Raising Hare: A Memoir
by Chloe Dalton
Lovely Tale (1/29/2025)
Raising Hare is a beautifully written book about a woman's unexpected encounter with a wild hare (a leveret), and her experience with its care. Ms Dalton is remarkably responsible and thoughtful about how she does this, trying everything possible to allow it to remain wild.
There are no books explaining leverets, except some from the 2nd century AD. She has no idea what will happen to it, but she assumes it will return to the wild, and she behaves accordingly. She feels her way through this whole process, and in doing so she learns a lot about herself and her way of life. Gorgeous prose and a lovely story.
Girl Falling: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor
Story Falling (9/12/2024)
This book was an easy read – it flowed, it moved, the writing was interesting and well-crafted. The problem for me was the incredulity of the premise of the big issue that kept the protagonist making bad decisions. It was hard to believe the motivating factor for her behavior, which called into question the entire book. It did have an interesting and unexpected twist at the end, but by then, I was a non-believer. I think Ms Scrivenor is a good, interesting writer, and I look forward to more of her work - but only if it's plausible.
The Fertile Earth: A Novel
by Ruthvika Rao
A sweeping story (7/15/2024)
I enjoyed this book very much, because of its sweeping story line and its presentation of a different country, a different world. I've been to India, but a couple of visits there don't compare in the least to the depth of descriptions and the details that Ms Rao offered up. Her portrayal of life in such a different country, and during different time periods and stages of political unrest, were enlightening. And then she included such compelling and timeless themes as humanity, the morality of taking human lives in honor of larger causes, revenge, control, and the class system. And some danger, unrequited love, and passion. What's not to appreciate?
The Divorcees
by Rowan Beaird
Hoped for more (12/2/2023)
It's an interesting part of history – when women had to establish residency in Nevada in order to obtain divorces, and boarding ranches sprung up to meet this need. I had hoped for more than what this book offered – more history, more character development, more upstart women whose stories hadn't been told until now. There were some good moments: "she thinks of how all it takes to get something is to not want it so badly"; and the image of a lawyer's fingers "brushing up and down his tie". But overshadowing these were some strange analogies that seemed contrived. The first time the protagonist and her fiancé had sex, "he emerged from it like a captain swept ashore after a shipwreck, tousled and slack-jawed, convinced he'd done something very wrong". And imagining herself drowned, she saw "her skin the color of a boy's nursery". The story finally got interesting when the main character went off on her own, but by then it was the end of the book, too late.
Panther Gap: A Novel
by James A. McLaughlin
Wild but oddly, kind of believable (4/24/2023)
First of all, the book is the kind I like to read - fast paced, interesting, weird, and surprising, with no boring sentences. The plot is wildly imaginative, and more than a bit woo-woo, but it was presented so matter-of-factly, or perhaps so well written, that it was easy to suspend disbelief. It may not go down in history as one of the classics, but it sure was fun to read, and IMHO, there's a huge place for this kind of book.
Sisters of the Lost Nation
by Nick Medina
Extremes - good and bad (12/10/2022)
First of all, I admire anyone who can write a book, so kudos to Mr. Medina. There were some very interesting aspects, regarding reservation life and legal jurisdictions on the res, for example. And of course the main topic, the disappearance and harm inflicted on native women, is critically important and needs to be discussed, yelled about, in all forms of communication until the atrocities stop. There were occasional moments of greatness, as in Anna's correction of the sheriff's question "what was your sister doing with this man" to "you mean, what was that man doing with my sister?"' But the heavy handed and obvious writing made it difficult to finish the book. Some of the comments I recorded as I read include "unrealistic", "ridiculous", "awkward", "boring" and "ugh". The subject matter is of such importance that I can overlook the writing missteps, but with a less important subject, I would not have finished the book.
The Immortal King Rao: A Novel
by Vauhini Vara
What a Book! (4/28/2022)
This book packs in so much – a complex storyline, an apocryphal message and many familiar existential questions. What an interesting and really original story! There are some very heavy and essential comments about what humanity is doing with our time on this earth. There is commentary on many ugly parts of their society, which happens to look just like our current world: capitalism, the consumer value system, the demoralization of human beings that stems from being responsible only for self, the folly of doing everything BUT what is needed to stop global warming, sexism, racism. There is also a fascinating vision of possible world governance and potential mind connections in the future. The future of mankind is discussed – that we will have reached the upper limits of human accomplishment in time to be swallowed up by oceans and burned up by the same fire that started our ancestors' path to advancement. The existential query of why we are here reverts back to a consideration of plants that just are, that live and die without building on the shoulders of their ancestors – that maybe we just are, that we live and die, and the questioning is beside the point. Wow. This could have been many books, but here, you get them all rolled into one.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars
by Andrea Yaryura Clark
Easy to read, but… (2/27/2022)
I am interested in this complex and brutal time in Argentina's history, so I was looking forward to reading this novel. It was certainly readable, but I prefer some subtlety in what I read. The romantic relationships were presented in extremes, as if the author had to hit us over the head with what the characters were feeling, and those feelings were unrealistically black and white. No complexity or nuance, no grey area. So, then looking at it as a yarn, or historical fiction, and ignoring the juvenile treatment of the characters' emotions, it was an entertaining read. It made the 3 star category, barely, because I admire anyone's ability to actually write a book, and Ms Clark clearly worked hard on the research and plot line. If only the characters were even a little bit believable…
The Lost Notebook of Edouard Manet: A Novel
by Maureen Gibbon
A Magical Glimpse Into the Painter (8/7/2021)
This "memoir" is a fascinating peek into the life of the French painter Édouard Manet. I enjoyed looking up references to the paintings and people mentioned. Everything was real and had interesting histories, so it was like reading two books at once – this memoir, and then a history book that I gathered online about Manet's works and acquaintances. Similar to Cormac McCarthy's unapologetic use of Spanish or obscure words, by searching myself for their meanings, I become much more involved in the story and learned a lot. There was poignancy in the physical pain and emotional suffering Manet bore, from his disease and from the art world's rejection of his work. The book also included lots of wise statements about life, the meaning of art, and what motivated Manet. Lots of little gems in this book. I will look into Maureen Gibbon's others. Her poetic imaginings of Manet's thoughts were lovely, and her inspiration to look deeper was appreciated.
Ruthie Fear: A Novel
by Maxim Loskutoff
Excellent but for the ending (7/5/2020)
Ruthie Fear was a compelling story, written in a style I really like - short sentences, harsh truths, often achingly beautiful. Maxim Luskutoff has quite an imagination, writing from the point of view of a girl who lives in poverty almost off the grid, whose mother left when she was very young, raised by a father who does his best. It was a fascinating story, and I really enjoyed the depiction of life in rural Montana, the progression of Ruthie's life with its truth, lack of apology, and poignant, sensitive aspects - all the way til the very end. The end followed up on a strange occurrence from the beginning of the story, but it was too sudden and fantastical and weird for me. I wish the author had maintained the same tone as the rest of the book and continued the story of Ruthie's life. But I really enjoyed the way he writes, and I will read his collection of stories next, to see if they are similar - having great empathy for and understanding of the characters, regardless of their difference in gender or age from his own, and describing nuances of life in interesting depth.
The Stone Girl: A Novel
by Dirk Wittenborn
A Topical Page Turner (4/14/2020)
What a fun read - no downtime, nothing boring, all fascinating characters and action and plot twists. Wittenberg has given us a creative story that is far-fetched but with some imagination, could maybe be plausible. The characters are all extremes which make them interesting. Some are flawed and decent, and some are flawed and bad. Not much subtlety, but lots of fun to read. I want more like this!
The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
by Mira Ptacin
In depth book on an interesting topic (12/3/2019)
I am fascinated by the invisible, the forces that we can't see (communication with those who have passed, ESP, clairvoyance, premonitions, intuition, e.g.) Some pooh-pooh them; I consider them energies and powers that are accessible, but most of us have gotten a long way from tuning in to them. Ms Ptacin deals in great depth with all of her topics, including ghosts, water witching, auras and even Houdini. She offers a thorough history of the Spiritualist movement and some of its colorful characters. The information on each topic is exhaustive - in many cases, more than I needed. I ended up picking the parts that appealed to me and skimming some sections that had more history or detail than I wanted. I applaud Ms Ptacin for the depth of her research in a fascinating subject with many facets.
Yale Needs Women: How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant
by Anne Gardiner Perkins
Appreciation for The Inside Story (7/30/2019)
As a woman who entered Yale in its 4th year of coeducation, I am most likely biased in my appreciation for this book. But even readers who have nothing to do with Yale might value this inside story of a venerable institution, terribly homogeneous, struggling to decide its future course. Hats off to the women and men who stood up to entrenched power and did not let Yale rest on its laurels. The author does a great job following the struggles of specific individuals – this technique makes the story come alive. I am astounded at how unaware many of us were of what the first women, just a few years ahead of us, had to endure. I am full of appreciation for the women who went before me, and for the efforts of Anne Perkins to enlighten us all.
The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather
A Timely Warning (6/13/2019)
This was quite a piece of work. Mr. Fairweather used an original source, hidden to the larger world until 1989 – the journals of Witold Pilecki, a Polish nationalist who volunteered to be captured and imprisoned in order to report back on the mysteries of Auschwitz. It was fascinating to read a firsthand account of Auschwitz - horrible and painful and inhumane, yet essential to try to understand human beings and our capacities. I was reminded that people can do good things for very different reasons. Most importantly at this time in our nation's history, this books serves as a reminder that human beings have the capacity for unimaginable cruelty to each other, when we are unconscious, thirsty for power, and when we blindly follow an ignorant, narcissistic and immoral leader.
The Kinship of Secrets
by Eugenia Kim
Wow. Lots going on (11/26/2018)
Ms Kim covers a lot of ground in The Kinship of Secrets. The recurring themes are family and secrets (the title was well chosen!) The background and story line are very interesting, especially for someone without much knowledge of South Korean history. The author helps that history come alive. She presents lots of different views on what makes a family. The secrets that are kept in this story are huge. I've always thought that secrets, like lies, restrict one's ability to make good decisions. And I still believe that, after reading Ms Kim's presentations of the importance of some lies to spare bad feelings. The pace of the book was great until the end. It was slow and in depth, and enjoyable for that. Starting with the trip to America, things started speedballing, and the last chapter was seemed too rushed, trying to condense everything into summary lessons and explanations, rather than continuing in the story format. Despite that, I liked the book and appreciate what Ms Kim presented about a culture not well known to me.
Red, White, Blue
by Lea Carpenter
Spare is great (7/22/2018)
The alternating story lines and the spare prose in Red, White, and Blue kept my interest, to the point of fascination. Carpenter provided some insight into the workings of undercover and CIA operations, which I assume are largely true – they certainly seemed plausible. What I liked best were the little pearls of wisdom presented quite naturally throughout the book, like "You don't have a sense of danger until you've experienced loss". And any reader who is a parent will react to the conversation between the protagonist's parents right after she was born: the mother says, "Maybe she'll fight for justice" and the father says, "Maybe she'll just be happy." There were parts that were confusing, like the ending, because the writing is cryptic. But I would so much rather read cryptic writing that I have to work for (and will probably reread immediately) than a bunch of gratuitous verbiage that I have to wade through to get one little idea. This book was the opposite, and I am grateful for this kind of writing.
French Exit
by Patrick deWitt
Not sure what to think... (3/5/2018)
French Exit was entertaining, light, strange, funny, odd. I haven't read the Sisters Brothers, but I will, if only to help me determine what I think about DeWitt as an author. The dialogue in French Exit was funny, in the total frankness and lack of self-consciousness of the speakers. The characters seemed to have no guile. Extraordinary events, strange coincidences, very odd behavior - all were received by characters within the book, and presented to the reader, with not just a grain but a cellar full of salt. DeWitt presents a very different world in an entertaining way.
The Days When Birds Come Back
by Deborah Reed
Mistakes, Flaws and Redemption (12/18/2017)
This book is filled with pain and mistakes and examples of how to live honestly and well, as well as badly and without truth. The characters are flawed and fascinating and frustrating. There are no wasted words, not on the part of the characters, nor by the author. It was a fast and easy read, which was slightly disappointing because I wanted more. That's a great thing from a marketing perspective, because I will definitely look for her previous and subsequent works. All in all, smart, cool, current writing, with a satisfying ending.
The French Girl
by Lexie Elliott
Can't Wait for More (9/23/2017)
The French Girl is a page turner. Ms. Elliott's writing is clear, interesting and intelligent – no redundancies, no apologies or fence-sitting. She uses lots of dialogue, thus letting the characters speak for themselves. We learn who they are from their own voices, as we would people in real life – slowly and with only what is presented to us. Their voices are distinct and interesting – no padding, no fluff - which I so appreciate. Ms. Elliott uses an interesting technique with the first-person protagonist. It's risky, but it totally works in her capable hands. I am really sorry that this is Ms. Elliott's only novel so far, as I would love to read more of her work right this minute.
If We Were Villains
by M. L. Rio
Theater Within (3/13/2017)
This is an easy book to get into and stay with, as long as you pay attention to the characters in the beginning. There is certainly plenty of drama in the plot, but as with any good drama, the characters drive the story. It is an interesting setup - theater students putting on plays, living their lives as dramatically and tragically as the characters they portray, often speaking in Shakespearean English when conversing with each other offstage, finding the Bard's words preferable to their own, or maybe just so very immersed in their studies, or perhaps showing off a little. A Shakespeare aficionado would really have a good time with this book, and those of us with passing knowledge and interest may find it entertaining and once in a while a little tiring - the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. And be prepared for real tragedy. I look forward to Rio's next effort.
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