With or Without You: A Memoir
by Domenica Ruta
Good but not what I expected (12/14/2012)
I was originally attracted to this book by its title. Having grown up on U2, this title evoked a certain sentimental yearning that I associate with the U2 song of the same title. Needless to say, the book is nothing like the song. This is a tough-to-read memoir that tells the story of the author's gritty and difficult childhood. The memoir is well-written, but I was so sad for this little girl and what she was forced to lived through that I had a hard time finishing the book. A masterful accomplishment, for sure, but emotionally draining to read.
The Forgetting Tree: A Novel
by Tatjana Soli
Lyrical family epic (9/12/2012)
I really enjoyed reading about this farming family, particularly the strong matriarch. The first part of the novel was entertaining and heartbreaking. The last third of the book takes a dark turn that I wasn't expecting. Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but the last third was a little tough to get through for me.
Niceville: A Novel
by Carsten Stroud
Entertaining (5/17/2012)
This supernatural suspense novel has something for everyone. There are so many characters and different plots and subplots, that everyone will find something interesting in here (even if you might be bored by some of the novel's elements). I really enjoyed the Southern Gothic feel of the book and the depth of characterization. Some of the numerous stories/events didn't fit nicely into a cohesive whole, but I was quite entertained nonetheless.
The Memory of All That: George Gershwin, Kay Swift, and My Family's Legacy of Infidelities
by Katharine Weber
An entertaining family memoir (6/29/2011)
I really enjoyed this family memoir. I picked up the book because of it's content on George Gershwin, one of my favorite musicians. I was thrilled to find that the book covers so many more interesting people than just Gershwin. There's Kay Swift, who was Gershwin's lover and also a talented composer and pianist, and James Paul Warburg, FDR’s economic adviser, and many others. History buffs, especially those with an interest in the arts and music, will enjoy this well-written memoir.
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
Even literary snobs will love this! (3/10/2011)
I admit to being somewhat of a literary snob. My shelves are lined with the likes of Philip Roth, Joyce Carol Oates, and Ian McEwan. I generally avoid historical fiction, and I’ve never enjoyed romance or fantasy. So why do I love Outlander so much? I’m not exactly sure, but the book’s combination of memorable characters, intelligent dialog, non-stop action, non-sappy romance, and historical detail is like a drug. A very pleasant, very addicting drug. Gabaldon’s writing is always elegant, never fussy, and moves along at a quick pace. After about 50 pages of this novel, I was absolutely hooked for the entire book, and that’s saying a lot considering it’s over 800 pages long.
The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World
by Laura J. Snyder
An engaging history of modern science (1/13/2011)
The Philosophical Breakfast Club is a comprehensive history of the beginnings of modern science told from the alternating perspectives of four Cambridge students. In the early 1800s, William Whewell, Charles Babbage, John Herschel, and Richard Jones met at Cambridge and instituted regular discussions over breakfast where they committed to work for scientific progress and the greater public recognition of scientists. During the momentous lifetimes of these four men, a man of science went from “a country parson collecting beetles in his spare hours” to “a member of a professional class … pursuing a common activity within a certain institutional framework ….”
The Philosophical Breakfast Club covers, in great detail, Babbage’s invention of the first computer, Herschel’s book introducing Francis Bacon’s scientific method to the general public, Whewell’s universal theory of tides, Jones’s economic theories, and many other important scientific breakthroughs. The chapter describing Herschel’s 4-year stint in the Cape Colony of southern Africa mapping the stars of the southern hemisphere is a particularly nice set piece. A’s clear, simple prose brings complex topics within reach of a lay audience, but the book occasionally gives more detail than the non-scientific reader will have patience for. Overall, The Philosophical Breakfast Club is an engaging and accessible history of modern science.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
by Amy Chua
Raising Children the Chinese Way (11/3/2010)
This book is Amy Chua's story about raising her daughters "the Chinese way." Chua explains how she was relentlessly strict with her daughters in order to get them to excel at school and music. She contrasts her method with "the Western way" of raising children. This contrast existed even in Chua's own family, as her husband Jed often disagreed with her methods: "I was already at a disadvantage because I had an American husband who believed that childhood should be fun."
Personally, I do not agree with Chua's harsh practices (including calling her children "garbage" and threatening to burn all their toys). Chua's descriptions of her daughters' punishing music practice schedules made me cringe. Fortunately, Chua learned to lighten up by the end of the book, but the first 150 pages are difficult to read. I feel sorry for Chua's children.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel
by Lola Shoneyin
Entertaining and thought-provoking (6/16/2010)
Baba Segi, a Nigerian businessman, has just added a fourth wife to his family. The new addition awakens jealousies and conflicts among Baba Segi’s other wives. The story is mostly told via the alternating perspectives of each of the four wives. Some might find this structure confusing, but I think the author does a nice job juggling complex issues with multiple voices in a clear and understandable way. This fast-paced look at a polygamous household is entertaining and thought-provoking.
The Swimming Pool
by Holly LeCraw
Difficult to Put Down (3/8/2010)
'The Swimming Pool' is a tragic family drama. So many horrible things happen to Marcella, the protagonist of this debut novel, that it’s amazing she is able to function. Her marriage is lost, her lover dies unexpectedly, her child is sent away, and that’s just to start. There’s also an unsolved murder that propels much of the action. Despite these tragic circumstances, this book is not all dark as a new (somewhat twisted) romance develops. This quick-paced drama is entertaining, and the shifting between past and present keeps the reader engaged. I couldn’t put this one down.
The Secret of Everything
by Barbara O'Neal
Self Discovery with a Dash of Romance (10/31/2009)
Grappling with the guilt of a recent hiking catastrophe, adventure tour leader Tessa Harlow heads to the fictional town of Los Ladrones, New Mexico to research a possible future tour. While in Los Ladrones, deeply buried memories surface, and Tessa must come to terms with her past as she embarks on a quest to figure out what her ominous memories are telling her. The colorful characters of Los Ladrones play a large role in Tessa's quest, particularly the hunky and reliable Vince Grasso and his three daughters.
The Secret of Everything grabbed me from the first page, and I read this almost-400 page novel in just a few days. Tessa's investigation into her past is suspenseful and keeps the story moving forward quickly. I also enjoyed the real-world romance story, mixed up with children, loads of laundry, and work. The recipes that appeared at the end of some of the chapters seemed a bit out of place, but they're easy enough to skip over. All in all, The Secret of Everything is a well-written light romance mixed with a story of self discovery.
Sweeping Up Glass
by Carolyn Wall
A compelling protagonist but a flawed plot (8/10/2009)
In the backwoods of Kentucky, Olivia Harker Cross struggles to raise her grandson while living with her cantankerous mother and maintaining the family grocery business. Everything’s fine in this unconventional family until poachers start killing the Alaskan silver wolves brought to Kentucky by Olivia’s grandfather. As Olivia investigates the poachers, she uncovers decades-old secrets and must protect her family from the resulting dangers.
The story unfolds from the first-person point of view as Olivia narrates current events and mixes in memories from her childhood. Olivia’s unique voice is the center of gravity for this novel; it’s a constant and compelling force:
"All in all, I have a crazy ma'am who owns a hundred dusty Bibles, a leggy boy with a too-soft heart, and no man to bed down with. And an Alaskan silver dying on my kitchen floor."
As engaging as it is, Olivia’s voice cannot compensate for this novel’s awkward plotting. The action in the final third of the book feels contrived, loaded with convenient coincidences and overly dramatic scenes. This final section, which reads like a thriller, is out of character with the pacing and style of the first two-thirds of the book. As I mentioned in a prior post, Sweeping Up Glass has the best first chapter I’ve read recently. Although the rest of the book didn’t live up to the initial promise of the first chapter, Sweeping Up Glass is an enjoyable and worthwhile read, particularly for those who like reading mysteries.
Some of the Dead Are Still Breathing: Living in the Future
by Charles Bowden
An ecologically sensitive Hunter S. Thompson (2/8/2009)
This is a collection of journalistic musings about the troubled state of the world and humanity's (mainly negative) impact on it. Bowden is a study in contraries. He lives in the world of drugs, whores, crime, and seedy motel rooms, but at the same time, he carefully observes the habits of a pair of cardinals living in his yard and worries about elephants in captivity. Bowden is an ecologically sensitive Hunter S. Thompson.
Readers who like structured essays or stories with direction will be frustrated by Bowden's free-flowing, seemingly random style. Those who embrace free association and haphazard thought experiments are likely to find Bowden to be a charming, if eclectic, tour guide to today's complex world.
The Toss of a Lemon
by Padma Viswanathan
A novel to get lost in if you have the time (8/18/2008)
The Toss of a Lemon is a 600+ page epic about three generations of an Indian family, covering the years 1896 to 1958. The matriarch of the family, a Brahmin widow, scrupulously adheres to the dictates of her caste and rarely leaves the confines of her household. In contrast to the widow’s sheltered life, her children and grandchildren confront a world in the process of modernization. The rigid boundaries between castes are dissolving, resulting in friction between classes and generations. Despite this charged social and political atmosphere, the home and family remain at the emotional center of this book.
Viswanathan tells this intricate domestic drama with delicacy and precision. Each scene feels necessary, and the plot moves quickly forward through the years. The length of this novel gives Viswanathan freedom to create a richly detailed world populated with well-drawn characters. I enjoyed getting lost in Viswanathan’s world, but after 600+ pages, I was hoping for more closure at the end of the story. The novel’s conclusion feels somewhat arbitrary and abrupt. This is a novel to get lost in if you have the time.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Lacking Substance (7/27/2008)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a lighthearted epistolary novel about an author who travels to Guernsey, a British island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. The protagonist, Juliet Ashton, is a writer with a warm personality and an adventurous spirit. As Juliet researches her next book about the German occupation of Guernsey during WWII, she befriends the quirky members of a book group on the island. Although The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is charming at times, this book is mostly lacking in substance. The characters are formulaic, and the plot is entirely predictable. A quick and forgettable read.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes
by Mohammed Hanif
Not to be missed! (4/3/2008)
This whirlwind of a book follows Junior Officer Ali Shigri of the Pakistan Air Force as he entangles himself in the complicated world of national politics. A host of colorful characters all seem to be working against each other, seeking revenge, glory, power, and sometimes love. Throughout the mayhem, Mohammed Hanif sprinkles a generous amount of satire. Although the action unfolds far from the U.S., many of this book’s themes will resonate with U.S. readers, I think.
This is a political thriller told on a very personal level. I connected with many of the characters, and this connection is what kept me quickly turning the pages even though I don’t typically enjoy political books. Despite the complicated, interwoven plot lines and the many characters, this is not a messy, sprawling book but rather a tightly controlled performance. I had no difficulty following the action, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Highly recommended.
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