Bookfoolery

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

I read several of the books in my sidebar before leaving for the UK. They're among the hardest to remember because it's been at least 3-4 weeks since I read them, so I'm going to try to bang out as many as possible and keep my reviews short and sweet. Writing mini reviews will also hopefully help me to catch up a little so that I can get back to visiting other bloggers, at least occasionally.

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady By Elizabeth Stuckey-French is one quirky book. Elderly Marylou Ahearn has moved to Florida to seek revenge on the doctor she blames for her daughter's death. Back in the 1950s, she was given a radioactive cocktail without her knowledge as part of an experiment. She was pregnant at the time.

Now calling herself Nancy Archer, she eventually worms her way into the home of Dr. Wilson Spriggs' family and occasionally manages to make attempts on his life, even though the doctor has Alzheimer's and can't keep a thought in his head. When she peppers him with questions about why he did such an evil thing, he is unable to answer.

Will this potential elderly murderess have a change of heart and stop trying to destroy the doctor and his family? Or, will she succeed? What really happened when she drank the radioactive cocktail and what was the doctor's part in the experiment? Did he have regrets?

All those questions are answered. I found The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady a bit slow and the ending a little strange but I enjoyed it, for the most part. I just felt like the pacing made it a little tiresome. While it's not a favorite, I did like the writer's unique style and the quirkiness of her characters. It was entertaining in spite of the pace and even a bit heartwarming, in the end. Recommended, but not a favorite.

My thanks to Random House for the Advance Review Copy.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Face to Face with God by Jim Maxim

Face to Face with God by Jim Maxim

Whitaker House - Nonfiction/Memoir/Religion - Christian

222 pages

Jim Maxim was already hitting bottom by 18. Addicted to alcohol, a frequent user of drugs, he chose to return to a party after friends drove him home. They knew he was too drunk to safely drive himself, but Jim thought he was fine.

He never made it to the party. Instead, a devastating car accident left him with a broken jaw, wired shut, and a face torn from the jagged glass of his windshield. While on the operating table, he saw two demons and then . . . the face of Jesus. When he awakened, Jim knew his life had to change. Face to Face with God is his story.

Face to Face with God is a two-part memoir. The first portion is about the author's early addiction, the accident that changed his life and his early years as a Christian. The second part is all about witnessing and contains numerous stories of the author's experiences, plus plenty of talk about God's love and forgiveness and how to receive it.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, in particular, because I like reading stories about major changes/disasters and how they led to a dramatic change in a person's life. The latter half was interesting but, at times, tiresome. If you're already a Christian, you'll enjoy the stories but might feel a little irritated that the author feels you should be willing to talk as openly about Christ as he is. He admits he has the gift of evangelism, that he's naturally comfortable talking to strangers about God (although he's made plenty of mistakes and been told to lay off, especially in the early years). So, it seemed a little odd that he didn't acknowledge the fact that some people are just not able to minister in the same way. This is actually something I've talked to Christian friends about at length, but it still made me uncomfortable.

The bottom line:

A nicely-written book about the accident that changed a man's life and how he has used his own experience to bring others to Christianity. Recommended, but be aware that the second half is a little heavy-handed and some may consider it preachy; others may find it's just a little tiresome, although the stories are enjoyable.

Things to think about:

It's fascinating to me that the author believes he saw Jesus while unconscious. I think I would be tempted to write such an experience off as either a vision or dream. In the same vein, though, I have a friend whose life changed dramatically when she looked up at a digital clock while drug-addled, in the middle of the night, and saw the face of Jesus. Regardless of whether or not you believe there was really a visitation by Christ of some sort, I do think it's fascinating to read or hear about how such an experience can completely change a person's life. Face to Face with God is worth reading for the before and after, alone. It's really quite amazing how dramatically a person can change.

You can read a free chapter of Face to Face with God, here.

Your photo of the day:

A church seems apropos to this particular post. Here, the steeple of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London at dusk. I'm guessing that gray thing is a lightning rod? I've never noticed it, before.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon

You Know When the Men Are Gone

By Siobhan Fallon

Amy Einhorn Books - Short Stories

225 pages

It's been quite a while since I read You Know When the Men Are Gone, but it's still pretty vividly etched in my mind. I cried a lot, for one thing, and not a lot of books require quite so many tissues.

You Know When the Men Are Gone is a series of interconnected short stories about life in the military -- for the soldiers, for the families left behind at Fort Hood, for those who must deal with pain and loss. Affairs, divorce, life-changing injury, illness, death, loneliness, dealing with children during a husband's lengthy absences . . . the author really covers every angle.

The title story begins with the tale of a Meg, an army wife who has no children, no pets, no real friends, only the Family Readiness Group and a couple nosy neighbors to keep her company. Then, a new and exotic neighbor with a big, noisy dog and two quiet children moves in and Meg becomes obsessed with Natalya. The walls are thin and listening in becomes her entertainment. Where is Natalya going late at night, after singing her children to sleep? Who is the man Meg keeps hearing through the walls? Is it worth the long stretches of loneliness and worry to stay married to a soldier?

I wasn't sure where the author was taking me, at first, but the ending to this first story left me a little teary and very satisfied, so I continued on. And, each story fed a little into the next. In the fourth story, "Inside the Break," you hear the words everyone has been afraid may come:

"Alpha Company got hit," she said calmly. "Sergeant Schaeffer died."

Later, you will read about one of the men in Alpha Company who was severely injured. And, the final story, "Gold Star," introduces you to Sgt. Schaeffer's widow.

Checking her watch again, [Josie] finally pulled into the empty Gold Star Family designated spot in front. She waited a moment, peering at herself in the mirror, composing her face into what she imagined an ordinary face looked like, tugging her mouth into a smile but then giving up. She knew the spouses walking by with their loaded carts were hesitating, trying not to stare into Josie's window, trading lifted eyebrows with the other women passing. As she got out and locked her car, a white-haired veteran paused by his truck in the Purple Heart Recipient space a few feet away. He was wearing a black baseball cap with VIETNAM embroidered in block letters across the front. He stepped across the yellow line between them, his ropey-veined hand outstretched.

"I'm grateful for your sacrifice," he said. "Our country can never thank you enough."

He made it sound as if she had willingly offered Eddie up; Josie shuddered but gave the man her hand. This is why she avoided the Gold Star spot: "Gold Star," with its imagery of schoolchildren receiving A's and stickers for a job well done, was the military euphemism for losing a soldier in combat. Family members received a few special privileges like this lousy parking space, but that meant the pity rising from the asphalt singed hotter than any Texas sun. Josie blinked to keep her eyes dry and the vet took a step back, seeing he had inflicted pain. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

pp. 209-210 from "Gold Star," in You Know When the Men Are Gone, ARC (some changes may have been made to the final print version)

I don't know about you, but that's enough to make me fog up. And, the story becomes even more stirring and poignant. I was sobbing when I closed the book. It's a rough read but those of us who aren't married to or close to someone in the military really need to read this kind of book to be reminded what people are going through to protect the lives we love.

It just so happens that I finished reading You Know When the Men Are Gone on the anniversary of the WWII invasion of Normandy, also known as "D-Day". I happened across that tidbit when I was looking for photos to illustrate my review and discovered that there was a dearth of news stories in our national news. Where were the tributes to "D-Day"? I couldn't find them. I was upset enough to write a ranting post that I opted not to publish because it was ventilation and not worth inflicting on anyone. But, the timing was interesting.

There wasn't anything I particularly disliked about You Know When the Men Are Gone, so let's go straight to the ending thoughts.

The bottom line:

A highly recommended book of short stories, written in a plain-spoken style with surprising emotional impact. The author is, in fact, a military wife and it shows. The stories are authentic, powerful, packed with emotion.

Cover thoughts:

I had no idea what this book was about, based on the cover. I just knew it had gotten a lot of very positive buzz and added it to my wish list on that basis. Once you know it's stories about soldiers and their families, the cover makes sense -- the gold star, the American flag. It's maybe a little too understated, but I like the look.

And, your illustration of the day:

Wrong war, but I figured I might as well use this post to stick in a photo from the Churchill Museum in London:

Those dummies look almost real, don't they? Well, of course, they look pretty plastic in person but my husband and I were very impressed with the museum and how the "war rooms" have been restored to look as they did during WWII. If you're ever in London, I highly recommend visiting the Churchill Museum. It's kind of expensive, but worth the cost. I bought my book about Churchill at the museum and I'm thinking I may have to sneak that one in, soon. It seems to be calling to me.

My friend Paula passed along her ARC after she finished it. Thanks, PJ!!

Shadow of a Quarter Moon by Eileen Clymer Schwab - DNF

Shadow of a Quarter Moon by Eileen Clymer Schwab

New American Library (Penguin) - Historical Fiction

DNF

Set in 1839 in North Carolina, Shadow of a Quarter Moon tells the story of Jacy Lane, the daughter of a plantation owner who has lived a fairly easy life until her bitter mother chooses to marry her off to a man whose family is well-positioned. Garrison is lewd and coarse. When her father hears of the liberties Garrison has been taking, he ends the courtship. But, then he is tragically killed and Jacy's mother, Claudia, insists that Garrison is the only man with enough position and knowledge to keep their plantation running.

When Jacy finds out she is 1/4 black, her entire world changes. Suddenly, her mother is threatening to turn her out with the slaves if she doesn't do exactly as she's told. Jacy's world is shattered. But, then she finds out her biological mother and brother are still living on the property. Just as she's getting to know them, Claudia decides to sell Jacy's family, forcing Jacy to make a decision that will lead her on a dangerous journey toward freedom.

Why I did not finish Shadow of a Quarter Moon:

I usually go by the 50-page rule - if a book hasn't grabbed me by page 50, I will not continue. In this case, I got to page 70 before deciding to stop reading. Shadow of a Quarter Moon simply wasn't grabbing me. I found the conversations stilted, the characters flat (for the most part), Claudia and Garrison unbearable. If Jacy had shown a little more personality, early on, I might have continued. The storyline still sounds good to me, but I flipped ahead to see how long it was going to take for Jacy to get up the gumption to leave and it wasn't coming soon enough for me.

Another problem I had is related to the fact that I've lived in the South for over 25 years, now. I've gotten to the point that I can easily spot writing by a non-Southerner. The author lives in Pennsylvania and there's no mention that she's ever lived in the South, so apparently I was correct. If you haven't lived in the South, I have a feeling you'll enjoy this book a lot more than I did. I found myself wanting to scratch through bits of dialogue with a red pen because they just weren't right. But, I wouldn't have caught them 15 years ago, possibly even more recently.

One last problem: Occasionally the author inserted information that should have been mentioned with more subtlety in conversation. In other words, backstory worked its way into dialogue.

I still think this story has potential but I'm not the right reader. I'd recommend it to people who like reading about the Deep South before the Civil War, particularly those who are not picky about accuracy in dialogue. I can't say whether or not Jacy improves as a character, but I think the cover blurb (which I did not copy - the synopsis above is my own) indicates that she develops a little more strength of character as the story progresses.

My thanks to NAL for the review copy.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

By Louisa Young

HarperCollins - Historical Fiction/WWI
336 pages

London, April 1916

Riley Purefoy was walking across Kensington Gardens in the sun, coming up from Victoria station, going home. He hadn't been in London for two years. It seemed very peculiar to him. There were no shells going off. No one was shooting. No gas-gong. No sergeants shouting. Firm clean ground underfoot. No corpses, no wounds, no huddled smoking men, no sweet stink of blood, no star shells waving beautifully through the sky. It was quiet. There were women. He was clean and dry in the flea-free uniform he had had pressed and steamed at the hotel in Dover. God, how shamelessly he appreciated the advantages of being an officer. It was worth all the little sneers in the mess, the sideways glances from aetiolated toff twats, the dumb attempts at mockery from chinless boys whose pubescent moustaches and public-school slang did not, it turned out, make them natural leaders of men. He fully intended to buy himself some decent-quality puttees, now that he was allowed such freedoms, and to have done for ever with the annoying little thin ones.

--p. 92 of My Dear I Wanted to Tell You, Advance Reader Copy (some changes may have been made to the final print version)

I love several sentences in the opening pages of this book, so I'm going to mix them in with my own synopsis. Anything in quotes is writing by someone at HarperCollins. "The lives of two very different couples are irrevocably intertwined and forever changed in this stunning World War I epic of love and war."

Well stated. Riley Purefoy is from Paddington, a working-class part of London. Nadine Waveney is the daughter of a well-known orchestral conductor, a wealthy family into whose home he's allowed for visits as a friend of young Nadine after an accident in the park. But, as budding artists Riley and Nadine grow up, their class differences become a barrier to their growing affection, just as WWI is breaking out.

After a drunken evening leads to an incident that confuses and angers Riley, he impulsively signs up to serve in the army till the war's end. A year of service seems far too long. Little does he know how long WWI will rage and how it will change his life. The HarperCollins description: "In a fit of fury and boyish pride, Riley enlists in the army and finds himself involved in the transformative nightmare of the twentieth century." What a great way to describe the first World War.

Peter Locke is older, married to a beautiful woman, living a peaceful life. He could easily avoid the service but he doesn't feel right doing so. Because of his class, he is made an officer. Julia worries that she may have done something to drive him away and finds that she's not up to working in a munitions factory or nursing the injured. All she's good at is being pretty and keeping house. When Peter's cousin Rose joins the nursing corps, Julia is left at home with her fears while Peter is facing the kind of horror she can never even begin to understand.

As Riley and Peter fight for their lives, the reader is given a realistically harsh view of life as a soldier during WWI. When Riley suffers a disastrous, deforming injury and Peter finds himself sinking into the bottle to cope with loss, both must find a way to summon inner resources.

"Moving among Ypres, London, and Paris, this emotionally rich and evocative novel is both a powerful exploration of the lasting effects of war on those who fight--and those who don't--and a poignant testament to the power of enduring love."

What I loved about My Dear I Wanted to Tell You:

There is so much to love about My Dear I Wanted to Tell You: The depth of description, the language, the characterization, the meaning and depth of the story, the themes of undying love and how terribly unimportant looks are if one is still living and breathing. Riley and Peter are both really likable, wonderful characters in very different ways. Riley is unexpectedly heroic, witty and intelligent. Peter has a huge heart and a love of classical music and writing. He doesn't act posh or superior but he's gratified when he meets someone who can relate to the things he truly loves. Rose and Nadine are both strong and determined, truly amazing women and fantastic examples of how so many women courageously stepped forward and willingly faced the horrors of war. Julia is one of only a few characters you really want to smack. The dialogue is perfect, in my humble opinion.

Here's one of my favorite little passages, Riley's response when Nadine asks him the meaning of the archduke's assassination:

'A Serbian shot the Austrian archduke so the Austrians want to bash the Serbians but the Russians have to protect the Serbians so the Germans have to bash France so they won't help the Russians against the Austrians and once they've bashed France we're next so we have to stop them in Belgium,' said Riley, who read Sir Alfred's paper in the evening.

'Oh,' she said. 'What does that mean?'

'There's going to be a war, apparently.'

'Oh,' she said.

Well, it would be over by the time they were old enough to go to Amsterdam, where he would put his hand on her waist again, and she would laugh and sing but not run away downstairs.

pp. 20-21, ARC of My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

What I disliked about My Dear I Wanted to Tell You:

I thought the ending was a little rushed, especially given the detail in the rest of the book. When I closed the book, I recall thinking something to the effect that I was willing to overlook the rushed ending because I was so completely immersed in the story and loved it so much. I felt especially invested in Riley's life.

The bottom line:

Apart from the rushed ending, I absolutely loved My Dear I Wanted to Tell You. It's well-written, realistic, sometimes charming, often gritty. It can be gruesome in the way only a book about WWI can be, with its gas injuries and rot and horrors. The characters can be thoughtful at one time, clueless and harsh at another. In the end, it offers the one thing I find most important in a book about a time of tragedy: a light at the end of the tunnel. I always felt there were plenty of indications that there was hope, even when it appeared that Riley's situation was beyond horrifying. And it is, in the end, an uplifting story of undying love and hope. Highly recommended, but be aware that the ending is not fully wrapped up. Peter's story particularly feels incomplete.

Seems like a good time for a photo of sheep, doesn't it?

Casper the Commuting Cat by Susan Finden

Casper the Commuting Cat: The True Story of the Cat who Rode the Bus and Stole our Hearts

By Susan Finden

Simon & Schuster UK - Nonfiction/Memoir

228 pages

I knew nothing about this particular cat of British "national celebrity" but saw the book at a reasonable price in a Tesco and, being a cat fanatic, decided it would be a fun vacation read. The subtitle gives you a good idea of Casper's favorite antic, riding on the No. 3 bus around Plymouth in England, on regular 11-mile journeys.

Casper was particular about bus lines and drivers and he regularly waited politely in the queues to board the bus, where he would nap or watch the passing scenery. Eventually, Casper become a favorite of both passengers - even some with allergies - and drivers of the First bus line. Because his story spread by word of mouth and then through the news, Casper became so well known that he became the bus line's mascot. Drivers and passengers did their best to see that Casper returned safely to the bus stop across from his home.

Casper the Commuting Cat tells about author Finden's history of cat ownership and love of cats, how Casper came to join her family and why he may have been prone to straying so far, as well as details of his rise to fame. It also tells about his tragic death, which is so sad I was really glad the cover blurb gave fair warning.

What I liked about Casper the Commuting Cat:

I liked reading about Casper's adventures and loved the photos of Casper and the author's other cats. I was also very impressed with the author's commitment to give older, unwanted cats homes rather than choosing the adorable kittens that are easy to place. In general, the book was a little awkwardly written but entertaining.

What I disliked about Casper the Commuting Cat:

The author is rather adamant about the fact that most cats simply cannot be convinced to stay indoors. I disagree. Provided plenty of playtime and attention, I've found that many cats are quite satisfied to stay indoors -- some are even afraid of the outdoors.

Please bear in mind that I used to have exactly the same mentality! I've had a big change of heart in recent years. Our little Sunshine was an indoor-outdoor cat for a time, simply because she felt obligated to go through a door if it was opened (and I thought I was required to let her do so). Spooky was always insistent about going out (my fault - I introduced her to the outdoors) and was injured not once but several times.

Eventually, Sunshine decided the Great Outdoors was scary and not worth the trouble. Both Sunshine's resistance to the outdoors and Spooky's injuries (two of them very serious) convinced me I needed to alter the way I looked at caring for valued pets. We decided in advance that our next cats would be indoors-only, after Miss Spooky's death. Fiona has been a little challenging, occasionally sneaking out but frightened enough of the unknown that she's never gone more than a few feet from the door. Isabel is simply curious and will look outside but bolt away from the door when I walk in or out.

Casper was apparently determined to go outside -- to the point of breaking windows and cat doors, so it's understandable that the author let him out when she left for work. If the alternative is frequently replacing broken windows, what do you do? But, I was frustrated that she was so insistent that most cats can't be kept indoors. She also said it's impossible to humanely restrain them outside. While I wouldn't do it myself, I've seen a cat humanely restrained in a fenced yard. She had a leash attached to a wire that ran the breadth of her yard. I would never restrain a cat in a yard with no fence, but I thought that was a brilliant idea and the cat seemed content. We saw that particular feline when we were house-hunting.

A mild sort-of rant:

Cats are vulnerable little creatures. Besides automobiles, there are other animals and humans who will harm cats, poisons they can get into, places they can get stuck, etc. It's not unusual for a small cat to curl up under the hood of a car, next to a warm engine. Car engines can be death traps. A lot of people think the new-fangled "catio" concept (enclosed patios specifically for cats, with things to climb on and play with, but screens to let in outdoor smells) are silly. But, if you truly love a pet and can afford such a thing? I think they're a terrific concept. I can't. But, if I had the money, I'd have a catio built for my little beasties, or a little playroom built into my garage. Having pets spayed or neutered also keeps them closer to home and happier, as well as keeping the unwanted pet population down, so I'm a huge advocate of spaying and neutering.

~~End of rant

The bottom line:

I enjoyed reading Casper the Commuting Cat, but it's not a favorite pet memoir because I am so strongly opposed to the author's opinion that a cat's desire to roam cannot be overcome. I just don't think that's necessarily true. Some cats are difficult to restrain but I don't think it's good to advocate giving them an option. I do, however, understand that Casper was an older cat who was set in his ways and it's certainly true that I have to work to keep my own little gals entertained. I've found that if you give them plenty of exercise and keep them well-fed, they're perfectly happy to "hunt" stuffed toys, a bird on a stick, a laser. It's the joy of the chase that they love if they're not hungry. Good reason to keep them indoors, away from our rapidly-dwindling songbird population.

A side note:

My hometown in Oklahoma has leash laws that are imposed on both dogs and cats. I was surprised when I found that out, but I think it's an excellent idea. Cats can do damage to property (particularly gardens - we've had a bit of trouble with neighborhood cats deciding our kitchen garden makes a lovely litter box) and they have a natural instinct to hunt. Running loose is also hazardous to their health. I'm impressed with my hometown.

In other news:

Well, actually, there is none. I'm in a mood to whip out reviews, so this is the third post I've written, today. Monday is a day off from my exercise program, so I suppose I'll get quieter as the week progresses and Rachel (our fearless exercise leader) slowly tries to kill me. I'm just going to go ahead and set this one to post mid-morning on Tuesday.

What's up with you? Read anything brilliant, lately?

Monday, July 11, 2011

After the Quake by Haruki Murakami

After the Quake by Haruki Murakami

Vintage - Fiction/Short stories

132 pages

From the cover (again - a really well-written cover blurb I must defer to):

The economy was booming. People had more money than they knew what to do with. And then the earthquake struck. For the characters in After the Quake, the Kobe earthquake is an echo from a past they buried long ago. Satsuki has spent thirty years hating one man: a lover who destroyed her chances of having children. Did her desire for revenge cause the earthquake? Junpei's estranged parents live in Kobe. Should he contact them? Miyake left his family in Kobe to make midnight bonfires on a beach hundreds of miles away. Four-year-old Sala has nightmares that the Earthquake Man is trying to stuff her inside a little box. Katagiri returns home to find a giant frog in his apartment, on a mission to save Tokyo from a massive burrowing worm. 'When he gets angry, he causes earthquakes,' says Frog. 'And right now he is very, very angry.'

This [...] collection of stories, from one of the world's greatest living writers, dissects the violence beneath the surface of modern Japan.

I've only read part of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, prior to purchasing After the Quake (which, I should add, I am capitalizing in spite of the lack of capitalization of the title in that cover blurb, above). I didn't finish the book for reasons I don't recall, but I was very, very impressed with his writing and I've pretty much been collecting Murikami's books, ever since. After the Quake and Underground are two that I haven't been able to find easily, so when I saw them in a little store I like in London, I snapped them up. Husband just rolled his eyes.

I read the stories in After the Quake after finishing My Dear I Wanted to Tell You (I promise I'll review My Dear, soon - it is yet another story that really swept me away). There is something tremendously quirky yet real about Haruki Murikami's stories. He has a tendency to make you wonder, "Where the heck is he taking me?" and then he suddenly has his characters do something so bizarre, just as you think you may possibly have it figured out, that you just have to keep reading. That's one reason I'm a little perplexed that I didn't actually finish reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle . . . which, by the way, my eldest has since carried away.

I had a couple favorite stories in After the Quake, of course, although I enjoyed the experience of all of them, in general. "Landscape with Flatiron" is probably my absolute favorite. Junko has been living a dead-end life with her boyfriend, Keisuke. Her friend Miyake calls her up to ask if she and Keisuke would like to come join him on the beach as he builds a bonfire. Miyake has a thing for bonfires; he has learned how to tell when the tide will bring in lots of driftwood and with the driftwood he collects, he uses the special technique he's developed to keep the fire going a long time without burning out.

Keisuke is a jerk. He makes a lot of wisecracks about sex and picks on Miyake's refusal to share his history, which Junko eventually draws out of him after Keisuke leaves. Keisuke's departure leaves Junko and Miyake to share their deepest, darkest secrets. Miyake tells about his real home and his recurring nightmare. Junko talks about her emptiness and her favorite short story.

If you know your Jack London -- and most people have probably read the story that's referred to (but not by name) -- then you'll recognize the parallel when you read it, but I don't want to give any details away. Suffice it to say, "Landscape with Flatiron" is a very touching, skillfully rendered parallel to a Jack London short story. It is sad but beautiful.

I don't think I'll rattle on about the other stories, but After the Quake is a slender book at 132 pages containing 6 stories that are all unique in a way that makes your brain curdle just a bit. What an imagination he has! "Super-Frog Saves Tokyo" is particularly mind-bending.

The bottom line:

A unique set of short stories by one of the world's most imaginative, possibly somewhat twisted, minds. Definitely recommended, but I'd say it's about a PG-13 because of all the sexual references. Can't remember if there's anything graphic, although one fellow ends up in bed with a virtual stranger. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Murikami.

I don't know how many books I plan to read, but this was the first book I've completed for Bellezza's Japanese Literature Challenge 5. I'll definitely be reading more. I just don't know what and when. Fortunately, this challenge is a long one, from June of 2011 to January of 2012.

Reading update and some other nonsense

This is going to be one of those rambling posts because I'm in kind of a bummery mood. I think the heat is getting to me. We'll start with the cuteness and move on to reading. This was so wrong of me. The cats are not allowed on the piano, lest their little claws inadvertently scratch the fine wood and my mother return to haunt me, but Isabel looked so cute that I had to snap some photos before making her get down:

My mother paid for this piano by working as an Avon rep, way back in the Seventies. I used to go along with her for her orders and deliveries, now and then, and although I was small I recall my favorite of her customers was the one with the talking parrot.

Reading update:

I woke up at 5AM on Saturday morning (not by choice -- I'd already stayed up rather a bit later than I should have) and finished reading Simon Van Booy's book, Everything Beautiful Began After. Be patient with me. It's so compelling and such a great story that even though I had the urge to mark practically every other line, I was too immersed to bother. So, I'm going to reread it -- probably next week -- before I review.

But, a few words about Everything Beautiful Began After: It seems to be a love triangle, at first, and it begins a little slowly. Apart from the beauty of his writing, you may even be tempted to think it's not going to be anything special. And, then Simon yanks the rug out from you and turns the story on its head. Suddenly, what you thought was a love triangle becomes a story of grief and hope. It's almost a tapestry -- about love and death and friendship, the fleeting nature of life and how much every single moment counts. Everything Beautiful Began After is awe-inspiring, uplifting, authentic, hopeful, beautiful. It's everything I hoped Simon's first novel would be. Prepare to have your heart broken and then put back together with sparkles and rainbows. Everything Beautiful Began After is a book you simply must read.

Onward . . .

After I closed Simon's book, I gave myself a day to ponder and then decided there was absolutely no way any book could hold a candle to EBBA, so I chose something so completely opposite and fast-paced that I wouldn't end up constantly comparing. My next read was a YA sci-fi, Gone by Michael Grant. In Gone, there are disappearing adults, a strange dome-like enclosure over town, talking coyotes and other strange animal mutations, kids with special powers. It's a little bit Stephen King, a little bit William Golding. The way the children react to the absence of adults hints at Lord of the Flies and, of course, you can't help thinking about King's Under the Dome, although I haven't yet gotten around to reading Under the Dome and, therefore, can't compare.

I finished Gone, last night, and I have a copy of the next book in the series but obligations will keep me from reading it for a while. Instead, I've moved on to a tour book, Face to Face with God by Jim Maxim, and Shadow of a Quarter Moon by Eileen Clymer Schwhab. I'll add both to my sidebar in a bit.

Just walked in the door:

Hunting Unicorns by Bella Pollen - I loved The Summer of the Bear so much that I promptly ordered another of her books. I won't get to it for a while, but that's only if I behave myself. It's very tempting.

My sidebar has just continued to become more intimidating, so I'm going to attempt to start tackling reviews in whatever manner I can, this week. Hopefully, my exercise class won't hit me quite as hard as it did last week, but I will tell you this . . . Two of the girls in my class just finished "Boot Camp," another exercise regime that's known to be quite tough. They told me the class we're attending,"The Next Level," is harder. Goodness.

Might as well end with a photo from our vacation. This picture was taken on our trip west to Exmoor:

We had the option of paying a couple pounds to take a scenic byway or taking a free road. We chose the scenic byway. At times you could see thousand-foot plummets to the sea, at other times it appeared that Robin Hood was likely to come bounding out of the forest. Definitely a detour worth taking, but not for the faint of heart.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other thanBookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Emailbookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Friday, July 08, 2011

Fiona Friday - Little Explorers

Both kitties seem to be enjoying their little kitty playset more than usual.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other thanBookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Emailbookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

The Ghost of Greenwich Village by Lorna Graham

The Ghost of Greenwich Village

by Lorna Graham

Random House - Fiction with Paranormal

345 pages

After many years of working for her father and putting off her dream, Eve has moved from Ohio to Greenwich Village in search of a new life and a connection to her deceased mother. Instead, she's discovering that life in New York is not as easy and charming as she hoped. Making friends and keeping a job is every bit as difficult as paying the rent. And, on top of all that, there's a ghost in her apartment.

Donald was a writer from the Beat generation whose life was cut short. He is stuck in his former home and he likes to crawl into Eve's head. Eve tolerates the ghostly Donald and is willing to help him fulfill his dream, occasionally putting up with his bizarre stories as he dictates them to her. Secretly, she's hoping to dig up some clues to her mother's life in the Village and hopes Donald will be the key, but he appears to be a dead end (no pun intended).

After finding a job working as a writer for a morning television show, Eve attempts to find her place in the city. She makes friends with a legendary fashion designer and the owner of a vintage clothing store. But, the rest of her world is one disaster after another, until a close encounter with a criminal propels her to momentary fame. Will Eve survive life in the Village? Is Donald massively talented or stunningly deluded about his ability? What incident drove Eve's mother from New York to Ohio? Will Eve's moment in the limelight cost her her job or propel her to a higher level?

My thoughts:

I didn't fall in love with The Ghost of Greenwich Village or find it as enchanting as I'd hoped. Eve is not a particularly likable heroine, the ghost acts arrogant, possibly to cover up his wounded past, and Eve's friendship with a famous designer is hard to buy into. But, there was plenty to like about the book. I thought Eve's friendship with the owner of a vintage clothing store was believable and sweet. And, I understood her yearning to find out about her mother's past, make her escape from her hometown and create a new life.

This is the kind of passage that made me dislike Eve:

The next few days would be a time of goodbyes. Or would they? Undoubtedly easiest for everyone would be for her to simply slink out of town. It would be impossible to say goodbye to Gwendolyn face-to-face, anyway. She'd never had a friend like her.

-- from the uncorrected proof of The Ghost of Greenwich Village (changes my have been made to the final print version)

Say what? Eve's found a special friend and she's considering not even saying "goodbye" to her, let alone keeping in touch? I can't imagine just disappearing without even saying goodbye to a close friend, regardless of the circumstances.

There are also a lot of downright mean, nasty people in The Ghosts of Greenwich Village, which can be disturbing at times, and I'd hoped for a little romance but there is none. Eve has difficulty summoning a social life of any kind, apart from her friendship with the designer, at least partly because she's not willing to let anyone into her apartment because it's haunted. She's afraid to mention the fact that her home is occupied by a ghost, even to her closest friend, for fear she'll be thought crazy.

I guess I found Eve a little gutless and silly. I've had my own little ghost encounter and I don't frankly care whether anyone thinks I'm nuts or not. So, I could not relate to her refusal to tell anyone about Donald, especially close friends. And, I certainly couldn't understand why she'd regret the fact that her jerk of a date stopped calling because she didn't let him sleep over, thanks to her ghost. If a date will dump you because you're not willing to sleep with him, he's not worth your time, in my humble opinion.

The bottom line:

A so-so read about a woman struggling to make a new life for herself and unearth her mother's past while dealing with a ghost who has his own agenda. The heroine is not very likable and a wee bit spineless, although she does sort of redeem herself, eventually, (although her reaction after that particular scene is a bit on the clueless side). I thought the ending was decent. I had trouble buying into the storyline, though, including the ending.

My thanks to TLC Book Tours and Random House for the review copy.

Side note:

I'm afraid this book suffered a bit from following a read that was so fabulous I still haven't stopped thinking about it along with my eagerness to return to reading Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy, although I did set everything aside to focus on finishing The Ghost of Greenwich Village.

Cover thoughts:

The cover shown above is apparently the final cover. I like it. The book is as much about life in Greenwich Village as it is about a ghost haunting a girl trying to change her life, so it makes sense to put a pretty photo of the area on the cover.

Blah:

That's how I feel at the moment, thanks to a new, killer exercise class that I started, last night. So, I think I'll keep this post short and head to bed with a couple bottles of water (I'm pre-posting). If I have any energy at all, I'll come back and add some kind of picture to this post in the morning. We'll see if I can get out of bed in the morning. Should be interesting.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

You can buy Simon's book, now!

Yesterday was the official release of Simon Van Booy's first novel, Everything Beautiful Began After!! Go buy a copy!! You won't regret it, I promise. I have a tour, tomorrow, and I must admit that I rushed through the tour book a bit, so that I could return to reading Simon's novel. I am reading Everything Beautiful Began After slowly, savoring his words. If you like beautiful writing, you simply cannot lose with a book written by Simon Van Booy.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

Pan Macmillan - Fiction

441 pages

This last one had set him thinking. Lately he had taken to wondering what exactly the Cold War was. That it was so dubbed because it took place in snowy countries like Germany, Siberia and Russia was obvious. But so far as he could glean, it was not a war that involved trench foot or parachutes or Lancaster bombers. He had yet to wrap his brain around the concept of an amorphous conflict of counter-ideology and misinformation and so he had no pictorial backdrop against which to imagine his father.

--p. 226

I'm going to defer to the publisher's description of The Summer of the Bear because it's one of those rare cover blurbs that's so very well-written I don't think I can improve upon it:

In the summer of 1979, a tamed grizzly bear is tempted by the lure of freedom and the wild open sea . . .

Meanwhile, the sudden death of British diplomat Nicky Fleming has left his wife closed down with shock. Relocated from Cold War-riven Germany to a remote Hebridean island, Letty Fleming is haunted by the unthinkable - was it an accident, murder or suicide? And how can she ever begin to explain to her three children that their father may have betrayed his country?

As the family's secrets threaten to tear them apart, it is only the strange but brilliant Jamie who manages to hold on to the one thing he knows for sure: his father has promised to return, and Nicky Fleming was a man who never broke a promise . . .

First things, first: The Summer of the Bear is a genuinely suspenseful, emotional story that is partly about a family torn apart by grief, uncertain what even happened to their delightful father/husband, but it's also a bit magical or mythical in combining the family's story with the tale of a bear who broke his tether and swam away from his owner. The owner is a wrestler who tirelessly searches for his beloved pet and he floats in and out of the picture.

When I got to the point that I figured out just how the bear fit in, I think I may have even said, "Oh!" with a bit of a sigh, aloud. I can't tell you about it for fear of spoiling the magic of this book, but it is absolutely enchanting and I'm in awe of the author's imaginative exploration of two rather disparate real-life events and a fictional family.

The characters in the Fleming family and those around them are all fascinating. Mother and new widow Letty is completely paralyzed by her loss, so much so that she ignores her children and they eventually have to find their own ways to cope. Georgie, the eldest daughter, is the calm and even-tempered one but her greatest desire is to escape the stifling atmosphere of her formerly-happy home. Middle child Alba only knows how to express herself with anger, lashing out with caustic words and physical harm to the younger brother she believes has always taken too much of her parents' attention. And, young Jamie appears slow, but he's really very aware; he's just very literal. I got the feeling he might have some sort of condition like Asperger's because he was obviously sharp but misunderstood.

At the beginning of the book, the family is moving to the Outer Hebrides from London. Father Nicky was posted to a diplomatic position in Bonn, Germany, for many years and they were only in London temporarily, after his death. The Hebrides are home to Letty and she goes there for her own comfort, not realizing that pulling her children away from their home and friends is like a second death to them.

And, the bear . . . oh, the bear. You will love how the bear ties in. The Summer of the Bear would make an excellent choice for discussion in a reading group. There are many little things that are unexplained and draw you through the book. And, when you get to the point that those questions are answered, the answers are surprising, yet they make utter sense.

One of the best aspects of this book is the deceased character, Nicky. He is a character who is only seen in remembered conversations, of course, but he's so vibrant and clever and downright lovable that getting to know him helps to magnify the meaning and depth of the family's grief. I was unfortunately able to relate to the loss of such a dynamic individual and how it causes a family to come unglued until each member can find something solid to hold onto as that's what happened to my own little family when my father died. He was such a colorful, ebullient, lovable man that my mother was stricken much like Letty, although she didn't have the ability to let the loss overwhelm her because of the cancer diagnosis that forced her to stiffen her resolve to keep going. I can imagine how she might have melted under the agony of her loss, otherwise.

The bottom line:

Highly recommended; would make an especially good group read. A captivating, suspenseful, magical, near-perfect read about a grieving family and a grizzly bear, set during the Cold War. I didn't understand who the wrestler was till the end; I think that could have been made a bit clearer. Otherwise, I thought the story was simply breathtaking.

Side note:

I was offered a copy of The Summer of the Bear for review by the author and I turned her down, even though the story sounded marvelous. Obviously, I had regrets. I immediately put the book on my wish list but didn't manage to acquire a copy till we were in England and I spotted it on the racks. The author lives in London and I presume she's better known there than in the U.S. I'd certainly never heard of her, but I think she is very deserving of wide recognition and I hope she'll become known, here. The Summer of the Bear is definitely one of my favorites of 2011.

Speaking of favorites:

I'd like to write up a list of my favorites for the first 6 months of 2011, but I've got such a review backlog that I may not get around to it. I may end up doing a few mini reviews in order to catch myself up. We'll see. Although I normally try to stick as close to reviewing in the order read as possible, there are so many in my sidebar that I'm going to allow them to call to me in whatever order they choose.

Cover thoughts:

At left is what I presume to be the American cover. I like it but it doesn't really say anything about the book, to be honest, whereas the British cover (the one at top left, which is also the copy I purchased) fits the setting and speaks to me of the innocence of young Jamie, although there's not a scene in which he plays with a tire on a beach, as far as I can recall.

I've found that I do tend to like British book covers better than their American counterparts, but I'm not always certain quite why.

Since the cover leads to the topic of beaches in Great Britain (Is Scotland considered part of Great Britain or is it the UK? I always get confused about that . . . ) here's a shot I took of the beach at Minehead in Somerset:

There is a tremendous amount of achingly beautiful scenery to go along with all the amazing history in the UK. I think that's one of the reasons I've continued to find myself drawn back, even though there are many other places in the world that I'd like to travel.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Recent Arrivals and some other inane jabber

I underestimated just how tired I was from our vacation and spent most of yesterday being a complete and total bum. So, today you get a hodge-podge including a photo of most of the books that arrived while I was gone and the purchase previously not shown (there weren't many arrivals - and you already know about Simon's book, which I will likely talk about so much that it'll make your head spin).

Top to bottom:

God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren from Waterbrook for tour
The Beekeeper's Lament by Hannah Nordhaus from HarperCollins for review
The Wild Life of Our Bodies by Rob Dunn from HarperCollins ditto
The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson - Double ditto
And, the spine of Churchill by Celia Sandys, which I purchased at the Imperial War Museum

Not pictured is Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy, which is beside my bed.

I had to photograph one silly London purchase before opening it:

This is a t-shirt compressed into a cube approximately 2" x 2" on each side, which we happened across at Selfridges. I bought a little dress in London that I think the shirt will go under nicely. I don't travel enough to save the t-shirt in compressed form for future trips, otherwise I'd leave it as is, although I do carry an emergency outfit in case luggage goes astray.

And, I'm thinking you might like to see how the kitties are getting along:

Very well! Apart from one little tiff over who got to nap on top of the IKEAs, Fiona and Isabel have been really sweet together. Kiddo was home to care for them, while we were away, so they were happy and relaxed when we arrived home. They came running to greet us as we walked in the door and I've had fun playing bird-on-a-stick and rattle ball games with Izzy, laser chase with Fi. Since Kiddo was quite busy with work and school, I assume the girls were forced to rely on each other for companionship in a way they normally are not.

A little more about England. To soak up a little bit of literary London, we went to Keats House at Hampstead Heath on Simon's advice. There was a poetry event due to begin later in the afternoon and I'm sad to have missed that due to time constraints. Although I'm not familiar with the poet apparently in charge, Simon Mole, I do plan to look up his work. He was walking around and lounged on the lawn, eating his lunch, near us. I didn't realize he was noteworthy until I saw a life-sized poster of him in one of the upstairs rooms.

Keats House hosts occasional poetry events. If we lived nearby, I'd definitely purchase a membership and return as often as possible! Visiting his home has piqued my interest in John Keats. I loved reading the bits of poetry and excerpts from letters that were on laminated cards for visitors to read. He was quite the romantic.

And, here is one of my favorite moments from our walk around Hampstead Heath, which started out with two people shouting, "No Betty, no Betty, no Betty, NO!!" and was followed by a splash:

Poor Betty thought she wanted to go for a swim. She had regrets. Her human had to fish her out of the pond. Then, she ran around in circles, shaking herself off, much to the amusement of passing sun worshippers. It was a beautiful and rather hot day in London. I got a touch sunburnt, actually. Very surprising.

I've got a lot of tidying to do, since Kiddo seems to have really, really enjoyed spreading out, being King of the House, while we were gone. Hopefully, I'll be able to do a little blog-hopping, soon. I may have also overestimated how much time I'll have to post, but we shall see. Hope everyone's enjoying the weekend!

Friday, July 01, 2011

Where I Went on My Summer Vacation by Bookfool

Huzzybuns and I have just returned from the UK! London was last, but I thought I'd open with my favorite photo.

Unfortunately for the fella, this was a working vacation and I had more fun than he did, but he was happy. We went to Salisbury because he had meetings to attend. On our free day, we drove to Exmoor (which is on the western coast and was recommended to me by Simon, whom I trust implicitly). Among other things, we chased a few sheep off the road.

While the head of the family was having his meetings, I admired the Salisbury Cathedral (but wasn't able to tour it because of a service) and visited the local museum to read up on Old Sarum, Stonehenge and the many civilizations that have occupied the area, over the years.

After Huz was finished in Salisbury, we headed to London for a conference and we did stop at Old Sarum, along with a few villages we love and Avebury Stone Circle, an old favorite of ours.

I kept myself very busy seeing sights and managed to visit some new places I haven't seen in the past, like the Victoria & Albert Museum. I bought way too many books, but I don't regret a single one.

This is probably the photo you'll love the most:

Yes, I went to Persephone Books in London! How cool is that? Of course I came out with a bag. I got three books. Of the books I purchased in England, I've managed to finish two and am halfway through a third (very unusual for me, as I'm usually too tired and/or distracted to read while traveling). Here's what I bought, excluding museum guides, theatre programs and a book about Churchill:

Top to bottom:

Jane Austen's England by John Curtis (I want to take a Jane Austen trip, someday!)

The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

Underground by Haruki Murakami

Wiltshire Folk Tales by Kirsty Hartsiotis

Second Term at Mallory Towers by Enid Blyton (because I've been hearing about her books for eons and have never even *seen* one -- it's obviously #2 in a series, but that's okay)

Amazing and Extraordinary Facts: Great Britain by Stephen Halliday

Casper the Commuting Cat by Susan Finden

After the Quake by Haruki Murikami

William - An Englishman by Cicely Hamilton

There Were No Windows by Norah Hoult

Saplings by Noel Streatfeild

Not pictured:

Churchill by his granddaughter, Celia Sandys

We got to see The Phantom of the Opera, here:

Our traveling companion and his wife accompanied us to Les Miserables - probably the highlight of our trip, as we saw it in 2010 and wanted to return to see a performance with the current star, Alfie Boe, playing Jean Valjean. Wow. Alfie has the most amazing voice. He nearly blew us out of the theatre and we were on Row S (kinda way back -- could have used some binoculars, actually). I really need to read the book, now.

The only problem with a working trip? Every time I turned around to say something, it seemed like husband was either on the phone on business or reading/writing emails, when he was around. Here he is, replying to someone while we were walking around Trafalgar Square at night:

But, hey, what a great place to be ignored by your spouse! I am so not complaining.

I'm in the midst of emptying suitcases and starting to wash great piles of laundry. We were gone long enough that we had to do a little washing in the hotel sink, but we were thrilled to have managed to carry a lot less than usual on this trip. I'm gradually learning the concept of "packing light". It's been a steep learning curve.

I got a few books in the mail, while I was away. Most exciting:

Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy! Woot!!!!! I'll tell you more about arrivals, tomorrow, but I am so freaking excited about Simon's first novel that I may have to start it . . . right now. Yes, I do believe now is the time. More about the arrivals, tomorrow. I've got to get back to work on the cleaning and, obviously, read. I'm planning (but you know how this works - we'll just see what shows up) to write about new arrivals, tomorrow, followed by my June Reads in Review on Sunday (even though nobody's probably around to read posts -- I'm going to worship the air conditioner for my 4th of July holiday) and then I intend to start tackling my backlog of reviews. Wish me strength. Happy July to all!