City of the Sun
by Juliana Maio
A Love Letter to Cairo (1/8/2014)
'City of the Sun' is a love letter to Cairo by the author. She draws the reader in to World War II era Cairo and describes it in such detail that we are there with the characters. It reminded me of the film 'Cairo Time' in the sense that the creator of both stories are obviously so much in love with this mysterious and magical city. However, the characters never seemed to come to full form and I ultimately didn't really care about what happened to them. The story took a long time to come to a dramatic head. I recommend this book with some reservations – I think that readers might overlook weak characters in favor of the historical background and description of life in Cairo during WWII.
Where Monsters Dwell
by Jørgen Brekke
Monsters Dwell Everywhere (10/27/2013)
When you read 'Where Monsters Dwell' plan on blocking out sufficient time to read it in one sitting before you even start it. It is more edgy than Camilla Lackberg's mysteries, and as smart and intellectual as Stieg Larssen's books, but easier to follow. The literature angle is inspired and fascinating in itself, and the ending is incredible – it will have you wondering about how we see ancient artifacts and their meanings forever. And, don't get complacent; the ending is not when you think it is.
Amy Falls Down
by Jincy Willett
Amy Falls Down and Finally Gets Up (6/27/2013)
The dead-pan hilarity of everyday quirks and phobias in "Amy Falls Down" is reminiscent of David Sedaris. There is a bit of Amy in all of us, which is exactly what makes this book so hard to put down. We see ourselves mirrored back – all of our insecurities, fears, tragedies, and obsessions. But they become morphed into something less sinister, something that can be examined, embraced and finally released. This book is a reminder that we are all amazing, in spite of ourselves.
The Jericho Deception
by Jeffrey Small
Could there be a God Spot in our brains? (3/7/2013)
The Jericho Deception is a multi-faceted novel about the discovery of a way to turn on the God Spot in the brain and how that discovery becomes a military tool for brainwashing people. The book is fast paced and the characterizations are vivid. You can't help but grow to love Ethan and Rachel and worry if Mousa will be saved. Just when you think you have it figured out, there's a twist in the story. It had me guessing right up to the last page, with a possible hint of a sequel. I can definitely see this as an action film.
Golden Boy
by Abigail Tarttelin
Golden Boy – Not a Typical Coming of Age Story (1/14/2013)
Golden Boy is definitely not a typical coming of age story. This complicated story revolves around Max, who is an intersex teenager. He is both male and female. The story asks questions like what does it mean to be male or female? When does no mean no? What kind of betrayals can be forgiven? This story is told from the viewpoint of many different characters in the book and we see through their eyes how Max's story unfolds. The best part about this book is that the ending is satisfying and real.
The House Girl
by Tara Conklin
A New Twist on Slavery (11/13/2012)
The House Girl is a compelling story that interweaves two women from different eras and races. Making the character of Josephine a painter was a fascinating twist on the slavery story – as was having her paintings co-opted by her owner. The opposing modern day story with Lina as an attorney was also a insightful look into the legal world of reparation lawsuits. The twists and turns at the end brought the story full circle and I guess the only thing that I wish is that there was more of a conclusive ending.
The Devil in Silver: A Novel
by Victor LaValle
Madness, Mayhem and True Friendship (8/5/2012)
The Devil in Silver by Victor Lavalle is a fantastic book. This is a book that will grab you from the first page and won’t let you go until the end and then it will haunt you for days. It is not a scary book in the horror sense, but a book about love and friendship and slaying your own demons – real and imagined. The meaning of the title will surprise you and the embedded symbolism makes this book a real pleasure to read and decode. It is not a reboot of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but just as compelling.
A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar: A Novel
by Suzanne Joinson
An Expert Weaving of Two Tales (5/13/2012)
'A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar' is a compelling novel that weaves two stories that take place in separate times and places, but come together in a surprising and expertly conceived twist. The ‘local color’ is exceptional and the character development is realistic. This will be a great book for book groups – with the issues of parenting, the work of missionaries, war-torn countries, justice, and even self-mutilation in the name of mystical awareness. This is an extremely enjoyable read.
Three Weeks in December
by Audrey Schulman
A Book To Savor (1/13/2012)
This is a book to savor. Read it slowly because the words transform themselves into poetic images of Africa. Schulman weaves back and forth between the stories of two emotionally challenged people: Jeremy, who is struggling with being gay in the nineteenth century and Max, who is coping with Asperger’s. It is a beautiful, beautiful book – one that you finish and immediately want to read again. As you read, look for clues as to what makes these to seemingly disparate stories connected – the truth will surprise you.
Three Seconds
by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom
Three Seconds, More Like Three Centuries (12/5/2010)
I was excited to get this book because the authors had been touted as the next Steig Larsson. I had read Larsson’s three books and then read them again because they are so excellent. I did a little research on Three Seconds and discovered that it is fifth in a series. Only four, including Three Seconds, are available in English.
From the first page, I had trouble with Three Seconds. This book does not appear to be completely stand-alone. I spent far too much time wondering why Ewert Grens was so tormented and what was up with the music, the death of the woman in the nursing home, and boxing up everything that reminded him of her and hiding it in the evidence locker at the police station.
The plot was compelling and the characters were flawed and intriguing, so it took me a while to determine that the major problem is the translation. I thought that if I made it to the point where Piet went into prison the story would pick up for me, but I finally gave up just before he went inside. The words on the page are all correct, but they are in the wrong place and there are far too many of them to make flowing sense. It is as if the translator literally translated from Swedish to English without taking into account word order. Words are also translated into English without regard to English colloquialisms, making some of the phrases understandable, but incorrect. For example, the one phrase that comes to mind is “it was a 9mm caliber Radon” – in English we would not put millimeter and caliber together; caliber is redundant. Perhaps it would have been better if Reg Keeland had translated the book, as he did the three Larsson books.
I gave this book to my husband thinking that he might like it better than I did. He made it five pages farther than I did and gave up, too. Sadly, I think that this book is one instance where the movie will be better than the book. I understand that Universal Studios has picked up the movie rights…
Adam & Eve: A Novel
by Sena Jeter Naslund
Adam and Eve (9/15/2010)
"Adam and Eve" is multi-layered book that is brilliant in its scope and imagination. This book will definitely appeal to literature geeks – English majors, college professors and other bibliophiles. The references to other writers, poets, artists and composers is endless – from “Alice in Wonderland” on the first page, to van Gogh, Mozart, and on through to Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” at the end. It was like meeting old friends as I read this new book.
This is a book that will provide wonderful discussions for book clubs. The connections between the Eden of the Bible and the Eden in the story, the name of the main character – Eve/Lucy – the religious and scientific names for the “first” woman in the world, the lengths that the religious zealots would go to destroy evidence that threatens their beliefs are just a few topics for discussion. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time – it is not an easy read, but it is a fascinating read!
Stash
by David Matthew Klein
Stash by David Klein (5/12/2010)
This book had a fun premise for a plot, but I found the ending extremely weak. I was also distracted by so much detail - or detail that seemed superfluous, like describing the kind of cupcakes on page one. This much unnecessary detail detracted from the story and I did not like the overuse of some words, like the cliche term of endearment "sweetie".
Pearl of China: A Novel
by Anchee Min
Pearl of China by Anchee Min (2/1/2010)
I was disappointed in this book because I have read other books by Min that are much better. The historical background on Pearl of China was fascinating. However, this book felt as if Min was trying to cram too much historical fact into the narrative without a compelling story to pad the facts. The characters seemed flat and the story seemed shallow. The book is very short for the topic. It's a light read and a fine story but I was hoping for a much deeper look into the life of an American girl/woman in China during troubled times.
Heresy
by S.J. Parris
Heresy by S.J. Parris (11/29/2009)
Heresy by Parris is enticing and layered. This is a great book club book! The ending was not at all what I expected and the murderer was not even on my radar. This is a book that brought up questions about politics and religion, love and betrayal, and right and wrong. I kept thinking about how this book relates to today and how people are still fighting about religion. Reading Heresy made me interested in researching more about Giordano Bruno - a complex man who finally met his end at the hands of the Inquisition.
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