The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel
by Laura Imai Messina
The Phone of the Wind (1/23/2021)
This is the best novel I've read in a long time. I felt the spiritual message of the story and thought of it more spiritual versus fantasy. From the beginning I was touched by Laura Imai Messina's poetic manner of writing. She developed her characters in a delightful and loving way. I cared about the many characters and wanted the best for them including Tora the cat and,of course, the phone booth.
Yui's story is developed in many dimensions; physically, emotionally and spiritually. This tension propels the story.
I found this a very hopeful novel. In this time of so much tension Yui's story is needed. We need to go to the phone booth and hear the wind.
I can't think of another novel where place is so important to the story. I agree with the author that readers need to go to the bell-gardia website and see the healing place that Sasaki Itaru and his wife have created.
The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls: A Novel
by Ursula Hegi
The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls (5/14/2020)
This was a difficult novel for me to get into at first. The beginning scenes enveloped me in sadness. Maybe because of the pandemic I had trouble reading further but I am glad I did. Once the characters,so many characters, appeared on the scene I wanted to know them and their story.
The author has created a society of people where there is loss, heartache, deceit, abandonment and love. It is love that weaves its delight in the story. She has also created a place where non-human elements such as the Nordsee, the Zircus, the home for the girls are injected with life.
The author's characters have such depth.even the ones met a few times. I liked the author's writing style. Often it is beautifully poetic.
I think this is a good book for a book club discussion. There are many emotions involved in the novel that it would be interesting to get the opinion of others.
The Yellow Bird Sings: A Novel
by Jennifer Rosner
The Yellow Bird (12/19/2019)
The yellow bird sings a song of hope,encouragement, and comfort in Jennifer Rosner's novel. The characters display the good,evil and mixed actions during WW2. The little girl,Zosia,strength and development is beautifully described as is the pain and courage of her mother.
I loved the musicality of the novel, The author's words through the story are like a concert with somber and sad chords and others joyful and hopeful. Her words are often poetical and lyrical.
I think this is a good book for a book club.People might discuss which characters are most inspiring or the least. They might also discuss how the complexity of non-central .characters develop the main characters.
Parts of the story are difficult to absorb but the faith and courage of Rosa and Zosia are inspiring. This is a beautiful book.
The Seine: The River that Made Paris
by Elaine Sciolino
The Seine (10/26/2019)
This is a book I needed to read slowly in order to absorb the wealth of the Seine's story. The author covers the geography,history,archaeology,ecology and other aspects of this river. Elaine Sciolino's bibliography is extensive. To get in the mood of traveling along the Seine I re-watched Charade and enjoyed the lights on the river. Even though the book covers so much information I felt myself drawn into each part of the river's story.
What I liked most were the author's interviews with people who lived and worked along the Seine. I especially loved the story of the barge people. The author has a gift for bringing out the passions of the people she interviewed.
I have not been to France but wanted to learn about this famous river and am glad I did. This book will appeal to travelers and armchair travelers who wish to expand their knowledge of this part of the world.
The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz
by Jack Fairweather
The Story of Witold Pilecki (5/10/2019)
This book is the history of Witold Pilecki's heroic efforts to let the world know of the evil of Auschwitz. I embraced the brave work of Witold and the many heroes I met in this book. The author includes a list of characters in the back of the book. When I met a new character I referred to the list and noted the page the person was introduced so that I would remember them later.
The author helps the reader understand in a very personal way the courage of individuals in the Polish underground. Among these people was a 6 year old boy who did dangerous work.
The author is able to describe Witold's heart as Witold continues his dangerous work to expel the evil that was crushing the world. I think everyone needs to read this book. The author makes history come alive.
Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen
by Mary Norris
Greek To Me (3/3/2019)
Mary Norris' memoir shows how her love of things Greek-the language,the history and the myths-blended with her life experience of joys and sorrows to define who she is.
I found the in this author a kindred spirit because I too fell in love with Greece ago. The author's memoir brought to mind experiences that I too enjoyed.
I loved the author's writing style.She is introspective,humble and witty. I especially liked the unexpected moments where I laughed out loud.
This small book has a wealth of information. I took notes and researched many of the places that inspired her.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has had a love affair with Greece or would like to have.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel
The Traveling Cat Chronicles (12/14/2018)
I loved having a bright, funny, sensitive cat for the narrator. This novel has so many emotions displayed through the characters. It is a wonderful read.
The Night Tiger: A Novel
by Yangsze Choo
The Night Tiger (12/13/2018)
Yangtze Choo is a wonderful writer. She has written a multilayered novel with many twists and turns. Despite some dark elements like murder and nasty characters and other worldly characters like the weretiger I found the novel delightful.
The protagonists are beautifully developed. I was very fond of her development of the young boy, Ren.
There is so much I loved about this novel. It is highly creative. I enjoyed this book and look forward to her other novels.
A Ladder to the Sky: A Novel
by John Boyne
A Ladder to the Sky (9/18/2018)
Powerthesaurus.org has 913 synonyms for the word despicable. If there are even more words for despicable I would lump them together to describe Maurice Swift, the novel's main character. The author is very gifted in character development. It is Swift's innate evilness that propels the novel and this is what kept me reading.
I didn't like the subject matter of the book, but the author's gift of creating interesting characters held my attention. This is one of those books where I really needed to see how it would end. I only glanced at a few pages of the last chapter. This didn't help me much.
John Boyne has a way of getting me emotionally involved in his characters, especially Swift in this book.
Paris Echo
by Sebastian Faulks
Paris Echo (8/11/2018)
I thought this was a thought provoking novel. I needed to read it slowly to understand the complex characters and their relationship,especially between Hannah,the American historian and Tariq,the young man on a mission to learn about his deceased mother.
I liked the development of Tariq’s personality. He is emotionally young but desirous of growing. He has many great qualities. I loved his boldness and persistence.
There are many parallels in the development of Hannah and Tariq. I needed to reread parts of the novel to grasps how the author tied the lives of Tariq and Hannah together using the ghosts of the past to help them. The ghost, Clemenceau, is beautifully developed.
I liked how the novel encouraged me to learn more about Vichy France and the Algerian war. I felt so much like Tariq walking about in ignorance of so much.
The House of Broken Angels
by Luis Alberto Urrea
The House of Broken Angels (2/12/2018)
When I came to the last page I asked myself if if the story really ended. I wanted more.
I became very fond of Big Angel and his complicated family and their complicated lives. Big Angel is vulnerable man who is full of life, energy and kindness despite life events that could have crippled him.
This is a novel that I didn't read quickly. The art of the author is not to be rushed over. His words create not only a visual image his words transported me to places with a multitude of scents as and sounds.
This is a story that at times made me cringe, at other times laugh or cry. I especially loved Big Angel's faithfulness in writing the things he was grateful for. He started out being grateful for mangoes and later on he shows his poet side: the heart breaks open and little bright seeds fall out.
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Edsel's Adventures (2/14/2017)
This is a fun novel to read. The protagonist, Edsel, is the type of person I at times felt very sorry for. At other times I laughed out loud with him and cheered for him The author created a delightful and memorable character.
Edsel's quest for a partner to join him on a trip to Florida propels the story. Events take place that are magical,sad and stressful but Edsel remains steadfast and focused.
Edsel changes as the story develops. He grows in confidence,becomes understanding and forgiving and has a hope for the future.
All the characters are well-developed. I especially liked Sheila.
I am glad I read this author and will read more by Daniel Wallace.
Karolina's Twins
by Ronald H. Balson
Hope in the midst of darkness (7/14/2016)
I loved Lena's story of love and friendship amid the horrors of the Nazi occupation. Lena is a survivor-she is strong but has secrets.
I loved the authors character development of the people in Lena's life. Even characters we meet only once are memorable,like the Rabbi who encouraged Lena to say Kaddish. The characters in Lena's current life could have been developed a little more, for example Liam and his wife.
I think this is a good book for book clubs, young adults and all of us. The time of history Lena lived through needs remembering always.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven
by Chris Cleave
A war story to read and reread (5/12/2016)
This novel takes place on 2 fronts of world was 2---London and Malta. The description of the destruction done by the Blitz to places and to the people is heartbreaking. The sacrifices of the soldiers on Malta made me cry.
The characters are complex. Most I wanted the best for but with tension of both class struggle and racial intolerance displayed in the story some characters were hateful.
The story is complex. It is a war story and a love story. I thought it was beautifully written. I don't reread books often but I plan to reread this novel.
The Language of Secrets
by Ausma Zehanat Khan
The Language of Secrets (11/14/2015)
From the beginning this novel propels the reader into a complicated web of tension. The tension is global;Islam vs the West; Toronto's Islamic community versus the non-Islamic community; Esa(the protagonist) vs other authority in the police department. The tension continues between Esa and his family I liked the use of this dynamic. The tension builds in intensity and projects the novel to its ending.
The characters are dynamically developed through dialogue and poetry. I liked the use of poetry to show the intense emotion of the situation for Esa and his murdered friend. I loved the second protagonist, Rachel Getty. She is passionate, lovable and brave. I thought without her the novel would be too dark .
When the Moon Is Low: A Novel
by Nadia Hashimi
When the Moon Is Low (9/3/2015)
Nadia Hashimi has written a novel that touched my heart. Fereiba's love of family and Saleeem's burning desire to support and protect his family as he matures from boy to man propels this novel. I held my breath as each challenge resulted in success,escapes or another opportunity.
I loved the author's character . I cheered for Saleem's every success. Th author writes with a beautiful poetic style that bubbled up an emotional response from me.
With the world's eyes upon the situation of the refugees from many countries,this novel reveals the soul of our brothers and sisters searching for a life of hope free from oppression.
Jade Dragon Mountain
by Elsa Hart
Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart (6/5/2015)
Jade Dragon Mountain is a novel to be savored. At times I forgot to follow the complex and simply enjoyed the sights, the sounds, tastes and smells of 18th century Yunnan China. She has a gift for description-I felt I was present in this place.
Through the story I received an understanding of the history of early 18th century China and her relationship with the world. I find myself studying about his time in history.
The protagonist,Li Du, is memorable. He is the exiled librarian charged with finding the murderer of a Jesuit priest. When she first introduced I was hoping he wasn't the murder victim even though I surmised he was from reading the back cover--this character was well developed. The third character I loved was the storyteller, Hamza. All her characters are carefully developed.
The author's plot is many tiered Yet it all weaves together into a connected whole. The plot is complex and kept me thinking to the end. The mystery aspect of the book has many twists and turns.
I loved the book. What reader of mysteries wouldn't love an 18th century librarian sleuth.
Little Black Lies
by Sharon Bolton
Little Black Lies (4/17/2015)
Sharon Bolton uses three individuals to narrate her story of how these people were touched by the death of Catrin's children. All three people are flawed and all affected by the death. In each of the narrations we learn the of angels and demons. Her characters are dynamic. Using this technique helped me feel that I knew each intimately and cared about.
The plot moves with suspense. The suspense is sometimes a physical or emotional event that kept me wanting to read on.
The story takes place on the Falkland Islands. The author's description of the ocean scenes are memorable. Her descriptions of the island, its history and its creatures are what I liked most.
House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy
House of Echoes (2/9/2015)
Mysteries of the past of this house are connected to mysteries of the present by a cloud of sinister activities. These events are skillfully crafted by the author Brendan Duffy. Character development Is excellent. I wanted the best for the main characters from the beginning and at times held my breath for them, Other characters introduced in the book cleverly created suspicion and sometimes rightly so. There is much darkness to this story which disturbed me --I wouldn't read it right before bed. The author produces great momentum as the story unfolds to it's conclusion. This is what kept me reading to the end. Because the plot and characters are complex there would be much to discuss in a book club. This novel will appeal to those who like tense, sometimes frightening novels.
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