to tell or deciding not to tell was tedious. As far as the Christian element goes, it wasn't pushed enough to make me dislike the book, but there were passages that were over-the-top for general or women's fiction, and I mostly rolled my eyes and skimmed past. There are several mentions of faith, being faithful, and being committed to marriage, and these were fine and flowed well with the narrative. It was only when they were intrusive on the story, trite ("No relationship is perfect. It's a dance."--Bleh.), unbelievable (her conversation with her son in the grocery store about Jesus just didn't ring true), or contradictory (Suzanne goes on about how she and her husband had to work at their marriage, then later says "My marriage survived, not because of me or Mike but because of God") that I was reminded that I was reading Christian fiction with a capital C. I think Ellis could certainly do well writing general or women's fiction, but I think the born-again element is a bit overdone for a general audience. Her snappy sense humor and apt characterization make me interested in checking out her first (non-romance) novel, Elvis Takes a Back Seat. I keep vacillating between a three-star review (based on the above criticisms and four stars (based on my enjoyment), so I think I'll split the difference.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Matchmaker of Périgord by Julia Stuart
The Matchmaker of Périgord caught my eye as an early reviewer selection on LibraryThing. When I was selected for a different book, I immediately pre-ordered it and stalked the post office, waiting for the box to appear. Such great expectations often lead to disappointment; fortunately, Julia Stuart has crafted an utterly charming, farcical comedy of rural France that could not fail to delight.
Guillaume Ladoucette (whose mother's feud with Madame Moreau involves assault-by-eel and overripe tomatoes) is the barber for the village of Amour-sur-Belle, a tiny hamlet of 33 aging residents, each with his or her own quirks and past secrets (many of which were revealed during the mini-tornado of 1999, when they all thought they'd die). When his client list dries up (due to a combination of balding customers and his refusal to attempt cutting-edge hairstyles like The Pinecone), he decides to set out his shingle as a matchmaker. He's an unlikely choice, having been secretly in love with Émilie Fraisse for twenty-six years, but he approaches his new calling with enthusiasm, if not immediate success. He continues to push pairs of villagers together, insisting that love is like a cassoulet--you must take the good with the bad. As Guillaume undertakes the massive task of bringing love to the villagers, drought has brought a communal shower to Amour-sur-Belle, and villagers must walk to the square in their dressing gowns to queue up for their daily shower.
Though the book is clearly contemporary, with references to a mini-tornado in 1999 and prices in euros, Stuart has given the village and its residents timeless appeal. Every person is referred to in every instance by both first and last names, and many physical descriptions and important events are described using the exact same phrasing, and these echo comfortably throughout the book, like an epic told from memory by a master storyteller. The repetition is both lyrical and practical--it helps the reader keep the numerous characters, their pasts, and their relationships with each other straight. Stuart also retells the same stories from different points of view at different times in the action, creating a rich, layered confection worthy of Stéphane Jollis, the baker. The stories themselves are inventive, just barely believable, but with a sense of farce, in the manner of Émilie Fraisse giving tours of the castle and creating wild stories about the furnishings.
This book has been compared to Chocolat. I must confess that, though I love the film, I've avoided the book, but to the film at least the sense of timelessness, the charm of rural France, and the entwined lives of the villagers have similarities. If a charming tale of deceptively simple village life sounds like your cup of tea (or truffled foie gras, as it were), I highly recommend this for a fun read.
Guillaume Ladoucette (whose mother's feud with Madame Moreau involves assault-by-eel and overripe tomatoes) is the barber for the village of Amour-sur-Belle, a tiny hamlet of 33 aging residents, each with his or her own quirks and past secrets (many of which were revealed during the mini-tornado of 1999, when they all thought they'd die). When his client list dries up (due to a combination of balding customers and his refusal to attempt cutting-edge hairstyles like The Pinecone), he decides to set out his shingle as a matchmaker. He's an unlikely choice, having been secretly in love with Émilie Fraisse for twenty-six years, but he approaches his new calling with enthusiasm, if not immediate success. He continues to push pairs of villagers together, insisting that love is like a cassoulet--you must take the good with the bad. As Guillaume undertakes the massive task of bringing love to the villagers, drought has brought a communal shower to Amour-sur-Belle, and villagers must walk to the square in their dressing gowns to queue up for their daily shower.
Though the book is clearly contemporary, with references to a mini-tornado in 1999 and prices in euros, Stuart has given the village and its residents timeless appeal. Every person is referred to in every instance by both first and last names, and many physical descriptions and important events are described using the exact same phrasing, and these echo comfortably throughout the book, like an epic told from memory by a master storyteller. The repetition is both lyrical and practical--it helps the reader keep the numerous characters, their pasts, and their relationships with each other straight. Stuart also retells the same stories from different points of view at different times in the action, creating a rich, layered confection worthy of Stéphane Jollis, the baker. The stories themselves are inventive, just barely believable, but with a sense of farce, in the manner of Émilie Fraisse giving tours of the castle and creating wild stories about the furnishings.
This book has been compared to Chocolat. I must confess that, though I love the film, I've avoided the book, but to the film at least the sense of timelessness, the charm of rural France, and the entwined lives of the villagers have similarities. If a charming tale of deceptively simple village life sounds like your cup of tea (or truffled foie gras, as it were), I highly recommend this for a fun read.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Ah, Jane!
Jane and the Barque of Frailty by Stephanie Barron: This is the most recent Jane Austen mystery (the first is Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor), and it seems open for Barron to write a few more. I had been hoarding this a bit, afraid it was definitely the last (Barron has written a non-Jane book, A Flaw in the Blood, and I thought she was moving on). In this one, a Russian princess is found with her throat cut, on the doorstep of a prominent figure in London. The later books get more poignant if you know Jane Austen's biography at all (and I suspect most people reading these are Austen fans). I enjoyed this entry, though there was the minor annoyance of Barron cramming in as much Regency slang as she could. I'm not sure what sent her on that kick, as I don't remember it being intrusive in previous books. But that's a small issue, and does not overshadow the strong writing, intricate mystery, well-drawn characters, and period feel.
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