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RE: Book Reviews - 6/29/2005 5:01:54 PM
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gratefulforgrace
Posts: 252
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: Near Spokane Washington
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March by Geraldine Brooks
I really enjoyed Brooks's first novel, Year of Wonders (which I totally recommend, by the way), so I was pretty excited when I heard about this second offering. Then, when I heard about her approach to this novel I was even more interested. Brooks, like many people, was greatly impacted as a child by Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. So, she decided to write a novel that took place during the same years as Little Women, written from the point of view of Mr. March as he was away serving as a Chaplain in the Civil War.
The novel is extremely interesting. It opens with Mr. March writing letters to his wife and daughters and, very often, writing with faked cheer. As the novel goes on, the reader begins to learn of things that Mr. March does not tell his daughters...the horrors of war, the racism of the soldiers (both Northern and Southern). There are also wonderful background scenes...telling of his courtship with Marmee and why the family is so poor. Later on, when Mr. March is in the hospital, the narrative voice switches to Marmee and there are more insights into their relationship.
One great thing about this book is that Geraldine Brooks did significant research about Civil War battlefields, live in Concord (where the March family lived), and the Alcott family. Brooks's Mr. March is loosely based on the real life of Louisa May Alcott's father much like Little Women was loosely based on the family.
When I first heard of this book I was very skeptical. I was afraid that Brooks would take a character from such a well-loved book and ruin him. That did not happen. This is a great book...I definitely recommend it, especially to Little Women fans.
Grade: A
_____________________________
Proud Follower of Christ
Wife of Chris
Mother of Helen and #2 due March 23!
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/1/2005 8:55:11 PM
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uponeagleswings
Posts: 1768
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: Out here in the desert
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2 books here
Hadassah by Tommy Tenney
This is a somewhat fictionalized account of the story of Esther and how she became queen of Persia. It details her childhood, her year of preparation in the palace, and her discovery of Haman's plot against the Jews. Honestly, for me it was tough to tell where Tenney was using historical fact, and where he was using literary license. That didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book in any way. Surprise twist at the end (at least it surprised me).
I enjoyed the history of this book, and the details from the persian palace. Warning: there is some violence here- lots of people get their heads lopped off, and Haman is ruthless in his hatred of Jews.
Grade: 9.5, only because the ending still left me wanting more (but isn't that the mark of a good read)
The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson
This is a book about 12 very different women who all get thrown together at a Christian convention in Chicago. Part of what I liked is that the women weren't stereotyped, or stereotypical Christians. At least I didn't think so. They weren't all white, middle-class women with perfect backgrounds and marriages. I also related to the experience of a white woman (the main character) being suddenly put in a situation where she was the minority. All of the characters are pretty well-rounded and fleshed out though. They seem to be real people with real problems. One thing I didn't like was that the story wrapped up a little bit too quickly and neatly at the end. This is actually currently a 3-book series, with a 4th book due to be released in October of this year.
Grade: 8, because of the too-neat wrap-up of the story.
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/3/2005 4:42:11 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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Content Advisory (as promised in another thread):
The Kite Runner~some violence, molestation of a child (not detailed but heartbreaking)
2010: Odyssey 2~evolutionary viewpoint assumed
2061: Odyssey 3~evolutionary viewpoint assumed
How the Irish Saved Civilization~appropriate to adults, some discussion of sexual morals of the past
The Land Remembers~appropriate, lots of farmyard discussion
Kindred~the ills of slavery: beatings, whippings, and other violence. forced sex and rape, discussed but not shown.
Holes~appropriate
The Making of the African Queen~drinking, otherwise appropriate
Eva Luna~sex comes up fairly often, avoid this book if that makes you uncomfortable
Pigs in Heaven~a few living together worldly relationships, but nothing specific
Woman in White~appropriate
Dancing at the Rascal Fair~a few short sexual moments (I was uncomfortable during one and jumped 2 paragraphs and it was over), reference to prostititutes
The Bourne Identity~a lot of violence, and a few vague sexual moments
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/3/2005 4:49:27 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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A Common Life by Jan Karon
The usual Mitford homeyness. In this 6th installment Karon goes back and covers Father Tim and Cyntha's wedding and generally delves into the other character's love stories and lives. Cute, as always. Comfortable, as always.
I consider this to be some of the better christian fiction (even if it is from a secular publisher), so appropriate to just about everyone.
Grade: 7
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/11/2005 4:09:34 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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I forgot these last week.
A Light in the Window by Jan Karon
#2 in the Mitford series. Father Tim explores his fears of a relationship with Cynthia. His parishoners are still some of the cutest people in Carolina. Hilarity ensues.
Grade: 7
appropriate for most ages although the love story will mostly appeal to adults
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Children's mystery about a building of people competing for a legacy of 200 million dollars. They are paired up and given clues. People work against each other and together. Written in the 70s so it's a little self-consciously multi-ethnic/gender/disability but mostly it's an easy read with a lot of details about the characters. I saw part of the ending fairly early on, but the ending still held a few twists and turns for even me. A lot of wrap up info. on the characters which is good for kids who like closure.
Grade: 7.5
appropriate for most ages, some elements of murder mystery violence
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/12/2005 10:47:29 AM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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She by H. Rider Haggard
Haggard was a best seller in his day (King Solomons Mines, etc) and after reading this book I can certainly see why. The plot follows 2 men on a quest to verify a story passed down in the family for over 2000 years. The story involves a ruthless, beautiful, and seemingly undying woman who holds sway over a tribe in Africa. Their journey puts them in numerous perils, not to mention the middle of a 2000+ year love triangle. Through it all you see She-who-must-be-obeyed come into focus, as a terror but also as a man falling in love with her.
The character of the femme fatale is complex. It's no wonder that Sigmund Freud had a field day with this one.  . The action is fast-paced and often extremely visual. I imagine if Haggard were writing today he would be doing movie scripts. He's that vivid.
I enjoyed this fast read, mostly for how masterfully Haggard characterizes a woman with lifetimes of experience and power but also the full range of human passion.
Grade: 8.5
I think this is older teen/adult material. This is a victorian novel so everything but the violence is toned down. There are subjects like cannabalism, murder, shacking-up with a native woman, foreign gods and goddesses, reincarnation. The narrator as a victorian christian keeps the reader steady but you're pretty much immersed in the rest during most of the novel.
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/12/2005 11:48:29 AM
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gratefulforgrace
Posts: 252
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: Near Spokane Washington
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Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers
Should an intelligent woman marry? Does a woman need to choose between profession and family? What is truth and is it absolute? Does a married woman willingly give up her independence?
They sound like the questions of some deep philosophy book, don't they? But, no, these are among the serious questions tackled in this excellent mystery novel! I am not normally one for mysteries...I think I gave up on them when I grew out of Nancy Drew. Then my mother recommended Dorothy Sayers to me and I have been hooked ever since.
The main character of this novel is Ms. Harriet Vane. She is an author of mysteries who is finally guilted into attending a college reunion. Ms. Vane was implicated in the murder of her previous lover and many of her former classmates don't believe that the questions surrounding that case have been adequately answered. In addition to that, she is being courted, although long past marrying age, by Lord Peter Whimsy (certainly one of the most dashing bachelors in literary history).
While at the reunion, a mystery reveals itself and Ms. Vane, along with Lord Whimsy who is something of an amateur sleuth himself, solve the mystery and manage to keep it out of the local press...to the delight of the college. The novel is full of lovely language, thought provoking passages and wonderfully fleshed out characters. Unlike most mysteries, the novel does not open with a crime to be solved, rather, we are introduced to Ms. Vane and various other characters while getting a feel for the background of the novel.
Very beautifully written, Gaudy Night was published in 1936 but asks questions that are just as pertinent today as they were 70 years ago.
Grade: A++
I can't think of anything offensive in this novel other than a reference to the fact that Ms. Vane had lived with her previous boyfriend outside of marriage.
_____________________________
Proud Follower of Christ
Wife of Chris
Mother of Helen and #2 due March 23!
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/12/2005 1:41:23 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
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From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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One of my favorite quotes is from that novel.
"How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks."
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Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/12/2005 1:42:13 PM
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Georgia-Peach
Posts: 1891
Joined: 6/2/2005
From: Georgia on my mind
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Shenandoah Sisters Series by Michael Phillips
I bought the first book two years ago and did not read it until a year later. I could not believe that I let such a good book sit for so long. I received the next two in the series this past Christmas and had both read in two months. I bought the fourth book and had it read it a matter of weeks. My mom was visiting and a few months back and started reading the first book. She is now waiting on me to send her the fourth book, as well as, three other woman in her prayer group. Let me stop yacking and tell a little about the series.
The series is set in Civil War time and revolves around two girls. One is a plantation owner's daughter and the other is a daughter of a slave. Tragic circumstances bring them together and through that they build a strong friendship. Together they have many obstacles to go through and the series takes you on each of these journeys.
It was written well and keeps you wanting to know what happen. There were a few dry spots in the series where I had to force myself to get through them, but they were few and far between. I think he stayed true to the time in which the store was set in. I was almost able to picture what I was reading and imagine being there myself. When I read a book I love to use my imagination even as an adult. He described the scenes well and the characters you grew to know them and their personalities.
No, it did not remind of any other book I had read.
I would have to say on a scale of 1-10; I would give it a 8. I give it an 8 because of the dry spots a long the way, but that would be my only complaint.
_____________________________
Chelle
A Mother holds her child's hand for a moment, but holds their heart forever.
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/16/2005 10:42:12 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill
Justin and Annie Wong have a 3 year old miracle named Ursula. When they travel to search out Annie's mining ancestors in Michigan's upper peninsula, Ursula runs to the edge of a clearing and disappears "like a penny in a slot" down into an abandoned mine shaft. So begins this meditation on living and life's connections bundled into the tales of those who have come before and come down into this little girl. Hill runs with a gamut of characters from a Chinese alchemist before the birth of Christ to a Finnish companion raised with Princess Christina of Sweden. Each is completely unique with their own brand of faith and faults.
I loved this book. It's written in 3rd person omnicient, which is odd for a modern novel, but I loved the connectivity. I also felt challenged by some of the faith in this book. Particularly within one section when a woman named Marjetta remarries solely to care for her small children and is brutally disappointed. At one point she turns to the scriptures for comfort, other times she takes it out with her tongue. Ursula's grandmothers are both devoted christians, Annie's mother a devout catholic and Mindy Ji a simple protestantism, yet the author makes nothing easy. Faith is not a standard, but it may be part of the connectedness of it all. Mindy Ji kneels reading the book of Hebrews during her granddaughter's rescue and comes to the verse...'we are now surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses..' and as a Chinese woman immediately thinks of her ancestors, those who have come before, as watching and waiting for this child who is the culmination of each of their lives.
Grade: 9.5
It took me a while to get really into it, but it was well worth it. If you think geneaology is silly and hate epics this is not the book for you. THIS IS NOT A CHRISTIAN BOOK. As a part of the natural pattern of being born, growing, getting married, moving on, having children there is sex in this book. I was uncomfortable with a few of the passages, but they did add to the variety of human experience and most were discreet. By far the most explicit was in the story of Marjetta (which I mentioned above) and was necessary to her story.
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/21/2005 11:00:51 AM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
This novel follows a year in the life of a village taken by the Plague in 1666. Under the guidance of their minister they decide not to run and spread it, but to take care of each other until it has passed. The narrator is the 18 year old servant of the minister and his wife. She becomes very close to the wife and the book is mostly how they deal with panic, witch-hunts, greed, despair, and ignorance.
I was enjoying this book for a time, despite the fact that none of the 'good' characters seemed like they belonged in the 17th century. I really wanted to see the difficult subject of God's level of action in the world and loosing or keeping your faith when experiencing such a level of pain and death. It was definitely sidelined to the action, but it was there. Unfortunately, the last 50 pages take the novel into some soap opera world which doesn't match the first 3/4 of the book. People you think you know become quite different in the name of 'the twist.' The author gets tired of her subject and heads to exotic locals. Some grisly action hopes to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I got annoyed, very very annoyed. My husband (who I'd read the beginning to) wanted an update so I gave him the ending to which he replied 'that was stupid. Why do they think it isn't good enough so they need to spice it up?' I wonder myself. I felt The Kite Runner gave way to some of the same sensationalism, when what the author really excelled at was the calm and emotion of the middle section.
Maybe that's what takes you to bestseller these days, a mixture of poetry and VC Andrews.
Grade: 5
adult themed. most of the ills of ignorance. violence. a little sex.
Obviously, since Kristin enjoyed this one...different books appeal to different people.
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/21/2005 11:35:15 AM
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gratefulforgrace
Posts: 252
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: Near Spokane Washington
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My husband and I went on a mini vacation this weekend so I had time to do a lot of reading. I read:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenburger. This has been reviewed on this thread already and, like nearly everyone else I've talked to, I enjoyed it.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling. I won't review this here...I see that there are a number of threads dedicated to the book in this folder already. Needless to say, I enjoyed the book although as the series goes on I seem to find myself less and less wowed.
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safran Foer. I picked this up because I really enjoyed Foer's second novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (I believe I reviewed that one earlier in this thread). Anyway, Illuminated was Foer's first novel and really got him a lot of buzz when it was first released. The book is excellent, although difficult to read in some places.
The novel tells the story of a young man who travels to Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather during the Holocaust. It ends up being a story of two families and the things that haunt them. Half of the book is written in the voice of the young man's Ukranian tour guide and it is written in broken english. The novel also jumps around between time periods and character's voices. It's very interesting but sometimes the broken english is a little distracting.
Grade: B? It's a good enough book but not the best I've ever read and definitely not as good as Foer's second work. The novel has some sex, violence (part of it is set during the Holocaust), and quite a bit of colorful language.
Right now I'm reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I'll let you know what I think when I finish.
_____________________________
Proud Follower of Christ
Wife of Chris
Mother of Helen and #2 due March 23!
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RE: Book Reviews - 7/29/2005 11:13:23 AM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
I finished this one over the weekend but forgot to review it. This is a sequel (but not a continuation) to Lowry's The Giver. The action never touches anyone from The Giver but instead focuses on a lame village girl named Kira, who is not cast out after her mother's death because of her own great sewing talent. She is taken in as a village ward and begins to meet other child-artists who's parents have died quickly and mysteriously. What is her purpose?
Lowry has said that this will somehow connect to Jonas in The Messenger. I have not read that one yet. Not nearly as focused or mysteriously interesting as The Giver. Seemed a little obvious to me. My husband, who is a fan of The Giver, really got annoyed at this one.
Grade: 5 Mediocre
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/6/2005 1:44:40 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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March by Geraldine Brooks
Kristen reviewed this one so I'll keep it short. It follows Mr. March (from Little Women) during his time in the Civil War. As he sees and experiences the setbacks of the war he thinks back to his own youth--making his fortune, molding his ideals, meeting Marmee, losing his money.
I was ready to be annoyed with this one because I didn't like Year of Wonders. Brooks still tends to write intimate relationships like a romance novel but because of the character it was a bit more subtle. I did enjoy that the character was drawn from Alcott's father and that the history was pretty on track here. My favorite parts included the subtle relationship between what March thought and did and what Marmee thought and said. March is an idealist, Marmee (while also an idealist) is infinitely more practical. So much of how men and women try to impress each other and the expectations we lay on each other which make things difficult.
I enjoyed it. Some sex, the violence of war.
Grade: 8.0
The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts
Tale of a group of misfits who work or eat in a small cafe in Sequoyah, Oklahoma. Caney, the owner, who came home from Vietnam in a wheelchair and never leaves the cafe; Vena, a Crow drifter and rescuer of a 3 legged dog; Bui, a Vietnamese refugee who speaks little english; MollyO, a big-hearted waitress who's only daughter is determined to break her heart time and time again.
If you read Where the Heart Is, you know Letts' penchant for working class characters and their numerous eccentricities and trials. She shines in taking a motley group, giving them personalities, and then weaving them in and out of each other until she ties them all neatly to each other in the end. An easy read, enjoyable, relaxing.
Grade: 7.5
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/11/2005 11:11:11 AM
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gratefulforgrace
Posts: 252
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: Near Spokane Washington
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The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
I did not expect to be wowed by this book. I'd heard some good reviews but I still wasn't sure. I mean, really, did we need another adapation on the Dracula story? After reading the book, I don't know if I'd say I was wowed, but I would say that I was entertained.
The narrator of the book is a 16 year old girl who finds an odd book hidden on the top shelf in her father's library. Reading the book and asking her father, the girl learns of her father's encounters with Dracula and his lifelong obsession with hunting him down. Of course, the daughter joins the hunt and the book takes us throughout Eastern and Western europe and into Istanbul on a very interesting journey.
The book is written in a similar style to The Davinci Code. The searchers spend a lot of time in libraries and hidden archives looking for previously unseen references to Dracula. They then follow those references across the continent to various monasteries and other ancient sites. One of my favorite things about the book is that the author uses a lot of historically accurate information...she accurate describes the historical Dracula (Vlad Dracul, the Impaler of Wallachia), makes accurate reference to the Byzantine Empire, and uses a number of actual Dracula myths throughout the book. It is very interesting to see how the myths span cultures and that was cool to see in a novel.
The comparisons with The Davinci Code continue. One of the things that really bothered me about both novels is a kind of anti-intellectualism. In both novels the people with the greatest desire for more information, the real truth seekers, were the ones in the most danger. I don't want to live in a world where it is safer to be ignorant and that seems to be the case in both of the novels.
Here the similarities end. Unlike The Davinci Code, The Historian is very well written. Kostova uses language in interesting ways and writes in a really engaging style. I will say, it took me about 10 or 20 pages to really get in to the story but once I did, I was hooked and could hardly put it down. The book is nearly 700 pages but I really wanted it to be twice as long...the reading was great.
There was no real resolution to the story but maybe there couldn't be. I think I would have been a little disappointed if it had all been nicely tied up at the end. I'll stop there, don't want to give anything away.
In all, I enjoyed it. There were certainly some themes that bothered me but it didn't really detract from the book. As you would expect in a book about Dracula, there was some violence but not too graphic, a very little sex (again, nothing graphic). The book is certainly frightening in places but Kostova uses language to frighten, not graphic violence, etc.
Grade A-
_____________________________
Proud Follower of Christ
Wife of Chris
Mother of Helen and #2 due March 23!
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/14/2005 10:24:18 PM
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Phil121
Posts: 11
Joined: 8/14/2005
From: Greensburg, PA
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WOW! so many reviews. Interesting to see 20 year old books by Arthur Clarke being reviewed on here  The last "Odyessy" book (3001) was the worst in the series, BTW.
Well, I'll give Tim Lahaye's new series a shot....
The Secret of Ararat
This book is the second in Tim Lahaye's "Babylon Rising" series. LaHaye is of course famous for his "left Behind" series. It revolves around the search for Noah's ark. The main character (Murphy) is an Indiana-Jones type who searches for long-lost Biblical artifacts. He recieves clues from a mysterious figure who often torments him. He also battles a mysterious World Consurtium bent on finding artifacts to bring about the rise of the Anti-christ. The consortium's 'hit-man' is a sociopath named Talon who is responsible for killing the Dr. Murphy's wife. Joining Dr. Murphy is a Scotish expert on Egyptology, who serves as his new love interest.
All in all I liked the book, even if I did find it a bit formulaic. The part I really enjoyed were the 'flashbacks' to the time of Noah, describing how the Ark came to be built. These parts really seemed to make the Bible come alive. The 'modern' story provides an adequate amount of suspense, and does a good job of demonstrating Chritian faith and ideals.
Score: 7 out of 10
_____________________________
"To live is Christ, to die is gain"....Phillipians 1:21
http://journals.aol.com/kweinschen/Veritas/
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/15/2005 8:05:31 PM
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Phil121
Posts: 11
Joined: 8/14/2005
From: Greensburg, PA
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Well, I thought 2010 was a pretty good book, but the series went down hill after that. Same thing with the RAMA series.
Clarke comes up with a lot of good ideas but tends to milk them too much.
_____________________________
"To live is Christ, to die is gain"....Phillipians 1:21
http://journals.aol.com/kweinschen/Veritas/
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/16/2005 5:30:22 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
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I liked the characters in 2010, but the book seemed stretched. He did nothing well, but I got tired of it. You're right, it was better than 2061.
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
Fuller tells the story of her childhood growing up in war-torn Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in the '70s. Seething with honesty, pain, and humor, she lays out a family full of ghosts and a land beautiful and deadly.
The writing is good, with only the occasional Joyce-like turn of phrase. I did sometimes wonder how any of the family could remember the past with all of the beer they drank (including her as a child). Sometimes it was all one long tipsy, crazy joke.
Grade: 7
lots of drinking and attitude
Messenger by Lois Lowry
The third and final installment of The Giver. Matty has grown up in Village and has the job of a Messenger in the frightening forest. Things begin to change in Village and people are no longer welcome. Matty discovers his own power just in time to fetch Seer's daughter Kira. It will be his most dangerous journey yet.
Much better than Gathering Blue, but still not equal to The Giver, this book seems to simplify human problems while keeping interest by using the supernatural. It felt odd. The ending was disappointing.
Grade: 5
Scribbling the Cat by Alexandra Fuller
Fuller turns from autobiography to biography as she documents a relationship she developed with a veteran of the Rhodesian war. While doing so she comes face to face with the contradiction of a person who kills 100s or 1000s of people in a military conflict, some in gruesome ways, in order to come home and become broken with the destruction of his family. His acceptance of Christ holds him together as a person, still dogged by the demons of the past and occasional violent anger. Fuller obviously is drawn to K, his strength, kindness, and total honesty, but just as obviously thinks he's crazy. Crazy for being a Christian. Crazy for believing God talks to him. Crazy in a dozen ways.
I really enjoyed this one. Fuller lost the shine on her prose that she had in the last book, but replaced it with a story that you can see still confuses her. This is a meditation on war and what it does to people, how it affects them, and rides through their being even years afterward.
Grade: 8.5
remembered violence and war, some language, mild drinking
_____________________________
Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/19/2005 11:42:18 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
Status: offline
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Eventide by Kent Haruf
I think I reviewd Plainsong before we switched over. Eventide is the continuation of life in Holt, Colorado. The McPheron brothers dominate this one along with a few new characters. Haruf takes the everyday sadness and loneliness of people and shows how they draw themselves into families where none were before. In Plainsong, he centered on 2 such families: Tom Guthrie and his sons Ike and Bobby, and the McPheron brothers, older ranchers who take in a pregnant teenager. This time he branches out into a young boy taking care of his grandfather, a family of welfare recipients, and woman with young daughters. In and out he takes them, in a way only a small town could connect people.
I loved Plainsong. It was plain and real. From the rough-talking stories of cattlemen to boasting of children. It had a lot of faults of people, but the goodness too. Haruf makes it easier to identify who's speaking what this time around (he doesn't use quotes in either book) which makes it easier to differentiate the personalities of the 2 sets of brothers Ike and Bobby, Raymond and Harold.
Grade: 9
sex implied. some violence. some language.
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Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/21/2005 3:20:46 AM
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Praedulcise
Posts: 14
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: 31 Spooner Street
Status: offline
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The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
I wasn't captured so much by the actual writing as I was by the story, if that makes sense. Overall, it was exceedingly intriguing, and I am actually re-reading it.
A group of 19th century literary figures, including Longfellow, in the midst of their translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy are confronted with a serious of murders based on scenes from Dante's Inferno. Dante's literary future in America is at stake, as the members of the club set about to track down the killer.
There are a great deal of graphic descriptions in the book, dealing with details of each murder. I found it more technical, as opposed to "for shock" description; however, if you're a bit squeamish, perhaps you should skim those parts.
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|| our lodgings castles in the air. ||
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RE: Book Reviews - 8/31/2005 1:40:19 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
Status: offline
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u]The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
Five women and one man form a club which only reads Jane Austen. Each finds a way to relate to her (and each other) work from various backgrounds and personalities. A nice light read. My only complaints were the lack of Pride and Prejudice discussion and some of the hasty endings.
Grade: 7
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
A woman learns of her husband's death and tries to cope with her grief and protect her daughter from the media's suppositions. Meanwhile, she uncovers traces which lead her to wonder if she ever knew her husband.
Detailed. Another light read but a compelling look at grief.
Grade: 8
House-keeping by marilynne Robinson
Two girls are raised and abandoned (through death or action) by father, mother, grandmother, and great-aunts, only to be finally looked after by their mother's eccentric sister who's mind and body seem to be drifting. So chock-full of dreamy floating images, dull loneliness, and lush metaphors that is feels like swimming in pudding.
To be read slowly--very slowly--and only if you don't mind that the journey (the writing itself) is worth more than the destination (plot). A masterful writer.
Grade: 9 for art, 7 for entertainment
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Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 9/21/2005 6:06:00 PM
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Auben
Posts: 1611
Joined: 4/13/2005
From: Where pines tower and cranberries float
Status: offline
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The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
14 year old Lily Owens thinks about her mother all the time. When she was 4 years old her mother died in a gun accident that she may or may not have caused. Nothing will stop her as she decides that she must follow the clues to figure out what happened to her mother right before the accident. Set during the Civil Rights movement, Lily makes the acquaintance of a black beekeeper and her circle of friends and family..each of whom gives her some of the mother-love she's been missing.
This was pretty well written. I admit I was a little leery, the white and black meet during the Civil Rights movement has been done almost to death. Plus, July and the other women are Catholic and I wasn't sure if the Mary worship was going to end up like goddess worship, but the author neatly tied that up at the end with her very modern interpretation of Mary-worship.
Worth the read. A bit of violence mostly civil rights related, Lily has some feelings for a boy but it stays pretty innocent. If you have a problem with cathollics and their practices you may want to skip it.
Grade: 8
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Tamara
~Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time~
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RE: Book Reviews - 9/27/2005 12:15:47 PM
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babbred
Posts: 567
Joined: 5/5/2005
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Auben
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
14 year old Lily Owens thinks about her mother all the time. When she was 4 years old her mother died in a gun accident that she may or may not have caused. Nothing will stop her as she decides that she must follow the clues to figure out what happened to her mother right before the accident. Set during the Civil Rights movement, Lily makes the acquaintance of a black beekeeper and her circle of friends and family..ea | | |
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