The Dream Hotel: A Novel
by Laila Lalami
A not so unimaginable future (1/8/2025)
This dystopian novel supposes that technology has advanced to such an extent that "Big Brother" is not only monitoring our travel, social media traffic, and fitness metrics but is also monitoring our very dreams. The book begins with our story's main character in a Dream Hotel where she is literally incarcerated for dreams that she can't even recall.
The Dream Hotel is a regimented hell as each "inmate" is awaiting the government's decision to let them go back to their normal and even mudane lives. Follow along and see what happens. It's worth the read!
The Bog Wife
by Kay Chronister
Eerie, Gothic, Mythical, and so much more (8/14/2024)
The Bog Wife is a combination story of mythologies, gothic settings, family dysfunction, loneliness, eco-horror, and strong women. The author's writing of this story is impressive with a fullness to character development and the stories of five adult children raised in isolation with familial obligations taught them from the early days of their lives. The family compact with the eco-environment in which they live, a bog in the West Virginia Appalachians, is central to their self awareness and purpose...until it isn't. The story follows the adult children as they cope or do not cope with the consequences of their father's death and the truths they seek about themselves, their father, their mother, and the land they live upon. An excellent read with a glass of good red wine, a fire going and perhaps even some rain falling. Try it; you just may enjoy it!
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The Naming Song
by Jedediah Berry
What a Crazy Book! (7/10/2024)
This started out with a great premise; a world where language has been lost and a small group of "talented" people go out and give (or teach) a word to the populace. I was intrigued by that idea. However, the twists and turns in the book were out of my ken; it was a little too bizarre for my tastes. My reaction is likely generational since I have not grown up with or experienced any of the gaming culture. The paths taken through this story appear to be something one could expect from a fantastical fantasy game. So, this is not a book I would recommend; but admit that I am not very likely the author's audience!
Leaving: A Novel
by Roxana Robinson
Family, Love?, Loyalty, Familial Responsibilities, Honor, Morals (1/5/2024)
An exploration of two people's life and love(s). How much do we owe our family? What binds us to our marital oaths, our partners, our children? What do we owe ourselves? All of these difficult questions come into play in this masterfully written story. What exactly is honor and where is the boundary for morality?
The Witches at the End of the World
by Chelsea Iversen
Norway, Witchcraft, Sisters, Spells and Consequences or Is it Just History? (8/3/2023)
Chelsa Iversen's first novel, The Witches at the End of the World, captured this reader's attention from the beginning and held it to end as she tells the tale of two sisters living a subsistence life in the birch woods in 17th century Norway. The sister's tale is not so unusual as they mature and their wishes for an adult life differ one from the other. Until, that is, you learn they come from a long maternal line of Sami women with magic in their blood. The Sami are, of course, the reindeer herders who live a migratory life in the north country and are practitioners of the Old Religion, where certain spiritual abilities are accepted and even revered. Their father, a Norwegian man from a small fishing village is only an elusive memory for them as is their early childhood in the village where their mother was burned as a witch for practicing her small magics.
The oldest sister, Kaija, runs from the isolated life in the woods where their recently deceased grandmother raised the two girls, taught them how to practice their magical gifts, and hidden them from the Norwegians. Kaija goes to live the simple, non-magic life she believes she wants and needs in the village; the younger sister, Minna, stays in the woods embracing her solitary existence and welcoming the ability to practice her growing magic.
This story takes us through the experiences of each sister separately. We learn of the Norwegians' distrust, fear, and racist attitudes towards the Sami people, and the general Norwegian nonacceptance of any outsider. Importantly, we also learn of the religious struggle in Norway as Christianity begins to supersede the Old Religion, and the Church's suppression of women's choices, and their place in village society. We also learn about the struggles of the other village children born to Norwegian and Sami parents who are treated as outsiders in their very birthplace. The choices each of the sisters make soon lead to consequences neither considered. Despite their differences Kaija and Minna soon discover their bond and reliance on one another is strong and they begin to understand and appreciate the values of the other. Together they slip away from the village when another witch hunt has begun and Kaija, in a complex twist of fate becomes the natural target.
I can't wait to read Ms. Iversen's next book as this one is such an engaging storyline. The Witches at the End of the World is well-written, with well-developed characters, and interesting historical research that results in cultural insights sprinkled throughout the story.
Young Man, Muddled: A Memoir
by Robert Kanigel
Muddled Young Man; Muddled Times (5/24/2023)
It's the 1960s and there's a lot of social turmoil and a lot of pressure to be so many things while being so young! This is a journal or diary kept by this man growing up in the 1960s.He goes to college and becomes an engineer; becomes engaged and breaks it off; accepts a job with the military complex but actively avoids the draft and the Vietnam War; goes to anti war protests marches, chases an independent young woman to France and back as they carry out their passionate affair. He quits he work as an engineer and begins to write for an underground newspaper. And, that's the story; he falls into the writing professional not because he had direction or certain dreams of writing but because he could write and did and because it didn't fit into the parental expectations he grew up with. Ho hum, the book, in my opinion, is a mediocre offering and a somewhat boring read as it tells the tale of many young men growing up in the 60s. Most of were "muddled" about our ambitions or lack thereof; some 'fell' into success and others faded into the sunset. I suspect it's not so different from young people growing up today. Sometimes one is just lucky!
You'll Forget This Ever Happened: Secrets, Shame, and Adoption in the 1960s
by Laura L. Engel
Despite the title, some things are never forgotten (2/5/2023)
Laura Engel's story is a familiar one if you grew up in the 60s south or actually in most any town in the 1960s. You may have your own memories of a baby born and then taken; or memories of a friend or a relative who mysteriously disappeared and then showed up the next year a bit diminished and very rebellious. Or your experience may only come from the stories of caution told around kitchen tables by grandmothers.
Laura did the unthinkable in the early 60s south; she became pregnant and, by that action, threatened to sully her family's name forever in her little hometown where everyone knows everyone and everyone goes to the same church. Her parents tried to shotgun a wedding and when that failed, they took her to a home for unwed mothers in another state to give birth. Of course, she was forced to give the baby up for adoption. And, though her parents and her grandmother assured her she would forget. That didn't happen. No, she didn't forget nor did she forgive...at least not for a very long time. And, she internalized that trauma and she never forgot the little boy she had in that home.
Imagine Laura's emotions when 50 years later she is contacted by the son she has never known! And, further imagine the joy of learning that he wants to know her and his family. Laura tells her story and lets you in on the emotional rollercoaster she rode for a very, very long time.
Laura's tale is that of a sad chapter in our social history; when women and young girl's were held to high standards but were not given the tools to cope with the emotions and challenges of of their teenage years much less the knowledge! When sex was such a forbidden topic it was a rare parent who talked to their daughters and explained or discussed their sexuality. It was also a time when young girls bore the burden of their mistakes and the young men were allowed to "just be boys".
This is a book worth reading and perhaps sharing with a daughter or a granddaughter. It will provoke a lot of discussion, that I can promise.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
Fun, intergenerational, and girl power (10/10/2022)
If you are ready for a fun adventure in reading this book is a must read. You will be getting to know the two female characters and their back stories. Their adventures, the subtle and not so subtle mentoring going on, the miscommunications and the power of building confidence just shine in the dialog.
The outcomes are predictable and the plot is easy to figure out; nonetheless, it's a perfect read when you just want a good laugh and a well-told story!
As with all good stories, it even has a moral or two to share! Enjoy.
When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky
by Margaret Verble
A Mystery, a Ghost Story, a Civics & History Lesson (10/15/2021)
What a good story! You can read this and just enjoy a well-told story that is nicely paced, has humor, mystery, and a ghost or two. Or, you can pause and consider the sensibility and perception of events past, present and future through the various characters you will meet in the story. There is much to think about as you read: from the history of the settling of American and the natural history, and multilayered cultural perspectives. There’s the history of early Tennessee and the European pioneers who ultimately created dynasties in that state. Then, there is the complex story of the relationships of the Black slave descendants who came with the pioneers and who in 1925 can claim a distinguished antebellum ancestry which they share with the white pioneers. There’s the story of the Cherokee who were run out of Tennessee during the Trail of Tears relocation/displacement to Oklahoma.
The main character is a Cherokee woman named Two Feathers (Two) set in 1925 Dayton, Tennessee. Two is the courageous and very popular entertainer at the local amusement park who dives from a platform into a pond while on her horse. She's disciplined, athletic, independent, brave, practical and stands with one foot in the future and the other in her tribal past. We learn a lot about Two’s character through her relationships with her few friends and with the animals on display in the zoo as well as with how she handles a serious on-the-job injury. We’re reminded that WWI has just ended and the terrible costs of that war through the British character Clive, Park Manager, who suffers from PTSD. We also learn about the black experience in the south through Crawford, the Park mechanic, all-around jobber, member of a largest landowning Black in the state, and Two’s best friend. The place of women is reflected in the stories of Two’s career, the women entertainers, the young, widowed owner of the boarding house and the cameos by other women in this book. America stands on the cusp of change in 1926 as the war to end all wars has ended, cars are a new way to travel, science is making advances as evidenced by the Scopes Trial underway in town, and women are looking for social changes in voting rights and other feminists’ pursuits, Indians have been recognized as citizens of the USA for only one year and black citizens are not fully equal.
There is a mystery to solve and retribution to be had; there’s a spiritual element that floats through the story. There are also subtle reminders of serious tribal issues for present-day Native Americans in references to the uses and abuses of sacred grounds, disposition of land, and blood quantum concerns among the tribes as Two moves through the story and often thinks back to her grounding by the tribal elders.
Blind Man's Bluff: A Memoir
by James Tate Hill
One Man's Journey to Find Himself (8/11/2021)
A sometimes humorous and always poignant story that will hold your attention to the very end. This is a tale of a boy who becomes a man as he makes his journey through life and at the end finds himself. James T. Hill became officially blind as a teenager with a rare hereditary condition that gradually took his sight almost completely away. As he navigates how to be a "normal" teenager and later how to fit in with the college life and beyond his personal adventures are fun, bittersweet and finally fulfilling. It takes a few falls and challenges before he dares to see himself and thus the world at large. I would definitely recommend this to any book club and will recommend it to many of my reading friends.
All the Water I've Seen Is Running: A Novel
by Elias Rodriques
A haunting tale of Place, Time and Life (6/19/2021)
"All the Water I've Seen is Running" demonstrates the power of Place in our memories and our lives. Daniel has grown up in an environment and ecology where geography and people live with day to day violence, danger, friendships, and love that etches them for life. Daniel comes to grips with his personal story through the loss of a dear friend to a violent death and the love and support of old friends who have grown up and apart over time. It is also a story of continuation as told through family stories filled with complexities and nuances that has shaped each generation where each of Daniel's ancestors is shaped by a river or "water that is always running". I am both captivated and haunted by Daniel's story.
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
A Librarian who is extraordinary (2/23/2021)
This book grabbed me from the start and through to the end. Couldn't stop reading it. The history is amazing, the woman who curates the library is fascinating. It's also a story of survival at great personal cost. Don't want to give away the ending so just pick up this book and start reading. You won't regret it.
I Want You to Know We're Still Here: A Post-Holocaust Memoir
by Esther Safran Foer
A Poignant Family Journey (11/14/2019)
This is a story of a woman's journey, emotional, spiritual and physical, to find details of her parent's story and learn about the family members she lost to the holocaust. It is interesting, moving and profound. Highly recommend this one.
Travelers: A Novel
by Helon Habila
A Look into the Alienation of the African Diaspora (5/29/2019)
This is a book I would recommend to my book club. It is a look into the immigrant struggles with always being on the outside looking in. The characters in the book are describing the various ways one can feel alienated from the culture and society in their adopted country as well as their anguish with societal minimization. The stories are well fitted to the immigrant stories we hear on the news each evening here in the U.S.A. The sensitivity the author exhibits in describing the people and each one's stories ring with truth and conviction.
The Last Year of the War
by Susan Meissner
Things lost and found (11/7/2018)
A story that grabs your attention with its beginning sentence, "I've a thief to thank for finding the one person I need to see before I die." It is a hint of things lost and circumstances out of a young girl's control as she and her family become one of the families sent to a detention camp and then repatriated to Germany in exchange for American prisoners. The losses, or thefts of time, people and places, continue throughout her life as struggles with beginning Alzheimer's and racing against time to close the circle on a dear friend found and lost during that eventful last year of the War.
The beginning of the story draws the reader in and the story unfolds to unfortunately predictable conclusions. The end is a little too trite with its happily ever after tale. There are some surprising facts and a slightly different perspective compared to other WWII stories. This would be a good beach read in the summer.
The Ninth Hour: A Novel
by Alice McDermott
"and then she thought better of it." (7/11/2018)
The Ninth Hour begins with Jim's suicide and though he is gone and is only briefly introduced to us (the readers) he permeates the story line. His widow is given a job as an assistant laundress by the Sisters and his daughter grows up in the convent laundry surrounded and influenced by these women of God. His widow, Annie, sacrifices her life for her daughter and to make restitution for Jim's sins. The daughter decides to become a nun "until she thinks better of it." We are drawn into the family story of these two and the people who populate their lives. It is a story of life's trials and the decisions made under the influence of one single act by another. A poignant and well-told tale!
Little Nothing
by Marisa Silver
Fantasy and a Nightmare Fairy Tale (8/21/2017)
This is a book of transformation as we meet a baby with dwarfism born to a peasant couple. Her life is difficult in this small village where those who are different are viewed with suspicion and superstition. Nonetheless, her character and intelligence eventually win over the people in the village and ease her parents' conflicted feelings about their daughter. Some of the transformations this young woman goes through are fantastical indeed! I won't spoil the story by recounting all of them but the reader must suspend reason and logic while reading the story and focus instead on love and transformation as these two themes unfold for the key characters in this fable. Read it and enjoy!
The Heart's Invisible Furies: A Novel
by John Boyne
Diving into a modern family's story (6/19/2017)
This book grabs you from the first page and keeps your attention until the last. The story is current, modern even, and yet it is as old as time. It is told from one man's perspective .... a story of growing up different in a society that doesn't accept his differences. He tells his mother's story of shame, hurt, and how she conquered it all. We also learn that Cyril's story is equally compelling as he grapples with his unorthodox family upbringing and his sexuality in Catholic Ireland. Cyril feels the necessity of keeping who he is a secret from everyone who knows him, even himself. Eventually, the secrets catch up and Cyril learns that family is made up of those who love you and that you love -- and that it is not necessarily a biological tie. He also discovers that it is really about accepting himself and those he loves as they are. This is a story of love and of a family that comes together in the most unfathomable manner. Each individual we are introduced to is struggling with some facet of acceptance of themselves because of societal pressures to be one certain way. In the end, we find that it is really all about how one perceives oneself and that truth can be liberating. I would recommend this one to anyone. I enjoyed every minute of the rather complex story as Cyril finds love, acceptance and his family at last.
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