The Bog Wife
by Kay Chronister
A Dark Fairy Tale: We are all of the Earth (8/10/2024)
I loved this book ... I'm still living in it. Chronister melds a dysfunctional family with ideas that we are all of the earth and we can either treat it well or we can make it sick. The Bog Wife is truly an unusual book.
Every family has tales to explain their existence and how they got where they are. Each child has their own explanations for the things they don't understand within the family and how they are treated within the family. Chronister's creates the world within the Haddesley family for us and keeps us there ... and we have no desire to leave.
I'll be going back to read her previous books and looking forward to Chronister's upcoming novels. What a treat!
The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl
by Bart Yates
Long but Not very strange (5/15/2024)
It was okay; not as good as anticipated. Certainly not a very strange life, though I would call it a very interesting life and story. It could have drawn me in more during the first half of the book to be called "intimate." I think most of the characters could have been given more depth.
Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe
by Carl Safina
Alfie & Me and the Rest of the Universe (9/9/2023)
I've never read Carl Safina before, so I didn't know to expect that he includes a massive amount of philosophy along with his observations of the animal world. I was very interested in his observations and care of the owl he rescued, along with his vast knowledge of the animal world as a whole. Of course we all relate to each other, human and animal, and the writings of philosophers can enlighten us and open our minds. But I think Safina goes a bit overboard in this book by about 100 pages of too much philosophy.
A Council of Dolls: A Novel
by Mona Susan Power
A Council of Dolls (6/27/2023)
"A Council of Dolls" is a beautifully written book. It was immersive into indigenous culture, which I'm sure I missed understanding much of it, but I still loved the book and gained much from reading it. It was horrifying at times, both from generational abuse and from the harsh treatment the children received at the Catholic schools. The dolls' experiences are mystical but were absolutely believable to me; I was able to just go with the flow. The only quibble I have with the book is the last chapter was written in a very different voice. I understand why, but it was difficult to get into Jesse's mindset in that part of the story. I could have used more of a segue, I think, but I probably should have just stopped and restarted the chapter. A great book!
Sisters of the Lost Nation
by Nick Medina
Sisters of the Lost Nation (11/16/2022)
"Sisters of the Lost Nation" by Nick Medina is a novel set in the reservation and casino of the fictional tribe of the Takoda people of Louisiana. There is a blend of Native American mythology, horror, racism, bullying, misogynism and drug use as young girls go missing from the reservation.
Anna is a senior in high school and from a dysfunctional family. Anna is a pretty well developed character, as is her sister Grace. Fox and Miss Shelby are probably the other largest characters from the tribe. Miss Shelby was the Legend Keeper and a great friend of Anna's; she is missing, but she is a fairly well developed character given that we don't actually meet her in person. Fox we do meet on numerous occasions, but he is fairly shallowly described. He is an employee of the casino where Anna also works, a womanizer, a drinker and drug addict, but is he dangerous or not? He is meant to be a source of much of the danger in the book but that doesn't come across well. I didn't quite understand Anna's urgency to insert herself in Fox's life before her sister disappeared.
The reservation itself should be better developed as a character. It has formed these people and has played a role in the formation of the casino and the disappearance of these young women.
The last third of the book is much better written and is much more to my idea of what the quality of the whole book's writing should be.
Peach Blossom Spring: A Novel
by Melissa Fu
Would have liked to read more! (2/17/2022)
I enjoyed all of "Peach Blossom Spring". The story held my interest throughout the book. The characters were well written and interesting. China and Taiwan were also well-described, and I considered both countries to be characters. I would have like to have read a little more about China and Taiwan and Meilin's last years. A great book; I hope Melissa Fu will write another novel.
Lady Sunshine
by Amy Mason Doan
Frustrating (5/5/2021)
This book has a great setting; I like the 70's background. Most of the main characters were fairly well developed (Shane needs work, though). I found the main character to be a bit much of a drama queen/worry wart/black cloud. There is a lot of building of tension that doesn't necessarily resolve well.
Ariadne
by Jennifer Saint
A new view of Greek gods (3/5/2021)
Jennifer Saint has succeeded in writing a novel about women and sisterhood in the time of the Greek gods. It's enjoyable and mostly well written. I had a hard time getting through Part I. The writing seemed biblical in style to me. In Part II and beyond, the story is told by both Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, and the different character's voices enliven the story. I would have like Saint to write a little bit more about Perseus before he plays a large role in the end of the story.
Overall, a very good book that was engrossing after Part I.
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
by Marie Benedict
The mystery of Mrs. Christie (11/1/2020)
Very good book. Benedict effectively bounces from Agatha's meeting and courtship with Christie to their marriage, birth of their daughter and their life together. It's a believable story of the disappearance of Mrs. Christie. The only thing keeping me from a 5 star rating is that some aspects of the disappearance seemed to fit together too neatly. I'll be reading more from this author.
The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls: A Novel
by Ursula Hegi
Into the North Sea (4/30/2020)
On an island in the cold North Sea, Lotte loses three of her four children to a rogue wave. The story of the island community is entwined with the natural surroundings...freak waves, starlings, pregnant girls, and the circus coming to town.
The writing is beautiful and evocative. Most of the characters and the settings become well known. But -- and this is a BIG but -- the characters and settings change so abruptly that it is confusing. One changes to another before I had a feeling for the first one. What should have been a beautiful story was confusing and frustrating for me.
Solitary
by Albert Woodfox
Immersion into prison (2/9/2020)
Woodfox has written an amazing book. He describes prison life and his long road to justice simply and without becoming overly emotional. I felt ashamed to be part of the human race for the injustices and abuse that was inflicted upon him. Powerful!
American Dirt: A Novel
by Jeanine Cummins
Stunning depiction of migrants voyage (10/30/2019)
I was simply stunned with this book; it is fantastic. It is a deep story of a mother and her child and what necessitated them to leave home. I felt like I was with them on their trip, feeling terrified, tired, and afraid. I was getting to the end of the book, and almost afraid to finish it ... I really did not want any of these people to go through any more pain. The story is told with a great deal of detail that allows you to immerse yourself in the story. The author's note was very helpful in expanding on how and why she wrote this novel. Honestly, I would give this 10 stars. I think it is one of the best books I have read this year.
The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
by Mira Ptacin
Camp Etna (10/15/2019)
Overall, I found "The In-Betweens" to be an interesting and mostly well-written book. The author's interviews with the people of Camp Etna were great. She approaches with a bit of scepticism and seems open-minded.
However, I felt that Camp Etna was the main character of the story, and wasn't developed enough. I never really got a sense of place. The map included in the last chapter should have come at the beginning of the book, as well as the description of the Camp and its place in the larger communities of Spiritualism and the town of Etna.
Patsy: A Novel
by Nicole Dennis-Benn
Patsy (5/22/2019)
I wasn't sure this was the book for me for the first one hundred pages...Patsy comes across as selfish and immature. Eventually as you get to know her, you understand more of her motivation for immigrating to America. And by the end of the book, you're cheering her on as she works to mend relationships.
Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir
by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman
Sounds like Titanic...wow. (12/15/2018)
I loved this book! Easy to read and held my interest. The author delves into her life, drawing meaning from the time, environment and cultural climate she lived through. She uses a lot of self-deprecating humor and isn't easy on herself.
She writes and you follow, thought her passions, difficulties. frustrations. The main story of the ensemble, "The Composer" and "concerts" are amazing. I never knew that happened.
It's a fun book to read, if you don't mind a little pain along with the humor. It reads true to life.
Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris
1930 -- it's tough to be a kid (8/15/2018)
"Sold on a Monday" is based on an early 1930's photograph. McMorris moved the story along quickly & believably. I wasn't sure if the book wanted to be historical fiction or mystery; it seemed like half of both. The book would benefit from more details of 1930's life, in order to saturate the reader in the environment of the novel.
Geraldine's illness was confusing, after we found out she didn't die of tuberculosis. It matters, since she didn't die, but it was glossed over. She also seemed like a very different person when we met her later in the book.
I would have liked the link to the 2013 article mentioned in the author's note if it's available on the web.
[Pau - we are checking with the author and will post the link if available.]
The Family Tabor
by Cherise Wolas
High Expectations mostly met (4/28/2018)
I thoroughly enjoyed Cherise Wolas' first book "The Resurrection of Joan Ashby" and I had high expectations for The Family Tabor.
I despaired through the first 70 pages or so, though. I didn't see how I was going to get through it…it was dull. Nothing held my interest. I couldn't get into the characters. Since I almost always give a book one hundred pages before I stop reading, I kept going, and it got much, much better. But that first 70 pages could use some work.
All in all, it's a great story. I did wish that some of the characters had been more developed. The book could be longer to do that. The character of Roma was a little flat. Much of the "action" in this book takes place in each of the characters' minds and their self-talk. Wolas is an incredible writer and she makes this work for every character.
Ultimately, I thought of this book as the antithesis to "no man is an island" … not so; we are all islands. We keep secrets. We keep our deepest fears and shame hidden; we hide our regrets and maybe our most passionate desires as well.
The Jewish faith is a big part of this book. Not being very conversant myself, I may have missed things, but it added interest to the book. Wolas brings up big questions: is it possible to atone for a sin by doing subsequent charitable acts, if the good deeds are all dependent on that one big bad sin? How far can we take a lie until it becomes irreversible? Do we ever really know a person?
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas
Excellent (9/5/2017)
This book is stunning, one of the best I've read this year. Comparable to "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt. Simply amazing how this debut writer has the chutzpah to create a world-famous writer, immerse us in her excellent stories, and she pulls it all off very successfullly. Her characters are deep and believable.
Stay with Me
by Ayobami Adebayo
Do we ever really know anyone? (8/15/2017)
"Stay with me" is a novel of one couple's life, set against the backdrop of Nigerian culture and gender expectations. The character of Yejide is well written and likeable.I felt her love and pain of losing her children. The story develops through the views of Yejide and her husband Akin; what each imagines the other is thinking...which, of course, is never the reality. There is much pain in this story, and I felt all of it. But there is also the hope of freedom, forgiveness and redemption.
The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
The Year Maine Burned (3/15/2017)
I've read many of Anita Shreve's books, and I think this is her best yet. Shreve immerses you in Grace's life, struggles, disappointments, little successes. Through Grace, she explores the devastation of a massive fire. I intended to shut the book last night--and I did--but Grace stayed with me, and so I just gave in and finished the book. Packed with emotion; I would say it is true to Maine life in the late 1940s. I hope when this book is reviewed that there is a "Beyond the Book" article on the the "Year Maine burned". The fires destroyed 851 homes and 397 seasonal cottages, leaving 2,500 people homeless (statistics from the New England Historical Society).
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