The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

Oh, no, not again. I keep looking at this empty post and thinking, "Where do I start?" Sigh. Time for another self-interview. Today, I'm going to be interviewed by the little green dragon on my desk. Normally, he just stands around looking like he's going to incinerate my pink fairy but I keep her in a jar to protect her and she can use a day off from being stared at by a dragon, so . . . off we go.

Green Dragon (GD): Please let me eat the fairy.

Bookfool (BF): Nope, sorry, not happening.

GD: Bummer. So, tell us about The Heart's Invisible Furies.

BF:  The Heart's Invisible Furies is the story of an Irishman's life that spans many decades. Cyril Avery's story begins with his mother, who is thrown out of her hometown at the age of 16 when she falls pregnant. She moves to Dublin and there she gives birth. The story then leaps ahead to when Cyril is 7 years old and living with his adoptive parents and follows him throughout his life, from the point of his realization that he's attracted to other boys to when he's a man in his 70s. The Heart's Invisible Furies gives you a good overview of life as a gay man across the many years of Cyril's life, from his birth in the 1940s, through the AIDS crisis, and into the present.

GD: So, what did you love most about the story?

BF: The depth of story and characterization. The Heart's Invisible Furies has almost a saga feel, even though it spans a single lifetime. It's just beautifully expansive. I immediately was drawn in by John Boyne's immense descriptive power as he began the story with young Catherine's removal from the church, which was both serious and light-hearted at the same time. The description of Catherine's brothers is a good example of the light-hearted side:

My six uncles, their dark hair glistening with rose-scented lacquer, sat next to her in ascending order of age and stupidity. Each was an inch shorter than the next and the disparity showed from behind. The boys did their best to stay awake that morning; there had been a dance the night before in Skull and they'd come home moldy with the drink, sleeping only a few hours before being roused by their father for mass.

~from p. 1 of Advance Reader's Edition, The Heart's Invisible Furies (some changes may have been made to the final print version)

GD: And, what did you dislike about the story?

BF: Only one thing and it was never enough to make me even remotely consider putting the book down. Wading through the years of promiscuity was rough. In Ireland, it was illegal to be gay and not unusual for someone to get the crap beat out of him, get arrested, or worse. So, for many years, Cyril ends up furtively seeking out sex in places where other gay men are known to hang out: bathrooms, parks. There are no relationships; it's just quick fixes to satisfy their libido. That was rough reading, not just because you know that Cyril (who is a really nice guy, in general, but perhaps too shy for his own good) could be arrested or brutalized but also because it's just so very, very sad that it wasn't possible for Cyril to just be himself. He always felt like he had to keep his true self in the shadows.

GD: There's another thing you want to mention that you loved.

BF: What a mind reader you are, little green dragon! Yes, I loved the way the story is brought full circle. It's not a spoiler to mention this, by the way -- it's mentioned in the first chapter -- but the story begins with Catherine getting kicked out of her hometown and ends shortly after her return to the graveyard where most of the family she left behind is now buried. There's another scene beyond that but it's a spoiler, so I can't share, but it ends on an uplifting note and I loved it.

GD: How did you feel about the main character, Cyril?

BF: I liked Cyril and thought he was a good person, at heart, but there were times I wanted him to speak up, especially when he was with those closest to him. While the author makes it clear how dangerous it was for a homosexual to share his truth in Ireland, till recently, even with family or close friends, I still yearned for Cyril to find the strength to tell the people most important to him -- especially when he knew that not sharing could be hurtful to others. Incidentally, the relationship between Cyril and his best friend Julian is also at the heart of the story.

GD: Anything else worth mentioning?

BF: Oh, yes, my favorite interactions and characters. There's a very strong-willed but kind woman who keeps reappearing, over the years. You can't help but love everything about her and the scenes with her and Cyril are all great. Cyril's best friend, Julian, also has a sister who makes a brief appearance early in the book and then Cyril gets to know her years later. I always loved their conversations. They were among the most entertaining in the book. I also found Maude Avery, Cyril's adoptive mother, a fascinating character. I have a feeling she was among the most fun to create, from an author's viewpoint: a published writer who thought recognition was tawdry but who became posthumously famous. The relationship between Cyril and his adoptive parents (and their insistence that he call them by their names because he was not "a real Avery") never lost the gloss of its silliness.

GD: So, what's the bottom line?

BF: Highly recommended, especially to those who love a novel that you can really sink your teeth into. The Heart's Invisible Furies is almost 600 pages long, brilliantly constructed, clever, and deeply meaningful. I'm leaving out certain details that I'd love to talk about because I personally enjoyed the unfolding of the story, the struggles, and the surprises so much, but the bottom line is that I absolutely loved this book and want to read everything John Boyne has written, now. I appreciated his stunning descriptive powers, the balance of serious storyline and quirky characters, the fact that the book made me think, broke my heart, and mended it. I closed The Heart's Invisible Furies with happy tears in my eyes. I've read a lot of wonderful books, this year, but The Heart's Invisible Furies is really something special.

GD: I have to go incinerate someone, now. Thanks for asking me to interview you. It was not as fun as breathing fire, but it was nice and all.

BF: Uh, you're welcome?

Cover thoughts: While I like the looks of the cover shown above, I don't understand its purpose and I like a book cover that speaks to me in some way or really relates to the storyline. There are several other covers (not all English printings) that I found more fitting:

The one at left (apparently, the Brazilian cover) speaks to me of Cyril's loneliness during a good portion of his life, when he had friends but not the love and companionship that he desired. The other two images relate to the friendship between Cyril and Julian, which dominates a good portion of the book.

End note: This is my first read by John Boyne. Surprising, considering how much I love WWII fiction. I don't have the foggiest idea why I haven't read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the author's best-known title, but it is definitely going on my wish list.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A Bigger Table by John Pavlovitz

When it comes to removing barriers between people or between people and God, we as the body of Christ should be on the very front lines. We should be leading the charge. We should be defining the movement of equality and justice, not bringing up the rear and definitely not digging in our heels and fighting against it with all that we have. That simply doesn't glorify God, and it isn't making disciples either. The world is seeing this and rejecting it. I hear their stories every single day. The name Christian is no longer synonymous with Jesus out in the world, but with bigotry, with power, with discrimination. This is the script that we who desire the bigger table must flip. 

~p. 140

I'm having trouble starting this review, so I'm going to do a self-interview to help myself out a little. Today, I will be interviewed by an unbiased wooden table. Is it a bigger table or a smaller one? I don't know, since it doesn't actually exist. You can picture it however you like.

Unbiased Table (UT): Hello, Bookfool.

Bookfool (BF): Hello, Table.

UT: Tell me a little about why you chose to read A Bigger Table by John Pavlovitz.

BF:  I've been following John Pavlovitz on Twitter for around a year or so, having discovered his articles through a shared link on Twitter. Pavlovitz has been vocal about the dangers of our current U.S. President and his administration, the wave of Christian support that he received in the 2016 election, and the changes he believes need to be made to churches if they want to bring people back during a time when many are fleeing the church. We hold similar (if not perfectly matched) viewpoints about Christianity and inclusion. So, when his book was released, I was eager to read it.

UT: What kind of viewpoints are you referring to?

BF: John Pavlovitz believes church memberships should be more inclusive and reflect the practices of Jesus. The theme is building, metaphorically and realistically, a "bigger table" and not excluding anyone at all from joining in. He also believes church members should be allowed to express their spiritual doubts with each other in order to work through them, rather than feeling silenced and having to fear being cast out, ignored, or snubbed by members of a church.

UT: Tell us a little more about A Bigger Table.

BF: A Bigger Table is, in general, a memoir that goes into the author's beliefs and the eventual application of them. He begins by telling readers about his Catholic upbringing and early Christian beliefs, how he came to leave the church for many years, and how his experiences at work and at home informed the alteration of how he viewed Christianity. He talks about how he went from studying graphic design to becoming a pastor, how he feels like he fell into the typical patterns of Christian dialogue, and eventually how a move and getting fired from a pastoring job led to changes in his work as a pastor, finally reflecting his belief that churches should be more open and inclusive.

UT: Did anything about this book change how you personally feel about your beliefs?

BF: No. It was totally a comfort-slash-echo chamber read for me. It did, however, help me make sense of something I've wondered about for a long time.

UT: What was that?

BF: Why some people are completely unable to see the human behind the sin - or what they believe to be sin. Pavlovitz talked about how there are two kinds of Christians. This is a simplification - you really need to read the book to fully understand what he has to say about it - but he says there are those who see sin and those who see suffering. Those who see, or are focused on, sin emphasize the need for people to be saved and to those folks saving souls is the end goal. Those who are focused on the suffering of others desire to stop their suffering. The easiest example is probably homosexuality. Those who see sin are entirely focused on what they view as a sinful life - being gay as a sin that one must repent of to be saved, in their view, and until that sin goes away they're not interested in allowing gay people into the church as members. Those who see suffering see the inequity in how gay people are treated and their end goal is to stop the suffering and welcome them into the church as they are.

UT: Does the author believe homosexuals are mistreated by Christians?

BF: Yes, he believes that the church mistreats a lot of people by denying them membership. His philosophy is let everyone in and welcome them equally. The whole "bigger table" concept boils down to, "How can you grow a church if your entire belief system is based on exclusion and judgment of others?" He also believes that doubt is just a part of faith and that in order to grow in one's faith, church members need to be able to express their concerns and talk through them.

UT: What did you dislike about A Bigger Table?

BF: I would have liked to see the referenced scriptures included in the book. Sometimes, the author simply mentioned a scripture without explaining why he was referring to it and he never actually quoted them. He just referenced them, which meant looking up a Bible verse or passage and then trying to fit it to what the author was saying. It's easy enough to include a Bible verse in the text of a book. It's also incredibly easy to look verses up online, these days, but doing so interrupts the flow of the reading and means it's not handy for underscoring if you want to relate the assertion of the author to the verse in one place. And, I would have liked to see more Biblical references in general. The book is part memoir but it's also about why the author believes what he believes and it all comes back to Jesus, what he knows of Jesus' life and why Jesus' actions should apply to how we should treat people, today. If you're going to lean heavily on Jesus, I think it's important to show his words and actions. Personal opinion. I also thought the theme was hammered home pretty hard.

UT: Anything else you'd like to say about the book?

BF: My copy of A Bigger Table is so heavily marked up with flags that it's hard to know what to share and what not to, but I just flipped open to a passage that I think is worth mentioning:

The only way the table can really expand is when we, like Christ, are willing to take our place across from those who appear to be or even desire to be our adversaries. Jesus' call to embrace love as theology isn't merely a surface, sugary platitude. It's the most difficult, radical, time-consuming work of reflecting Christ to the world around us. In the end, the thing that glorifies God isn't our belief system, but how we treat those who don't share that belief system. We can be people of deep conviction without needing to pick up a bullhorn. 

~p. 121

UT: The bottom line?

BF: Highly recommended. While I was reading, I occasionally bopped over to Goodreads to read a review or two because I was curious what other people thought of A Bigger Table and the reviews are all over the map. A frequent complaint was the lack of exegesis (which I had to look up - it means "critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture"). The author actually wrote about that. He said that exegesis was not his intent in this particular book; in other words, he wasn't there to talk about specific Bible verses and deconstruct them, but to describe general practices (my words) - taking what Jesus did and applying it to church practice.

And, specifically, he was referring to Jesus' willingness to eat with anyone. I found the book a little repetitive but definitely worthy of discussion. And, by "discussion" I mean calm discourse, which can be a tall order. Pavlovitz acknowledges the fact that people become very emotional when you challenge the way they've been doing things and sometimes will get so upset they never return to church. But, he would rather upset a few people and embrace those who are traditionally outcast -- and believes that's what Jesus would do -- than continue to drive people away from God by rejecting them for who they are. The subtitle of the book reflects the difficulty the author has experienced in trying to change minds and hearts, convincing people to open up the church to folks who have typically been rejected outright from participating.

UT: This interview turned out to be longer and wordier than you intended.

BF: Amazing how an imaginary table can read my mind. Yes, it did. My personal beliefs tend to lean toward "the greatest of these is love" -- that little sound bite in First Corinthians that is one of many verses I believe to be the foundation of Christianity - loving everyone, no matter what. So, A Bigger Table was seriously a comfort read, like Rachel Held Evans' Searching for Sunday. Thank you for interviewing me. Goodbye, imaginary table.

UT: [disappears in a large puff of smoke because it was, as it turns out, a very big fake table]

BF: Well, that was a dramatic exit. This is my third book review of the day and I'm going to try to squeeze in one more, if I can.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Past by Tessa Hadley

I haven't done this in a while but I'm having trouble getting started on this review so I'm going to do a self-interview and hope that does the trick. Today, I'll be interviewed by a talking Einstein bobblehead, who tells me "The important thing is not to stop questioning."

Talking Einstein Bobblehead: Tell us about The Past by Tessa Hadley in 50 words or less.

Bookfool: The Past is a character-driven story about 4 siblings who gather at their grandparents' home in an English village for 3 weeks, probably for the last time, and the tensions that develop between them as they share the house and its memories.

TEB: You mention that the book is "character-driven". Is this important?

BF: It's only important because I tend to prefer plot-driven books unless the characterization, writing, and/or storyline is in some way unique or exceptional enough to really draw me in and keep the pages turning.

TEB: And, was The Past special in any of those ways?

BF: Yes, indeed. The characterization is truly impressive, the book grabbed me immediately, and I thought the writing was outstanding.

TEB: What surprised you about the book?

BF: I was surprised by the fact that a book in which so little actually happened and the characters were not particularly likable was such a page-turner, at least for me.

TEB: Was there anything that you disliked about it?

BF:  There's a particular storyline involving Ivy, the child of one of the siblings, that is repellent, as in ewww, yucky description. I kept hoping Ivy would stop obsessing about this disgusting thing so I could forget what she saw but it haunted her, so the image was revisited several times in her thoughts and in further scenes. Blecch. And, yet, I have to admit that the reason these particular scenes are so repellent is because of the author's skill. The writing is immersive -- really brilliant, visceral writing.

TEB: Anything else you disliked?

BF: Just the lack of quotation marks. It irritates me when dashes are used instead. Although I grew accustomed to the style, I found it awkward and clunky having to figure out where the dialogue ended and narrative began in a paragraph (or vice versa).

TEB: What else happens that stands out in your mind?

BF: There's an interesting device that the author used, starting with the present day and then going to the past, then back to the present, hence the title. The Past is all about how the characters are rooted in their pasts and whether or not they'll be willing to move forward, past their differences, past their attachments, beyond feelings previously suppressed. The second portion takes the reader back to 1968 to meet their mother, Jill, which I admit was a bit of a jolt but added an important dimension to the story.

TEB: Can you share an excerpt?

BF: Sure. I'll choose a passage at random.

Gulls wheeled against the sun, wailing and slicing the air with wings like blades -- or they rose and fell inconsequentially on the water surface like toy birds, wings folded, glassy gaze averted. Harriet let herself drop down, once, underneath the water: she opened her eyes to see, so that she could remember it later: through the brown-green murk of sand and spinning motes suspended, Pilar's amphibiously kicking legs, bent beams of sunlight. This seemed a place she hadn't visited since she was a child, she had forgotten it; when she burst again into the clamorous day she half-expected to come up into another life. 

That's from p. 158 of the ARC, so there could be changes to the final print copy. And, actually, it's from the middle of a paragraph. I didn't realize till now that the paragraphs are so long.

TEB: Any other thoughts?

BF: I always love an English setting, so I think that was one of the facets of the book that made me enjoy it so much. There are houses nearby but a lot of what happens takes place in the countryside. Harriet, Kasim (the son of sibling Alice's partner), and the children of another sibling, Fran, spend a lot of time taking long walks. Roland is the final sibling, who brings his new wife and only daughter. Apart from Harriet, each of the four siblings has brought one or two people along. So, there are plenty of personalities to clash.

That actually reminds me of something I disliked: there was very little harmony and acceptance. Everyone was wrapped up in his or her own wants or needs and the book was not exactly what you could call upbeat in any way. There aren't any characters without baggage, apart from two of the youngsters; most everyone really is unlikable. Again, that speaks to the writer's ability. It takes some marvelous storytelling to overcome the irritation a reader can derive from so much negativity.

TEB: Will you read more by this author?

BF: Absolutely.

TEB: Recommended?

BF: Yes, highly recommended, especially to those who love a character-driven novel. But, I must warn readers who have a weak stomach, the revolting description is that of a dead, decaying dog. I will not reread the book (I am an occasional rereader) because I don't want to experience that description more than once.

TEB: Well, then. Highly recommended and yet . . .

BF: Yeah, that does sound contradictory, but the bottom line is that the writing is fabulous and it just worked for me.

TEB: Any parting words?

BF: I also love the cover. Do you have any more advice to share?

TEB: "If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts!"

BF: Thank you for that. And, thanks for helping me with this review, Einsten Bobblehead.

The Past by Tessa Hadley is a January release from Harper. My thanks to HarperCollins for the opportunity to review.

©2016 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein

In 1935, Cameron Richards is falling in love in New York while young Billy Reynolds snaps photos of everyday life on the other side of the world, in Japan. Neither is aware of the horrors that will unfold in the coming years.  

During WWII, Cam goes off to war as a pilot, Billy's family must leave their beloved Japan and the daughter of a woman Billy photographed before the war will stay in war-torn Asia.  As the war progresses and then ends, the lives of the people in these three families intersect in surprising ways, offering a glimpse of the way love and war refuse to take sides.

I have such mixed feelings about The Gods of Heavenly Punishment that I'm not quite sure where to begin so I'm going to fall back upon the handy self-interview. A nice, refreshing cup of ice water will serve as interviewer, since one is handy.

Cup of Water (CW):  I hope you're not extremely thirsty because this may take a few minutes.

Bookfool (BF):  I'll try to refrain from drinking you out of existence, for now.

CW: What possessed you to read The Gods of Heavenly Punishment?

BF:  I have a serious weakness for books set during WWII, both fiction and non-fiction.

CW: What did you think when you began reading the book?

BF:  I was impatient, initially. At the beginning of The Gods of Heavenly Punishment there are hints that war is on the horizon but the early scenes take place in 1935 and there's quite a bit of set-up.  Also, for a solid 2/3 of the book, I honestly had no idea what the author was trying to say or where she was taking me.

CW: What happened to change that?

BF:  Time, I suppose. The understanding of why the book was set up the way it was didn't really dawn on me till the individual threads were firmly woven together near the end of the book. Then, I set it down and had to let it roll around and around in my head. It's such a visceral book that I came away from it feeling like I could smell a smoldering Tokyo (even though the final scenes take place many years and thousands of miles away) and was still grieving for some of the characters.

CW: That sounds like pretty high praise.

BF:  From the standpoint of vividness and characterization, absolutely.

CW: What did you dislike about the book?

BF: A part of me feels like the author tried to carve too many facets into the storyline. That left me feeling a little disconnected most of the way through the book.  There were also scenes I still don't feel were entirely necessary and an occasionally a jump in time or place that skipped right over some chunk of resolution I was specifically expecting to read as a follow-up scene. Yet, the big picture worked. On the picky-picky side, there were a few minor editing errors and two little phrases that I thought sounded modern.

CW:  What did you like best about The Gods of Heavenly Punishment?

BF:   The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is a deeply emotional read and a learning experience. To both engage and inform the reader are two very important aspects to a successful novel, in my humble opinion. Also, the characterization is excellent and the fact that when I set the book down I had that "engine is off but the wheels are still rolling" sensation speaks highly of the book.

CW: What did you think of the ending?

BF:  I loved it.  I thought the separate threads of the story were pulled together in a satisfying way and I was relieved that the all-important "ray of hope" was present. Because everything revolves around war, there are tragedies on both sides. The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is deeply affecting -- very, very sad in many ways. The book needed an uplifting note to provide balance and I was relieved when it appeared.

CW: Your labels include a sex and violence warning. Any particular reason you felt obligated to add that?

BF: I don't like graphic sex or violence but sometimes I don't feel like they're disquieting or graphic enough to merit a warning. In this case, there were some words I find particularly offensive in the sex scenes and the violence is intense and disturbing. To be honest, I think the violent parts need to be upsetting in order to get across the point that war is equally painful to both the victor and the vanquished.

CW:  What did you learn from the reading of The Gods of Heavenly Punishment?

BF:  I knew about the Doolittle raid on Tokyo because I've read 30 Seconds Over Tokyo and, of course, knew about the atomic bombs that were dropped in Japan but I was not aware of the fact that 100,000 people were killed in the final raid on Tokyo. Nor did I know that the incendiary bombs that were dropped on Tokyo in 1945 contained an early version of napalm, a horrifying but very important fact. I doubt I'll ever forget the on-the-ground scenes that take place during and immediately after the 1945 firebombing.

CW:  Recommended?

BF:  Yes, but be aware that The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is not for the faint of heart. There are some very disturbing scenes.  It is not a light and fluffy book.  But, it's also not a story that lacks hope.

CW:  Anything else you can think of that's worth mentioning?

BF:  The settings are exceptionally well-drawn. I dived in knowing the novel was a WWII book and nothing else since I avoid reading cover blurbs, reviews and author bios immediately before I open a book (in case of spoilers). So I was unaware that the author had lived in Japan. But I thought it was clear early on that Jennifer Epstein had not just studied Japan but experienced it.

On another note, I though the book could have used a tiny glossary because there is such a large quantity of Japanese words (although plenty of them are clear from context or explained in dialogue).

Third and final note: There are some wonderful black-and-white period photographs interspersed throughout the book.

CW: I have to go now because--

BF:  Glug, glug. Down the hatch.  Goodbye, Cup of Water, and thanks for interviewing me.  Thanks, also, to TLC Tours and W. W. Norton for the opportunity to read The Gods of Heavenly Punishment.

©2014 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - Review and F2F Report

This will be my first review since I returned to the blog, so I'll just tell you a few things I plan to change to my reviewing format, up front.  Things are going to be more casual.  I'm all about the time crunch, at the moment, so if my copy of a review book isn't handy I'm not going to bother running to fetch it to prop it up for details.  If it was received from a publisher, "ARC" will appear in the labels (even if it's a finished copy) to distinguish it from books in my personal library or public library books.  I do think it's important to mention that my Face to Face (F2F) book group received copies of The Goldfinch from Little, Brown and Co., which was much appreciated.  We had a lively discussion.  This review/F2F report is a bit longer than you should probably expect in the future because the cats woke me up at 4:30 AM.  

Onward.  An excerpt:

We looked at each other and just laughed; everything was hysterically funny, even the playground slide was smiling at us, and at some point, deep in the night, when we were swinging on the jungle gym and showers of sparks were flying out of our mouths, I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter, and that this was the secret of the universe.  For hours, we watched the clouds rearranging themselves into intelligent patterns; rolled in the dirt, believing it was seaweed (!); lay on our backs and sang 'Dear Prudence' to the welcoming and appreciative stars.  It was a fantastic night--one of the great nights of my life, actually, despite what happened later. 

~p. 333 of Advanced Reader Copy (some changes may have been made to the finished print version)

The Goldfinch is Donna Tartt's third book and the first that I've managed to read (also true of the members of my F2F group, who agree they would like to read more by Tartt), although I do have a copy of her first book, The Secret History, and I knew she was from Mississippi.  At close to 800 pages (densely packed, at that), The Goldfinch is a book rich with detail.  Is that a good thing?  Well, let's see what my F2F group had to say.  We'll just go with the interview method. I will be interviewed by the bird on the cover.  

Goldfinch:  Tweet.

Bookfool:  Hello.

GF:  Tell us about the story, please.

BF:  The Goldfinch is the story of Theodore Decker.  When Theo is young (about age 12, as I recall), he and his mother are victims of a (fictional) explosion in New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).  After he regains consciousness, Theo finds The Goldfinch lying nearby and sits with a dying man. Then, he takes the painting with him and keeps it for many years, considering himself its caretaker while realizing he should return the painting.  As Theo grows, he becomes friends with the business partner of the man whose death he attended and moves from place to place.  He keeps the painting, knowing it's considered stolen. What will become of Theo, who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress, and the priceless painting?

GF:  Did you and your group members know I am a real painting, going into the reading of this book?

BF:  Most of us did.  For those of you who are unaware, The Goldfinch was painted by Carel Fabritius in 1654.  Fabritius himself was the victim of an explosion but the painting has never been stolen.  Although our Dutch F2F member (who is moving away, gosh darn it) has seen some of his paintings, I'm pretty sure she said she had not seen The Goldfinch.  

GF:  What did your group members think of The Goldfinch? [The book title is highlighted in bold, painting name in italics).

BF:  I asked if everyone liked The Goldfinch, loved it or just appreciated the writing (which is stunning in both beauty and detail) in spite of not loving the story.  Absolutely everyone liked or loved the book.  I liked it but I fall closer to the latter category of appreciating the writing more than the story itself, because I personally found it very difficult to read about Theo's drug addiction. The excerpt, above, is from a scene in which Theo and his friend Boris are experimenting with drugs, hence the sparks flying out of their mouths.  Although that scene jumped out at me as one of particular revelation and levity, in general, the portion of the book that takes place in Las Vegas was absolutely miserable to me.  I didn't like reading about the details of his experience and even tweeted about how happy I was to be leaving Las Vegas, when I got to that point.  

My #FridayReads is THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt. For those who've read it, I've just left Las Vegas. I am relieved. Vegas was rough.
— Bookfoolery (@Bookfoolery) October 11, 2013

However, our group leader found the opening scenes during which Theo lost his mother, realized that he had no place to go and Social Services was going to stick him in foster care the most painful to read.  Nobody else mentioned feeling pained by any of Theo's experiences, although one particular death was a bit more miserable to everyone than the rest (sadly, that is a spoiler).

GF: What other things did you discuss with your group?

BF:  We discussed the length of The Goldfinch and whether or not it needed to be as long as it was, the characters, the theme, the ending, the writing, the relationships between characters, why Theo continued to hold onto the painting instead of turning it over to authorities, the author and her ties to Mississippi.  Our fearless leader had sent us a link to Stephen King's review of The Goldfinch in The New York Times  and we talked about his thoughts and laughed about the comment that it would not be wise to drop The Goldfinch on one's foot.  King's closing thoughts:

There are a few missteps, yes.  It's hard to believe that television coverage of a terrorist attack like the one Tartt imagines would be interrupted with mattress commercials, and there's a lot more about furniture restoration than I needed.  But for the most part, "The Goldfinch" is a triumph with a brave theme running through it:  art may addict, but art also saves us from "the ungainly sadness of creatures pushing and struggling to live."  Donna Tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction.

That said, don't drop it on your foot.

GF:  What did your group think of the characters?  

BF:  One member commented that there were a lot of bad characters (drunk, drug-addicted, cruel, etc.) but we all loved Hobie, the furniture restorer whose kindness Theo leans on and from whom he learns the importance of the type of beauty that outlives us.  Andy, an old friend whose family Theo stays with, was also a favorite.  And, everyone wished they could have known Theo's mother better.  During the times he and others reflect upon her life, she is always described with affection.  Pippa, the redheaded girl Theo falls in love with at first sight in MoMA we found a little perplexing; we discussed spoilery bits in regard to her.  Mrs. Barbour (Andy's mother, who took Theo in without question, when he was on the verge of going into foster care) seemed cold, at first, but later in the book  you see her softer side.  Kitsey turned out to be a disappointment but at least she was herself.  

We also talked about the names of the Barbour children: Kitsey, Platt, Andy and Toddy.  I wondered if naming a character Toddy was her polite wave to Ole Miss ("Hotty Toddy" being a cheer/greeting used by Ole Miss students), where Tartt spent a year of her schooling.  

GF:  What about the theme?  Did you agree with Stephen King?

BF:  I can't say I got a good fix on what other group members thought, although I do think there's some truth in his observation.  When I closed the book, I was a little baffled about what it was about.  What was the author trying to say to the reader?  I came up with this as a theme:  "Life sucks and then you die.  But, if you're lucky, maybe some good will come of all the bad things that happen to you."  When I mentioned my thoughts, there were quite a few nods, although I don't think that means anyone found the two ideas (mine and King's) mutually exclusive. 

GF:  What about the length?  Did anyone skim?  Did they think it needed to be nearly 800 pages long or could it have used some editing?

BF:  This part of the discussion was pretty interesting.  Someone asked if anyone skimmed the book and I think it was pretty unanimous that it's not the kind of book that one skims.  For one thing, it is simply too engrossing.  Our leader said she doesn't usually find it a problem to skim over lengthy description and yet, as descriptive as the book was, she felt like every word was important.  Another member said she thought 2-300 pages could have been edited out, although she was glued to the the book's every word, as well, because there were so many surprises and twists that she thought it was critical to read even the details that could have been trimmed. You never knew when something important was going to happen.  

We didn't all agree about where the trimming necessarily should have taken place, had the book been edited down in size.  I didn't mind the lengthy passages about furniture restoration, useless as they may be to me (our aesthetic leans modern; I'll never own antique furnishings) because those were the times when life was most peaceful for Theo. The detailed drug-abuse scenes drove me nuts.  One member said, "But, that's reality - that's just something people go through," the implication being that experimentation with alcohol and drugs is a normal stage of life.  It's a stage I skipped without regret, but I can see her point.  I think the furniture restoration detail is the bit most commonly considered superfluous.  Point to Stephen King.

GF:  Thoughts about the ending?

BF:  I was personally both disappointed in the ending and relieved because I flipped ahead to read the ending and misinterpreted it.  Reading it in context put it the final words into perspective.  But, I still got a negative vibe from the ending.  Our leader read the ending aloud (two paragraphs, I think) and she said she loved the ending.  That third reading made me see it in a different light.  I thought, in many ways, the book was relentlessly sad, with only occasional reprieves, and the ending was . . . a bit dire in its nihilism, I suppose.  Fearless Leader thought it was beautiful and I admit to understanding her viewpoint when she read it.  Regardless, we all thought the book was an excellent read and felt privileged to have the opportunity to read it in advance of publication.  

GF:  What's the release date?

BF:  The Goldfinch is scheduled for release on October 22, 2013.  Just a few days, now!   

GF:  Recommended?  Not recommended?  

BF:  Definitely recommended by everyone in our group - all of whom found it a stunning read.  And, we also thought it was a terrific discussion book.  Although I came prepared with some generic questions, the discussion was organic.  I did have to ask if we could return to the book, after our chatter somehow managed to veer off to politics in Mississippi (probably because we talked about how Barry Hannah discovered Donna Tartt and Willie Morris facilitated her move out of state to finish her education), but by then we'd pretty much hit all the topics on my question list and all I did was ask if everyone liked, loved or merely tolerated the book and after everyone said they liked or loved it, the meeting broke up.  

GF:  Thank you for letting me interview you.  I'd fly away, now, but I have this ridiculous chain attached to my leg.

BF:  Thank you for interviewing me, little goldfinch. And, thank you to Miriam of Little, Brown for providing the copies for group discussion.  

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - Review and F2F Report: A Self-Interview of Sorts

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Copyright 2013 
Reagan Arthur Books (a Little Brown imprint) - fiction/historical
527 pp.  
Release date: April 2, 2013

You know how sometimes you love a book so much that when it comes to reviewing you're paralyzed with fear that you're not going to do the book justice?  That's Life After Life, for me.  I've thought about it enough that I've begun to think of my review drafts for Life After Life as The Review that Ate My Brains.  So, to save myself from becoming a zombie, I've decided to salvage my reputation and life with Ye Olde Self-Interview.  I apologize in advance for any inadvertent repetition. I worked on this off and on for weeks and I'm afraid I'm tired of editing, so it is what it is.

Of course, it works best if I'm actually interviewed by someone imaginary.  Today, I'm going to be interviewed by a Renegade Zombie Killer.

Renegade Zombie Killer:  Hi, and thank you for letting me interview you on the roof of a tall building so that I can spot potential danger before it's too late.

Bookfool:  Hello.  Could you maybe put down the guns and knives and . . . all those bullet holders?  

RZK:  Sure, but the protective armor stays.  Let's get down to business.  What's Life After Life about and do you have a Personal Escape and Attack Plan (PEAP) in case of zombie invasion?

BF:  Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is the story of Ursula Todd.  Born on a snowy night in 1910, she promptly dies.  And, then she's born again and lives.  As Ursula continues to live and die, events change -- sometimes marginally, sometimes dramatically.  Ursula is often able to remember enough from past lives to alter her future, preventing previous tragedies to herself and others from recurring.  With her uncanny foresight, will it be possible for Ursula to change the fate of the world when she's able to get close enough to kill Hitler?

That was written in my own words but I have to throw in a link because I adore the description of Life After Life at Stylist.co.uk's "Top 10 Reads of March".

And, my PEAP for zombie invasion is to run like hell.

RZK:  What did you enjoy most about Life After Life?

BF:  Just about everything.  The characterization is amazing, the literary references and occasional sentences in various foreign languages (not translated) challenge readers, the story is unique, the author did a good job of setting apart the various lives lived by Ursula with minor changes of perspective or timing to avoid too much repetition.  I loved the fact that a large portion of the book was set during WWII -- a favorite time period -- and the way it made me think.  You can't just disengage your brain and zip through Life After Life; it's a thinking book, yet Life After Life was one of the most thoroughly entertaining books I've read in a long time.  I also love Kate Atkinson's sense of humor.

RZK:  Have you read any other books by Kate Atkinson?

BF:  No, Life After Life was my first.  She was new to quite a few of my book club's members and many of them commented that Life After Life will not be their last (myself included).

RZK:  What did you personally dislike?

BF: Nothing major.  There was a point at which I briefly thought there were just a few too many Ursula Lives, but I do tend to fade at some point when reading longer novels.  And one of Ursula's incarnations was filled with horror upon horror. I couldn't wait for that life to end. Life After Life has an open ending and I didn't mind that at all.  I liked the way my mind keep ticking over like a warm engine, when the book ended.

RZK:  Can you give me an example of her sense of humor with a little set-up?

BF:  Of course. There's a certain major historical event (one I'm sure everyone's familiar with) that leads to the deaths of a number of people in the book -- not just Ursula, but people Ursula loves -- and in several lifetimes in a row she fails to stop Bridget, the young lady who brings about the events that cause the local deaths.  Also, each time Ursula dies, there's some reference to darkness falling or something like a bat raising its wings -- something definitive to let you know that death has occurred.  This is a passage in which Ursula dies after failing to stop Bridget from setting the deadly events in motion for the third time:

"Oh, the silly girl just tripped," Mrs. Glover said.  "You know how clumsy she is.  Well, anyway," she said with some satisfaction, "that's put paid to your London high jinks." 

"Not so," Bridget said stoutly.  "I'm not missing this day for anything.  Come on, Clarence.  Give me your arm.  I can hobble. 

Darkness, and so on. 

~p. 111

I actually laughed out loud when I read that passage, not only because it was surprising that Bridget still went to London but it was so funny the way Atkinson threw out that last line to say, "Yes, yes, dead again."

RZK:  What did one of the women in your Face to Face book club say she thought the book should have been called and why?

BF:  She thought the book should have been entitled Life After Life After Life After Life because the title tends to make people think it's about an afterlife rather than the same life relived (there were nods all around, to that statement).  I had a fleeting thought that Life Upon Life might have been a better title, although I didn't say that aloud.  Regardless, going into the reading knowing that Ursula's life is a life relived repeatedly helps a bit, as the book can be confusing in the manner of The Time Traveler's Wife.  You find yourself flipping back a lot to reorient yourself.

RZK:  So, this leads to the negatives about the book.

BF:  Yes, therein the most common complaints lie.  All that shifting around between times did cause my fellow club members to use words such as "confusing", "chaotic" or "frustrating".  I have to agree it could be confusing at times.

RZK:  But, you loved it?

BF:  I did.

RZK:  What was the general consensus in your book club?

BF:  We had a show of hands and the majority loved it.  I should add that we had a fantastic turnout.  This particular meeting was amazing because there was is so much to talk about in Life After Life that it was one of those noisy people-hollering-over-each-other meetings.  I love that kind.  The enthusiasm over Life After Life made for a really lively, fun, hilarious and, at times, thoughtful meeting.  I can't recall but I think we had 12 members show up.  Advance Reader Copies were provided by Little Brown and almost everyone who managed to collect a book in time came to the meeting.  3 people didn't love the book.  Those who weren't enthusiastic about it just didn't seem to see the purpose.

RZK:  What was the purpose or theme?

BF:  It's a "What if?" In this case, I think, (my wording) "What if everyone lived the same life over and over but just some people had distinctive enough memories from previous lifetimes to make changes?"  In other words, what if those deja vu sensations or premonitions some people feel more strongly than others (and some don't sense at all) are due to the fact that we keep living the same life over again?  

RZK:  Does absolutely everyone have deja vu or premonitions like Ursula in Life After Life?  

BF:  That part's actually quite interesting and maybe a bit of a spoiler. It actually took me a few days to figure it out, after I finished the book and we'd discussed it.  

********POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING*********  Highlight the following white text to see what I think.

I think the idea was that the book was designed to theorize about why most of us have deja vu at some time but some people have a stronger sense of past lives (and therefore a built-in warning system) than others.  Reincarnation was brought up in our meeting, naturally. The idea is that everyone experiences it but in this case some are more aware of previous events than others. There are hints that other people are also able to make minor changes that impact Ursula's life; they just don't have such strong feelings that they appear freaky, as Ursula does.  The last birth scene, I thought, was very telling.  

RZK:  Deja vu and premonitions are interesting topics that evolve naturally from discussion about Life After Life.  How did that go at your book club?

BF:  That part of the discussion was awesome.  Almost everyone has a deja vu story to tell or can recall a vivid premonition and all the stories are absolutely fascinating.  

RZK:  Did anyone think the book had spiritual connotations?

BF:  Just one person used the word "spiritual".  I think the rest of us shook our heads but you could look at it that way, I suppose.  Reincarnation came up and some people do believe premonitions are a spiritual thing.

I should also mention that my F2F club's members come from nicely varied religious backgrounds and birthplaces (at least one member was raised in another country). I'm so impressed with my group.  They are sharp, open-minded people who will happily shout out their opinions, agree to disagree and leave smiling.

RZK:  Cool.  I'm glad they're not zombies. What are some aspects of the novel that even those who disliked Life After Life agreed that they loved?

BF:  Even the people who didn't love it or felt baffled by its purpose didn't feel like it was a total waste of time because they loved the characters or thought the writing was thought-provoking/intelligent, and the WWII scenes were almost universally beloved.  The author is obviously very learned but she doesn't treat the reader with condescension.

RZK:  Any additional complaints that were mentioned?

BF:  One person thought Ursula's lives were too repetitive.  She also didn't like the fact that the book was open-ended and commented on her frustration over the fact that Life After Life doesn't have a distinctive beginning, middle and end.  I think there were a couple nods to that.  Of the 3 out of 12 who didn't love the book, there was a sense of not getting the point of it . . . that it just kept going, but why?  What was the theme?  What was the meaning of that open ending?

RZK:  Tell us what your group advises about the reading of the book.

BF:  Advice from my group:  Orient yourself early on.  1910 is important to remember because if you know Ursula's birthdate (which never changes) you can figure out her age by subtracting.  That's surprisingly crucial because her lives are often so different that you really need to be able to think back.  What happened at this time or in this place that Ursula will try to prevent or feel compelled to change?

The "What if?" never goes away.  Even in the end, when Ursula has declared that life is ****possible spoiler, hidden by white text, again ****  not circular but a palimpsest, there is a scene that indicates that she'll keep scratching more layers onto that manuscript, possibly forever.  Her mother's final scene, the changeable maybe-off, maybe-on end of an affair, and other little things offer hints that Ursula is not alone in this; she is simply more in tune with her past incarnations. That spoilery bit is about the open ending.

RZK:  I'm out of questions, so I must advise you to build your Zombie-Proof Emergency Shelter and come up with a Personal Escape and Attack Plan, right away.  

BF:  Thank you, but I am amazingly lacking in paranoia, although I suspect we have more than a few zombies in Congress.  

RZK:  Did you hear that sound?  Gotta run.

BF:  *skitters out of the way and shouts "Thank you for interviewing me!"*  

Summary comments on Life After Life:  

Best. Discussion. Ever.  I highly recommend Life After Life for group discussion.  You will want to talk to someone about it, I promise.  Most of our group loved it, although not everyone did. However, everyone had something to say. The worst-case book club scenario is always, "Everyone loves or hates the book and nobody has anything to say about it."  We found that we didn't need pre-written discussion questions to generate conversation; discussion came about easily and organically.  

I gave Life After Life a 5/5 at Goodreads.

Gushy thanks to Jin Yu at Little Brown for providing copies for my group to read and discuss.  

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Moonface by Angela Balcita

Moonface: A True Romance

by Angela Balcita

Copyright 2011

HarperPerennial - NF/Memoir

222 pages

I seem to be having a bit of difficulty starting this review, so I'm going to go to the old standby method of review-block breaking: the self-interview! Only, I think it's about time Isabel interviewed me. I'm pretty sure she's never had a turn.

For those who are just dropping by, Isabel is my 9-month old kitten. Or, that's about how old we think she is. She's a rescue.

Isabel: Meow. Meowoo?

Bookfool: Good morning to you, too, and I'm fine. It's rather important to ask questions in Human English.

Izzy: Nonfurries are dull. What is Moonface about?

BF: Moonface is a memoir that tells about Angela Balcita's repeated kidney failures and how the man she fell in love with sacrificed a kidney for her. It's both a story of one woman's fight throughout a continuing health crisis and how love has helped her survive as well as a tremendously unforgettable true romance.

Izzy: Why did you decide to read Moonface?

BF: I have a friend who has had a kidney transplant due to polycystic kidney disease and she still faces constant challenges. I hoped this book would help me understand what she's gone through and what she endures, so that I can be a better friend to her.

Izzy: What did you like best about this book?

BF: I liked pretty much everything about it. I learned a lot, as I'd hoped. But, it's especially inspiring and touching the way a man who barely knew his girlfriend willingly sacrificed for the author. It's truly a love story. There were a number of people who were willing to give the author a kidney and that is also absolutely amazing. I also think the author is a great storyteller. Her writing has a nice flow.

Izzy: The boyfriend wasn't the first person to give her a kidney, correct?

BF: No, her kidney disease is a constant battle. By the time "Charlie" met Angela, she had already had one kidney replacement, thanks to her brother. The story is really focused on the romance between Charlie and Angela, though.

Izzy: In particular . . .

BF: The importance to Angela that her body not reject Charlie's kidney, because if his kidney was rejected, she feared he would reject her, as well.

Izzy: It smells good outside.

BF: That's because it's raining and the air is very fresh. Ask me what I liked about the writing style.

Izzy: Okay, what did you like about the writing style? And, please don't leave the room, again, because I feel obligated to follow.

BF: Sorry, I was hungry. I love the fact that Charlie and Angela both kept their sense of humor. The book can be really funny. It's emotional, but there's always a little bit of either Angela's or Charlie's sense of humor creeping through.

Izzy: What was the hardest part to read?

BF: There were many difficult moments, but I found it particularly difficult to read about Angela's downturn after . . . okay, there's a part I don't want to give away, but at some point she went through a kidney rejection and she kept hoping it would turn around but it was just one of those knock-over-a-domino health moments. Things just kept cascading out of control. And, it was also very hard to read about Charlie's agony.

Izzy: Apparently, donating a kidney Really Hurts.

BF: Yes, and that makes this story even more heartwarming, just to know that so many people were willing to go through that kind of misery in order to keep a friend/sister/girlfriend alive. It is truly a beautiful tale of how far a few individuals are willing to go -- beyond kindness to self-sacrifice.

Izzy: Recommended?

BF: Absolutely. I'd especially recommend the book to people who like memoirs and tales of true sacrifice and love. You will love the author and Charlie.

Izzy: Thank you for answering my questions. And, please . . . do not bring strangers into the house and try to let them pet me. Do. Not. Like.

BF: Sorry. She was harmless, though. You'd like that so-called "stranger" if you gave her half a chance.

Izzy: Hmmph. Buy Moonface. My human says it's great and I believe her. The end. I must go munch on dry food, explore underneath the drop-cloth and climb in places I don't belong. Maybe I'll check out the ceiling fan, again.

©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.

The Summoning, The Awakening and The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning, The Awakening and The Reckoning
by Kelley Armstrong
The Darkest Powers Trilogy
Copyrights 2008, 2009 and 2010
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins
390, 360 and 391 pages, respectively

I always like to say I'm not much of a series reader, but I also frequently end up contradicting myself by reading books that aren't "my thing", simply because I like variety. The Darkest Powers Trilogy was one of those cases in which I chose to read an entire series almost back-to-back -- something I almost never do! -- after reading a brief review of The Summoning that sounded intriguing and finding that the first book was a tremendously fun read with a set of characters I just had to to follow on their continuing adventures.

I'm pretty sure Andi sent me The Summoning, a little over a year ago. Thanks, Andiloo!!

The heroine of the series is Chloe. 15 years old, tiny and a bit of an outcast, Chloe's life takes a drastic turn when she suddenly finds herself summoning ghosts. She is a necromancer -- a person who can call ghosts from the grave and even throw them back into their bodies.

Unfortunately, Chloe's ability to see ghosts arrives at a rather inconvenient time, in the middle of a school day. Chloe is totally freaked out and ends up being sedated, hospitalized and then sent to a group home for teens with psychiatric disorders. And, that is merely the beginning of the adventure for Chloe, Simon, Liz, Tori and Derek -- teenagers who are being treated for alleged mental disorders in an attempt to suppress their powers.

There are demi-demons, sorcerers, witches, necromancers and werewolves in the Darkest Powers books. I don't want to give away anything important because I really enjoyed the unfolding story and not having any idea what was ahead, so I'll stick to generalities with a little self-interviewing, starring my invisible friend as the interviewer.

Invisible Friend: Tell us a little about why you read this entire series within a short time span.

Bookfool: Besides gripping storytelling and characters worth following, one of the things that I loved which really pulled me into Chloe's world and kept me wanting more was the dose of reality. You eventually find out that Lyle House -- the home for "mentally ill" teenagers -- is not quite what it seems, but The Summoning takes place mostly in that group home and it struck me as surprisingly plausible.

IF: That description -- a book that "takes place in a group home" doesn't have the most exciting ring. Is there a lot of action?

BF: Absolutely. The Summoning sets up the story of Chloe and the people who will become her closest friends, but there's really never a dull moment. Each of the teenagers must learn to control his or her powers; they're faced with mortal danger and it eventually becomes obvious that they will have to take charge of their own fate and search for the truth that's being withheld from them.

IF: Meaning?

BF: Why they are being basically held captive and drugged into submission.

IF: Do the books have cliffhanger endings?

BF: No, they're each wrapped up nicely, which I loved. Authors who try to lure readers to a second book by not actually tying up any of the strings that have drawn the reader through the book tend to actually convince me not to read the next book when they don't wrap up the first. I don't like being toyed with. I appreciated the way Kelley Armstrong made each book feel complete and yet still managed to convince me I had to read that next book right away.

IF: Would you have felt the same way about the books if they hadn't all been immediately available?

BF: No doubt about it. The Summoning is such an action-packed thrill ride and the characters are so likable that I would have impatiently waited for the next installment. I'm glad I didn't have to, though, because I enjoyed having one story fresh in my mind when I moved on to the next.

IF: I'm curious about the necklace the girl is holding on the covers of each book. Is that significant?

BF: The necklace has a special power and it does, in fact, change colors from one book to the next. So, the covers are pretty accurate, apart from the fact that Chloe's hair is all wrong.

IF: Is there anything you can share about The Awakening and The Reckoning without spoiling them for all those extremely attractive people now staring at their monitors?

BF: Chloe begins the series as a stuttering girl who is unsure of herself but as the series progresses, she learns to control her powers and trust herself. The slow but steady development of her inner strength is extremely satisfying. The other characters also develop, learn to trust each other and become friends.

There is a little romance but it's totally clean. I absolutely love the fact that Chloe is mature enough to keep a distance and her feelings are allowed to slowly grow. There's no sex. I don't think there is any swearing, either. I'd happily hold up Kelley Armstrong as an example of how writing for young adults can be respectful to them without sinking into the icky depths of sexuality and profanity that's becoming all too common in writing for teens.

The pacing is simply stunning. There's a great deal of action and terrific character development. The mystery of their where they obtained their powers, why they are being held and who is pursuing them and why is revealed skilfully. I never felt like the author was stringing me along; she lets the reader in on just enough, gradually, to keep readers eager for more without becoming irritatingly vague.

IF: Did you like the ending of the series?

BF: Loved it.

IF: You'd read the author again?

BF: I want to read absolutely everything she's written and I'm looking forward to her next series, as well. It's advertised in the back of the concluding novel, The Reckoning.

IF: What's your cutest kitty story, for today?

BF: Dude. Change of topic?

IF: Well, I was done asking you about the books.

BF: In that case . . . Isabel likes to play with water so I partially fill the bathroom sink when I'm putting on my makeup and she happily bats at the water, drinks it, inspects the faucet handles, etc. Today, she walked over to me, stretched up her body with her front paws on my chest and played with the zipper pull on my sweatshirt. I'm glad she didn't do that while I was putting on eyeliner. That could have been messy.

IF: Adorable. Wait! I do have one more question about the trilogy. How did you acquire the other two books in the series, after reading The Summoning?

BF: My library had a copy of The Awakening!!! Excitement! So, I checked out The Awakening, although they don't yet have The Reckoning and I ended up buying a copy from Borders. I love Borders with passionate fury.

IF: cough, sputter

BF: Well, I do.

IF: Anything else before I disappear? As if you can see me . . . I am invisible, after all.

BF: You look pretty solid to me, but I've been told I have a vivid imagination. Back to the books. I highly recommend the Darkest Powers Trilogy to paranormal-loving young adult fans. It's a family-friendly series, great for the youngsters, comfortable and meaty enough for adults -- definitely a series you can sink your teeth into and probably the most enjoyable paranormal series I've read.

Poof!

BF: I think I just lost my invisible friend. Guess I'll go fill the bathtub and see how many kitties come to join me.

Second poof!
©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose
Copyright 2009
Grand Central Publishing - Nonfiction/Memoir
324 pages, incl. selected bibliography
Kevin Roose's Website

You know what happens when Bookfool closes a book and says to herself, "This was a fascinating book but I'm not sure how exactly to go about expressing my thoughts," right? Self-interview, of course! I hear all those adorable mental head slaps. This time, it seems like a good idea to let someone else interview me and I was considering the cat, but she left the room so we'll go with a can of Tab. Yes, it's true. The Coca-Cola Company still manufactures and sells Tab. Ignore the rumors about it being a dead product of our humble past.

Tab: Drink me! Drink me!

Bookfool: This is supposed to be an interview about a book.

Tab: It's in my nature. Okay, first things first. How did you acquire your copy of The Unlikely Disciple and why?

Bookfool: I read whopping fine review written by Alyce of At Home With Books. Then, I read several more reviews that made me think I would surely die if I couldn't get my mitts on a copy. And, since I just happened to be in contact with the publicist for this particular book, I asked her if it would be possible to acquire a copy for review. I don't do that often, but it usually turns out well because I only specifically request books that sound so fabulous I can hardly bear the thought of missing out.

Tab: From my understanding, every book you look at makes you feel that way.

Bookfool: Oh, go recycle yourself. Also, if that was a question, the answer is, "Not true." I'm definitely swayed by a great cover and a positive review, but there are plenty of books that don't interest me.

Tab: Tell us a little bit about The Unlikely Disciple and its author.

Bookfool: The Unlikely Disciple is the memoir of a Brown University student who decided to spend a semester at "America's Holiest University", aka Liberty University -- the university founded by Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell (who was still alive at the time). Roose got a little advice and tutoring from a Christian friend who suggested it would be best if he began his research at a more liberal Christian university. Roose rejected the idea; he wanted to dive into an extremely conservative atmosphere and find a way to humanize the people who embrace the radical views espoused by their founder.

Tab: What did he find when he arrived?

Bookfool: Roose was, at first, a little astounded by the strict atmosphere. No smoking, no drinking, no cursing, no dancing, no R-rated movies. Here's a little bit of the publisher's summary:

Liberty is the late Jerry Falwell's "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals, his training ground for the next generation of America's Religious Right. Liberty's ten thousand undergraduates take courses like Evangelism 101, hear from guest speakers like Sean Hannity and Karl Rove, and follow a forty-six page code of conduct that regulates every aspect of their social lives. Hoping to connect with his evangelical peers, Roose decides to enroll at Liberty as a new transfer student, leaping across the God Divide and chronicling his adventures in this daring report from the front lines of America's culture war.

Tab: Why do they use the word "daring" to describe Kevin Roose's time at Liberty?

Bookfool: Primarily because Roose came from such a dramatically different atmosphere and background. He moved from an Ivy League university where people partied, sex and drinking were not taboo, he was friends (and relatives) with gays and the obvious emphasis was academics, not beliefs. His new home was one in which homosexuality was openly, verbally slammed, partying was supplanted by prayer sessions, dating involved nothing beyond holding hands and the first thing people asked him was often where he stood with God.

Roose's religious background was Quaker, but he had not attended a service of any kind in many years. For the most part, he'd had little exposure to religion in his home, was not knowledgeable about the Bible and his parents fell to the far left, politically. Walking into a place where he had so little understanding was, in fact, pretty daring. He was unfamiliar even with the order of the books of the Bible (something regular churchgoers memorize at elementary-school level) and had to fake his way through prayer sessions.

Tab: Did you mark any quotes that would illuminate us a bit?

Bookfool: No, unfortunately, I only marked a couple of passages that stood out to me because of his writing style. For a guy who was a mere 19 when he switched schools (and has yet to graduate from Brown, although he will officially graduate in December), he has a startling combination of skill and natural ability. I found his writing impressive. I've got him mentally marked for a long, productive writing life. Alyce used the word "riveting" and I must agree. Although the book stayed in my sidebar for about two weeks, that's only because I was so immersed in the Swim Mom thing that I wasn't reading much of anything. When I finally did pick it up, again, I finished the book in nothing flat.

Tab: You're a Christian. How did you feel about the subject matter Roose said he was taught at Liberty University?

Bookfool: A great deal of it made me cringe. I should mention that I fall on the liberal side of the Christian spectrum. At Liberty University, Roose was taught that the earth is a mere 6,000 years old, the "young earth" theory of creationism. I'm open to the idea that evolution is just a part of the creation process and the idea that the earth is only 6,000 years old is kind of bizarre to me. There's too much scientific evidence to dispute an earth so young.

I was particularly horrified, though, by the same things I believe occasionally paralyzed Kevin Roose, which can be described using a single word: "intolerance". One thing I would have liked to hear more about was the concept of euthanisia and the Liberty/Falwell viewpoint, since it was merely mentioned in passing and I have extremely strong views about euthanasia - that dying humans should be given the same "humane" option we offer to dogs and cats. I'll bet I'd get a bashing about that from the Falwell camp, but that was not elaborated upon.

Tab: Name a few positives to Kevin Roose's experience at Liberty University.

Bookfool: Actually, there were quite a few. He made friends easily and found that not everyone believed absolutely everything they were taught, nor followed the rules to extremes. Roose enjoyed singing in the church choir, discovered that not having the pressure of having to decide whether or when a girl would be interested in sex made dating more fun because he and his dates spent time actually getting to know one another, and he enjoyed praying and being prayed for. Roose was able to interview Jerry Falwell -- in fact, his interview was the last "print interview" with Falwell -- and found him a rather warm, charming individual. Whether or not he agreed with Falwell, Roose thought he was genuine.

Tab: What did you like most about the book? Take a drink before answering.

Bookfool: (gulp) I loved the fact that the author went into his research with an open mind. His intent was to humanize the far right. In the process, he did find areas of intolerance that shocked him, but he also discovered that the students at Liberty were intelligent, questioning individuals in many ways and that they didn't always espouse the radical viewpoints of their founders and teachers. The book is also immensely entertaining and thought-provoking.

Like Alyce, I've seen both sides of the coin. I grew up in a Baptist church and I know the lingo. But, I have atheist, Jewish, agnostic and Catholic friends. I attended a secular university but was involved in church and a Bible Study group in my dorm. I don't remember why I visited Oral Roberts University (which is described, at one point, as one of the few similar institutions that are even more radical than Liberty), but I'm an Oklahoman and ORU was a place we laughed about but where most of us had friends in attendance; I've visited and what stood out most to me was the way people dressed. They had a pretty strict dress code.

Tab: Rating?

Bookfool: 5/5 - An absorbing, thought-provoking, exceptionally well-written memoir in which the author described both sides of the cultural coin in an even-handed manner. The author could easily have been judgmental and provided a totally skewed viewpoint, but he refrained from that; his viewpoints were both fair and thoughtful. The Christian in me was pleased to note that he's carried a few habits he learned from his time at Liberty into his everyday life and I was thrilled that he was able to keep in touch with many of his Liberty friends.

Tab: I'm losing my fizz, but you didn't have to shove me off the thirsty stone! Betrayal!!! Mountain Dew???

Bookfool: Yes, see, the fizz thing is important and I needed a sugar/caffeine infusion, so Mountain Dew gets the place of honor. I'm sorry to say you will be moving to the recycle bin, soon.

Tab: Sigh. It was fun while it lasted. I am caffeinated, by the way.

Bookfool: Yes, yes. Thank you for interviewing me. And, many thanks to Valerie and Grand Central Publishing for providing my review copy of The Unlikely Disciple.

In other news:

Bookfool is a naughty book glutton. Received this week:

Four of the five books in Hatchette's Celebrating Hispanic Month giveaway (the other is back-ordered): Zumba (a fitness program with enclosed DVD); Mamas, Damas & Ana Ruiz, Amigoland, and Evenings at the Argentine Club - from Hatchette

I Sold Andy Warhol (too soon) by Richard Polsky - from Tony Viardo of Other Press

Confessions of a Trauma Junkie by Sherry Jones Mayo - won at 2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews (just walked in - thanks, Holly!)

Breaking the Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough (which seems to have a slight paranormal aspect . . . maybe) and Day By Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne (zombies!!) - both from Sarah Reidy of Pocket Books

I am currently behind . . .

. . . on posting giveaways. I've actually got a couple more to post about; I just haven't gotten to them, yet. I don't, however, want this blog to become nothing more than Giveaway Central. I'm just in a mood to pass on some book joy, lately. Since last month was kind of a bad reading month, I dove into giveaways head-first. It's something to do (shrug).

Is Banned Books Week over?

I have so much to say about banned/challenged books, but I just didn't have the time, this week, so I'll just say a few words. Up until the last few years, when I began blogging, I had no idea there were so many challenges, bans and attempts at banning books. Nor did I realize that I'd not only read quite a few of those that have been on challenged/banned lists but have actually handed quite a few of them to my kids, particularly banned or challenged classics. 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies and Fahrenheit 451 are all books I recall handing to my eldest when he was in junior high.

Both of my children were reading at adult level by the age of 10; I had to work hard at keeping them occupied and I often did so by pulling classics off our personal shelves. Fahrenheit 451 is still one of my eldest son's favorite books. And, of course, my youngest was a follower of Harry Potter; I still have to snicker about the reasoning for the movement to ban those books. They are wildly imaginative and escapist; my son never had any trouble drawing the line between reality and imagination, recognized the traditional good versus evil theme and appreciated Harry's struggles to overcome his own fears and to deal with hardship. There is much to love about Harry Potter and my personal opinion is that a book that contains themes or acts that a parent considers objectionable is, in general, a good book to read with your child and discuss. I've found my youngest absolutely loves discussing books with me -- and that includes the discussion of morals and ethics.

Gotta go! The guys are home from the swim meet and I need to check on the laundry (then, if possible, try to sneak in some reading time).

Happy Saturday!

Bookfool with Tab and Mt. Dew (going, going . . . )