Castle of Water: A Novel
by Dane Huckelbridge
Not your typical castaway story (12/23/2016)
Wow. I am grateful to have received this book from Bookbrowse. It manages to do the impossible: transcend its seemingly generic premise of two people stuck in an island. It's far deeper than that. The book deals with stereotypes that we all have of other cultures and countries and how we can break these notions and even learn to see our differences as attributes. There is also the theme of expectations, like that of employment, that one is expected to fulfill in society. It tackles the notion that in a society, the happiness of the individual comes second to duty and finding long term stability. Here you have an island, separated from civilization and modern comforts but free of these expectations. I think that is where the two protagonists find common ground. In this island, they can be whatever they want--devoid of both society's expectations of who they should be, what occupation they should pursue, and their own misconceptions of what people from these two parts of the world are like. I found myself laughing, giggling, and smiling at multiple points in the story. Dane Huckelbridge's prose is refreshing as he offers so many great lines and funny jokes, but also dramatic and contemplative moments. This is a great read and I highly recommend it.
The Book of Speculation
by Erika Swyler
A book of speculative fiction (4/4/2015)
I had the great pleasure of receiving THE BOOK OF SPECULATION by Erika Swyler from Bookbrowse. From the beginning, the author uses the split narrative to perfection. The protagonist receives a book that may be part of a curse that involves his family. So we get his story and that of the book he comes across. The mystery of the book is slowly revealed and we get a race to solve it before time runs out and his family is made to suffer. This was a joy to read throughout and the circus setting was refreshingly depicted. I highly recommend this novel.
He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter's Quest to Know Him
by Mimi Baird with Eve Claxton
Genius abated (2/7/2015)
I feel very fortunate to have received this brilliant book from Bookbrowse. It provides a very unique voice to mental illness and the many ways that it affects the lives of the patient and those around him or her. Mimi Baird brings us her father's manuscript recounting several stages of his mental illness. In it, Dr. Perry Baird illustrates manic depression from the perspective of both patient and physician. He arouses introspection regarding how the mentally ill have been treated and continue to be treated. I found similarities between this book and Susanna Kaysen's "Girl, Interrupted." In that book, the author exposes how the handling of the mentally ill at treatment facilities derives from the stigmas and stereotypes that are perpetuated about them. Mimi Baird's book similarly accomplishes this. Additionally, she elucidates how Dr. Perry Baird tried to find a treatment for his own disease. She describes experiments that were abated and went largely ignored for many years due to his mental illness. Her father's brilliant mind shines through despite his mental illness and it is a tragedy that his research was stopped short. Who knows what he could have discovered had he been able to continue his work. The latter part of the book gets into how Mimi's own life was affected by her dad's condition as well as her quest to bring his story to the masses. His story is a very important one, and one that I highly recommend to anyone interested in the examination of mental illness.
The Last Flight of Poxl West
by Daniel Torday
A novel about a memoir to remember (12/18/2014)
I would like to thank BookBrowse for this beautiful book. The focus of the story is a novel written by the protagonist's uncle, Poxl West. The fact that Poxl West is not his real uncle is revealed in the very first paragraph. It is in some ways a foreshadowing of things to come in Daniel Torday's brilliant examination of the memoir. The novel alternates between chapters narrating what is happening with the characters in the story, and chapters of Poxl's memoir. This approach really worked for me as it allows us to examine a story from multiple perspectives. The novel encourages the reader to determine what the real story of Poxl West's life is, what is important and what is not. One can see this as a love story. Another individual might see this as a war story. For me, it was an engrossing, funny, sad, well told story. And I recommend it to anyone who loves to read good stories.
All the Old Knives
by Olen Steinhauer
An atypical spy love story (12/5/2014)
I had the pleasure of winning "All the old Knives" by Olen Stenhauer through a FIRST IMPRESSIONS giveaway. I was blown away! It's difficult to really narrow down this book to one genre. On the surface, it's a spy thriller; but when you peel away the layers of the very intense plot, it's so much more. As I began reading, I drew some comparisons to "Same time, next year," the brilliant play by Bernard Slate about a romantic couple who meet once a year for 24 years to catch up on their lives. In Stenhauer's novel, two ex -lovers meet at a restaurant to catch up on old times. But then it becomes a mystery novel. These aren't two ordinary individuals; they are CIA case officers who both regret their actions involving a plane hostage situation years ago in Vienna that ended tragically. This initially friendly conversation about the past soon becomes a chess game where the protagonists take turns trying to find out what the other knows. The reader is taken on a wild ride as Stenhauer slowly reveals what happened during that flight and who is responsible. I hadn't enjoyed the unraveling of a mystery this much since Julian Barnes' "The sense of an ending." The narrative is split up into chapters alternating between the male and female protagonist's POV. The ending is emotionally charged, yet completely satisfying. I could not stop reading this book, and was sad for the ride to have to end. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a complex and cerebral affair.
The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway
by Doug Most
A smooth ride (12/28/2013)
I was fortunate to receive A RACE UNDERGROUND by Doug Most as part of the First Impressions program. I enjoyed this book as a vivid depiction of the journey that brought the US its first two subway systems in Boston and New York. Despite being non-fiction, its light, engrossing narrative provided many elements of a good fictional novel: heroes, villains, tragedy, to name a few. The earlier parts of the book serve to present the players involved in building the first US subways. It was fun to learn about some of the "heroes," like William Barclay Parsons and the Whitney brothers as well as "villains" like William Tweed. I enjoyed the alternating Boston-New York chapters. It allowed the narrative to flow and provided the feeling of a true race. The book covers subway travel from its very beginnings in London to today. There is a lot of wonderful detail about the modifications that had to be made in order to make subway travel a viable option. The author includes a mention of Hurricane Sandy and how it crippled the NYC subway system as well as a brief note of current innovations in locomotive technology. As mentioned in the acknowledgement section, the book gives more coverage to Boston's first subway as there has been much more written about New York's. In the end, THE RACE UNDERGROUND is a riveting story of sacrifice and ingenuity. I truly gained an appreciation for what it takes to change history.
Letters from Skye
by Jessica Brockmole
the power of a handwritten letter (6/16/2013)
I had the pleasure of reading this book as part of Bookbrowse's First Impressions program. I can honestly say I loved it. The synopsis I read before requesting the book did not do it justice. It worked on so many levels. In a way, it is a commentary on the power of the handwritten letter. In an age of emails and texts, where the fastest route to instant gratification is always being sought, we have lost that angst that comes with waiting for a response. This book describes in great detail, those little moments when one struggles with exactly how to phrase what one wants to say and wonders how it will be received. Jessica Brockmole does a terrific job of developing the characters through letters: their idiosyncrasies, their desires, their strengths, and imperfections. There was one particular exchange in the beginning of the book regarding male and female roles that I especially loved. The love story, albeit complicated, feels real throughout. I found myself going through the thought process of the protagonists as the events unfolded. The consequences of the choices they make are widespread, affecting families, friends, and all of this plays out with two wars as the backdrop. I feel so good about the handwritten format after having just finished this book, that I wish it would have been published in handwritten form! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a rich, believable love story in a historical setting.
Children of the Jacaranda Tree
by Sahar Delijani
united by loss (3/13/2013)
I was very lucky and grateful to receive this book via First Impressions. It does an excellent job of showing how individuals can be brought together by shared tragic family histories. It is effective at showing how the life of the offspring can be shaped by the unresolved nature of a parent's passing. The novel felt extremely real throughout and does a great job at providing just enough information for those who may not be familiar with this part of Iran's history. The reactions of the characters to the many revelations of the book never feel forced and are always organic.
My favorite story arc was that of Sheida and her mother. It felt most complete and rewarding to me. The book switches between different time frames and characters effectively. It was a quick read despite the depth of the subject matter. There are similarities here to another book I love: Kiran Desai's "The Inheritance of loss." Even though Kiran Desai's book deals more with the loss of cultural identity in a post-colonial country, both books show how the lives of progeny are affected by their parent's past. I will say that there are a few moments that were tough to read because of their violent nature. I felt these depictions were necessary given the subject matter and the violence in the book never feels trivialized nor gratuitous. In conclusion, Sahar Delijani has delivered a hearfelt, engrossing novel that will stay in the minds of the readers for a long time to come.
Ghostman
by Roger Hobbs
master of details (1/6/2013)
I was fortunate to get an early copy of Roger Hobb's "Ghostman" via FIRST IMPRESSIONS. I can honestly say that I've never really gotten into the crime novel genre. Still, I read a synopsis of "Ghostman" from the publisher and it intrigued me. After having finished the book, I had two immediate thoughts: Firstly, I have a strong desire to continue reading novels with Jack Delton as the protagonist. Secondly, they should make a movie about this.
What makes Roger Hobbs stand out for me is his attention to details. I am convinced that Roger Hobbs could pull of a heist like the two depicted in the book if he wanted to!!! Those details were so informative and entertaining that he made me enjoy a book in a genre that I don't normally gravitate towards. Sometimes good lit is just good lit. The book was so engrossing; there was never a dull moment. The action goes back and forth between Jack's "inquiry" into a botched heist and one that occurred 10 years ago. This approach by the author really worked for me. Roger Hobbs does a great job of fleshing out the Jack Delton character, as well as the supporting cast. Jack isn't perfect(he makes mistakes, he gets hurt), but you can't help but admire his instincts, ingenuity, and ballsiness. The Wolf was a scary man. The ending of the book was especially satisfying and I thank Roger Hobbs for not going the cliffhanger ending route which would have been really painful for me since I very much loved the book. So read this book. It's a kick-ass, fast-paced, good time.
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