tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78056883911497215482019-08-28T06:01:53.904-04:00a book chicklee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-3360281688152303982019-04-04T14:18:00.000-04:002019-04-04T14:18:02.348-04:00"A Spark of Light" <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yd6Wpq0Kg4k/XKZJ4_pIsBI/AAAAAAAACTI/tqSDHnOG9QkUhmhZoxkPYRs-O-0XgTOYACLcBGAs/s1600/spark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yd6Wpq0Kg4k/XKZJ4_pIsBI/AAAAAAAACTI/tqSDHnOG9QkUhmhZoxkPYRs-O-0XgTOYACLcBGAs/s200/spark.jpg" width="131" /></a>My take: This book drew me in so fast and after reading the first chapter I realized the book was going to go back in time hour by hour and I might not find out how the situation plays out. (There's an epilogue - no need to worry.)<br /><br />I was stunned by the subject and depth of this novel. Ms. Picoult does not shy away from the hard, cold facts and reality of abortion and she includes so much humanity and love in each character - from the clinic owner to the physician to the clients there for various reasons.<br /><br />Cleverly crafted, clearly researched, thought-provoking, real, raw, page turner ... wow.<br /><br />My source: Daughter-in-law-to-be Hillary is a huge Jodi Picoult fan. I got to read her signed copy. She told me Ms. Picoult designed the book to be read in either direction - front to back as bound, or back to front of book. Amazing.<br /><br />My verdict: Couldn't put this down. Highly recommend.lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-6678002921441990192018-12-26T16:14:00.000-05:002018-12-26T16:14:19.324-05:00"The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WgR37jhnzx8/UpZqZwNht4I/AAAAAAAABVQ/PiVR315Z6ig/s1600/unlikely.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WgR37jhnzx8/UpZqZwNht4I/AAAAAAAABVQ/PiVR315Z6ig/s200/unlikely.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>my take: In this delightful tale, Harold is newly retired and bored, anxious, and quite sure he's missed out on something important in his life, as in forgotten or failed a task. One morning he sets out down the road, similar to a Forest Gump run across the country, and begins a trek to find the woman he thinks he has slighted, who may be the missed opportunity to be kind, or do something meaningful.<br /><br />Along the way he ruins his feet, picks up a following, and completes the ultimate hero's journey ... the interior odyssey of self-knowledge.<br /><br />Ms. Joyce shows how 'things' become much other than the 'thing' and take on a life of their own, especially in life in the social media and 24/7 news cycle era.<br /><br />Gosh, my feet ached in solidarity with Harold's.<br /><br />my source: HA! can't remember. If you're the person who suggested I read this five years ago or so, thanks!<br /><br />my verdict: excellent feel good readlee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-28870872553585049862018-09-03T21:39:00.000-04:002018-09-03T21:39:01.094-04:00"The Music Shop"<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503590162l/26854212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Music Shop" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503590162l/26854212.jpg" width="131" /></a>my take: On a run-down street in 1980's London, wander into a shop full of boxes of records and a guy who can intuit the need of a customer. Step into his listening booth - an old wardrobe fitted with a chair and headphones, reminiscent of stepping into the furniture that leads to Narnia - and hear the soul restoring sounds. Look around and see a cast of down-on-their-luck shop keepers trying to eek out a living. Catch a glimpse of the mystery lady in the green coat.<br /><br />This music shop stocks only vinyl. It's an exploration of the staying power of some art forms and the push for technology to be smaller, faster, easier. It's an exploration in the staying power of community - if we stand together we make it; when we are divided we crumble.<br /><br />I wish I'd seen during the reading experience the link for the Spotify playlist - find it whilst you read and enjoy the various prescribed songs. My favorite scene involves the "Hallelujah Chorus."<br /><br />my source: Daughter Anne<br /><br />my verdict: Good feel good read ... some might say a beach read AND the kind of thing you might need in a dreary season. Not as great as <i>The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry</i> or <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2016/03/the-love-song-of-miss-queenie-hennessy.html">The Love Song of Queen Hennessy</a></i> ... AND still worth a read.lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-30656903686309016702018-08-15T11:14:00.000-04:002018-08-15T11:14:00.211-04:00"Anything is Possible"<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cW6egLA6Qak/W3BXwFOjQYI/AAAAAAAACRA/UtWrcnUwH8oevj-dFyOOlJNiBlsMuvZbwCLcBGAs/s1600/anything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="184" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cW6egLA6Qak/W3BXwFOjQYI/AAAAAAAACRA/UtWrcnUwH8oevj-dFyOOlJNiBlsMuvZbwCLcBGAs/s200/anything.jpg" width="133" /></a>my take: Much in the style of <i>Olive Kitteridge</i>, each chapter is an intimate look at a related character. And, oh! the things they reveal.<br /><br />People are so interesting. This is a little like people watching on a park bench or in a coffee shop.<br /><br />Each story has a little something to do with another character, many of them referencing Lucy Barton, the small town, poverty stricken girl who's made it big by publishing a book. Many of the stories tell of their perceived or actual treatment of inferiority or superiority over another.<br /><br />The thread through many of the chapters that stands out are the corn and soybean fields. For several characters they are the home sight and sound, the grounding, the center, the returning to childhood. I wonder if it's how the smell, sight, sound of the wooded Lake Michigan shore are home and center for me. It makes me wonder if everybody has a heart place.<br /><br />Elizabeth Strout is a favorite and she does not disappoint AGAIN. This isn't so much plot driven as inner reflections, memories, pivotal/seminal moments. This book MASTERFULLY dovetails/informs <i>My Name is Lucy Barton</i>. Please read both. I re-read <i>Lucy</i> after finishing <i>Anything</i>.<br /><br />my source: Costco find in hardcover. Then left it at a cottage for a year ... happy to be re-united.<br /><br />my verdict: Five stars. So is <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2016/08/my-name-is-lucy-barton.html">My Name is Lucy Barton</a></i> and <i>Olive Kitteridge. </i>A three for one review. You're welcome. Actually, read anything and everything by Elizabeth Strout.<br /><br />lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-55769287071545395662018-06-12T16:49:00.000-04:002018-06-12T16:49:03.069-04:00"Every Last One" <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xA4gbkMqPA/WpSHQqQ6i2I/AAAAAAAACPM/zw0jhGAUv4sKzP6ZB7eRcQAyufdO5fhMQCLcBGAs/s1600/51y4vkI6drL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xA4gbkMqPA/WpSHQqQ6i2I/AAAAAAAACPM/zw0jhGAUv4sKzP6ZB7eRcQAyufdO5fhMQCLcBGAs/s200/51y4vkI6drL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="129" /></a>my take: As I was readying my Kindle for a two week vacation (PACKING LIGHT BECAUSE BOOKS ARE BETTER), I spied this novel in an e-book email offering. Long ago reads from Ms. Quindlen were great ... could this cheap-o unknown be any good? For $1.99 could I go wrong?<br /><br />Yes. No.<br /><br />The characters and situation seem so plausible that when the unthinkable happened, it deeply affected me. I'd 100% bought into the life of the Latham family as told by Mary Beth, mother of three teenagers. The everyday minutia of managing a household, children with various issues, and a landscaping business made me think it could be my own life she was describing. So. Ordinary. I thought the story was about the kids' problems. Until the real story started.<br /><br />Wow.<br /><br />Startling. Wrenching. A ripped-from-the-headlines kind of story that left its mark on me. Unsettling because tragedy is visited upon people not like ourselves, right?<br /><br />my source: Anna Quindlen a Book Bub bargain? Yes, please.<br /><br />my verdict: Four out of five stars<br /><br /><br />lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-234353572396703652018-03-02T13:43:00.002-05:002018-03-02T13:43:19.729-05:00"What Happened"<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BcfELIaxFDQ/WphK5x9HYmI/AAAAAAAACPg/HK3PrJnYDyAL_-OsJsbdiGv4WBgOBq8bwCLcBGAs/s1600/happened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1061" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BcfELIaxFDQ/WphK5x9HYmI/AAAAAAAACPg/HK3PrJnYDyAL_-OsJsbdiGv4WBgOBq8bwCLcBGAs/s200/happened.jpg" width="132" /></a>my take: With humor and lots of articulate sentences, Hillary Clinton describes her experience of running in and losing the 2016 election. And does she have words! And is she meticulous! It's a big book.<br /><br />The chapter on the fake news, trolling and bots is especially interesting. She tells of her relationship with Putin and how she was preparing to deal with the fallout of the meddling and future encounters. As a former Secretary of State she has a command of not only the facts, the players, and the magnitude of the problem, she has skills for leading the country through the mess. If only.<br /><br />She takes responsibility for what mistakes she made and lays out a convincing argument for the part Russia, James Comey, the circus mentality of the media, and other factors played in the election outcome (including Bernie supporters) ... and THOSE DAMN EMAILS (chapter title).<br /><br />As a society, we're much more comfortable with men talking of their prowess and conquests. If you are not used to a woman confidently sharing her strengths and accomplishments, this book will feel foreign, odd. Likely there are groups of people who crucified her for bragging.<br /><br />The chapter on election night was poignant and hard to read because it brought back that night so clearly for me. I shall never forget where I was, with whom I shared the evening, even what I wore. Her final chapters called "Love and Kindness" and "Onward Together" are fantastic.<br /><br />I give her credit for the optimism and kindness she shows throughout the book. A private person by nature, she opens a few windows to see into her world for the last few years. I, for one, wish things had happened differently, wish her well, and am eager to see how her Onward Together movement grows.<br /><br />my source: Target shopping impulse buy<br /><br />my verdict: I laughed, I cried, I came away a better person. 4.5 stars ... some parts were a little long (overly meticulous?!)<br /><br /><br />lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-25517804185211284052018-01-25T09:45:00.001-05:002018-03-20T15:21:07.979-04:00"Young Jane Young"<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYhai5KehaU/Wmngv-NMFCI/AAAAAAAACOs/ZYtJC6ZyQ8gYS5IYqCb7kslbWNk9BFxLACEwYBhgL/s1600/young%2Bjane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYhai5KehaU/Wmngv-NMFCI/AAAAAAAACOs/ZYtJC6ZyQ8gYS5IYqCb7kslbWNk9BFxLACEwYBhgL/s200/young%2Bjane.jpg" width="131" /></a>my take: As with the best Fun Female Fiction, <i>Young Jane Young</i> serves up an easy to read tale with discussion worthy ideas: aging, mother daughter relationships, marriage, friendship, social acceptance.<br /><br />A young female intern falls in love with her married, much older, state congressman boss and the repercussions of that affair for herself and the women in her life round out the basic plot.<br /><br />The story is told from various generations of women - young, old, mothers, 'enemies' - and the reader has the distinct advantage of seeing the event from several sides, even as the reader discovers more 'truths' as each woman's voice is heard.<br /><br />How does one make a life again when their name, face, and action have been national headlines? (Monika Lewinsky, for example) Is there empathy, grace, derision, or slut-shaming from society?<br /><br />The role of female relationships in the lives of the characters and how they make their way through life with or without the help of the others was interesting to note and ponder. Very timely in the midst of the #MeToo movement, which seeks to give space for women speak their truth and to create an environment where women support each other.<br /><br />my source: Daughter Anne. I love it when she makes a recommendation AND hands me the book.<br /><br />my verdict: Great fast read - I also recommend Gabrielle Zevin's <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2014/08/the-storied-life-of-aj-firky.html">The Storied Life of A.J. Firky</a></i><br /><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-24906023977120366452018-01-13T19:24:00.000-05:002018-01-25T08:49:57.160-05:00"The Husband's Secret"<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KESMHesko1o/V2hlfhK_BTI/AAAAAAAAB-M/3lDGRXrrkLwyKiiNxhYkCMwyrS4wz5zagCLcB/s1600/husband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KESMHesko1o/V2hlfhK_BTI/AAAAAAAAB-M/3lDGRXrrkLwyKiiNxhYkCMwyrS4wz5zagCLcB/s200/husband.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />my take: I like how Ms. Moriarty's characters seem a bit superficial at first, the novel a bit house-wifey ... and then she blows up their world (see cover pic of a pulverized flower) and their humanity breaks into their perfect facade, each character reckoning with their own folly.<br /><br />What to do when you find a letter in the attic that's addressed to you ... only to be opened on the event of your husband's death? Cecelia finds such an envelope while her husband's on a business trip. Her story line and two others (Rachel and Tess) converge in the local school. <br /><br />What's okay to keep secret and what do we need to tell are two questions that would be worth discussing after reading.<br /><br />my source: My sister Jennifer handed this me this one.<br /><br />my verdict: Good read, especially for vacation. I like the books of hers I've read - fairly easy to get into, though not particularly memorable enough to stand alone in my brain: they're jumbled. But it's a pleasant confusion.<br /><div><br /></div><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-90872781074905333672018-01-09T19:35:00.000-05:002018-01-09T19:35:04.643-05:00"A Little Life"<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OWmb3lL5B9k/WOg14FbKLZI/AAAAAAAACIY/qX_M7hBp-KI-W9epbrthU6KPushQQrhawCLcB/s1600/a%2Blittle%2Blife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OWmb3lL5B9k/WOg14FbKLZI/AAAAAAAACIY/qX_M7hBp-KI-W9epbrthU6KPushQQrhawCLcB/s200/a%2Blittle%2Blife.jpg" width="131" /></a>my take: This is one of my top picks of 2017. And yet, I hesitate to recommend it.<br /><br />It's brutal.<br /><br />A kind of Brothers K ... four young men meet in college and form a diverse, close-knit group. At first it's hard to figure out who is who. With 800+ pages, you have time to get to know each one.<br /><br />One of the four has had an extraordinarily harsh life. As his story is slowly (thankfully) revealed, layers of evil are unearthed. <br /><br />Essentially a love story. How love can wound, maim, and nearly kill. And how love can redeem. How messy our earthly love is, even with the best intentions. Not to mention the worst intentions.<br /><br />The writing is what kept me going. Wow. Beautiful writing of a brutal tale.<br /><br />my source: top reading lists<br /><br />my verdict: excellent but difficult read<br /><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-40550878652864542722018-01-07T18:43:00.000-05:002018-01-07T18:43:24.332-05:00"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine"<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jeinOSE1VkE/WlKANL-7vrI/AAAAAAAACOY/B2q4gjZyDxwzyxxx1dumexDEOQ-3sP7ggCLcBGAs/s1600/eleanor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jeinOSE1VkE/WlKANL-7vrI/AAAAAAAACOY/B2q4gjZyDxwzyxxx1dumexDEOQ-3sP7ggCLcBGAs/s200/eleanor.jpg" width="133" /></a>my take: Socially awkward with a very precisely scheduled life, a young woman who knows she the butt of office jokes, Eleanor's solitary existence at first glance is fine. She seems to enjoy her routine and has her basic needs met. She avoids her co-workers, makes astute observations to herself about the lives around her, and gets by with Vodka.<br /><br />Her life changes when an elderly man collapses on the street near her. With his fall begins the climb up Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid for our heroine.<br /><br />The narrative becomes heart-breaking as Eleanor (and the reader) discovers the depth of her loneliness and explores her past trauma. Happily, it's also funny, witty, and heart-warming. Near the end I sensed a small tribute to <i>Sense and Sensibility </i>(<3).<br /><br />my source: First recommended to me by tennis friend/author Christine. Thanks!<br /><br />my verdict: Very fine read - highly recommend.lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-63118670214520556352017-12-28T11:24:00.000-05:002017-12-28T11:24:04.421-05:00"Beartown"<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqTMFAy40ig/WinyiltWmgI/AAAAAAAACNw/WUAbEQ9-19wZf_7I4jX3DSO66wpOaT_cACLcBGAs/s1600/beartown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqTMFAy40ig/WinyiltWmgI/AAAAAAAACNw/WUAbEQ9-19wZf_7I4jX3DSO66wpOaT_cACLcBGAs/s200/beartown.jpg" width="132" /></a>my take: This book has it all: Man vs man; Man vs nature; Man vs himself; Sport; Team; Parenting; Neighboring; Secrets; Immigrant integration.<br /><br />In a small Swedish town that reveres hockey and needs junior hockey to save its economy, boys are being boys and men and women are looking the other way. Until they are forced not to.<br /><br />This is beautifully written, deeply engrossing, and a bit unsettling. It begins "Late one evening toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead, and pulled the trigger. This is the story of how we got there." Foreshadowing throughout the re-telling creates tension and the edginess of discovering who shoots and who gets shot.<br /><br />my source: Hubby received for Father's Day. Really, a treat for both parents.<br /><br />my verdict: One of my best reads for 2017. Great book club book.lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-27134255485162338862017-10-16T21:04:00.000-04:002017-10-16T21:04:54.773-04:00"The Wonder"<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0KaWRyrPHRU/WV2RQfaV1mI/AAAAAAAACKw/-sQMAJZ8Pwc8S4g5amWLV-nKN9jjlJjfgCLcBGAs/s1600/wonder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0KaWRyrPHRU/WV2RQfaV1mI/AAAAAAAACKw/-sQMAJZ8Pwc8S4g5amWLV-nKN9jjlJjfgCLcBGAs/s200/wonder.jpg" width="128" /></a>my take: The heroine, a Nightingale trained nurse, is hired to keep a two-week watch over a young girl who claims to be eating nothing for four months. Is it a miracle, a divine intervention, or is it a hoax? Much of the 'action' takes place in the girl's small room, from the author of <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2011/01/room.html">Room</a></i> where ALL the action takes place in a small shed.<br /><br />Here she explores the nature of religious devotion, of English versus Irish, of superstitions vs fact, and of nurses versus doctors.<br /><br />I thought this was a bit boring for a while and then needed to find out was it a hoax!? As the past of the nurse and the Wonder are revealed, a compelling enough tale emerges.<br /><br />my source: browsing Herrick Library shelves<br /><br />my verdict: Quiet, good readlee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-14634212565866996282017-07-31T12:03:00.000-04:002017-07-31T12:03:01.165-04:00"Small Great Things"<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvGwA4L6qsA/WXODWMOtiBI/AAAAAAAACL4/cUfUr28_MVAM1n-79TMr8jrLkeLg61a0gCLcBGAs/s1600/small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvGwA4L6qsA/WXODWMOtiBI/AAAAAAAACL4/cUfUr28_MVAM1n-79TMr8jrLkeLg61a0gCLcBGAs/s200/small.jpg" width="131" /></a>my take: Whew. Almost quit on this one. Some of the content was so disturbing I wasn't sure I wanted to read on. Ignorance <i>is</i> bliss.<br /><br />The story is told by three narrators: a Black middle-aged Labor and Delivery nurse, a twenty something White supremacist, and a thirty-something public defender. Their lives come together when the nurse is assigned to care for the supremacist's newborn baby.<br /><br />Great plot, well-developed characters, and an excellent behind the scenes look at the judicial system, the hard realities of racism in America, and the hidden world of hate groups. I was physically ill reading how such groups prey on and recruit people and how they're working to populate their movement. Truly scary stuff.<br /><br />This is a thoughtful and deeply personal probing at racism for the author and her peeling back the veil for her readers:<br /><br /> "Most of us think the word <i>racism</i> is synonymous with the word <i>prejudice</i>. But racism is more than just discrimination based on skin color. It's also about who has institutional power. Just as racism creates disadvantages for people of color that make success harder to achieve, it also gives advantages to white people that make success easier to achieve. It's hard to see those advantages, much less own up to them. And that, I realized, was why I <i>had</i> to write this book. When it comes to social justice, the role of the white ally is not to be a savior or a fixer. Instead, the role of the ally is to find other white people and talk to make them see that many of the benefits they've enjoyed in life are direct results of the fact that someone else did <i>not</i> have the same benefits." (from the Author's Note)<br /><br />Although I see some of the advantages I have, I have progress to make in ferreting out where White privilege is unseen in my life, and I appreciated this quote/knowledge that my role is to convince other Whites of their privileged position.<br /><br />my source: Son's girlfriend, Hillary, loves all things Jodi Picoult and shared the hardcover copy with me.<br /><br />my verdict: Uncomfortable, necessary readlee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-18189906227143633632017-07-29T11:58:00.000-04:002017-07-29T11:58:13.639-04:00"August Snow"<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JuNBjO-0lU/WXOOeLksB6I/AAAAAAAACMI/GobbmKmf3J4cIIm08XU0NKuaenMdnJ0pACLcBGAs/s1600/snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JuNBjO-0lU/WXOOeLksB6I/AAAAAAAACMI/GobbmKmf3J4cIIm08XU0NKuaenMdnJ0pACLcBGAs/s200/snow.jpg" width="133" /></a>my take: This was recommended by Nancy Pearl (<i>Book Lust</i>) recently. She mentioned that in these unsettling times in the U.S. she's having a hard time concentrating and requires books that are page-turners to keep her attention and make the world go away.<br /><br />August Snow is a former marine, former Detroit police officer, and now as a private citizen drawn into investigating a high stakes financial scheme. August is also half Black and half Hispanic which gives him an interesting perspective on many things. A macho guy with a soft heart. And lots of foibles. A little like a cross between the PBS <i>Sherlock</i> and <i>The Pacifier</i> Vin Diesel. (Just so you know, I LOVE <i>THE PACIFIER.</i>)<br /><br />This narrative has a higher body count than my usual read. And it was a page-turner. It took me till nearly the end to figure out whodunit.<br /><br />We lived in the Detroit area for nine years: it was great to revisit the places I know and to discover much more. Makes me want to visit Mexicantown.<br /><br />my source: Nancy Pearl on NPR ... was running errands and heard her segment. I drove directly to the library. It was out at that (main) branch but in at northside location. By the time I got there, it too was checked out. Waited for the e-book to become available. Dang! Too many NPR listeners in town.<br /><br />my verdict: pretty good detective story especially if you know Detroitlee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-30600525910064701042017-07-21T09:43:00.000-04:002017-07-21T09:43:01.122-04:00"West of Sunset"<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wuu3Kipxjnc/WWQsSD5OfTI/AAAAAAAACLQ/hkIVNH0RwboCIQGsPoSv3FhkIZxt8py2wCLcBGAs/s1600/west.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wuu3Kipxjnc/WWQsSD5OfTI/AAAAAAAACLQ/hkIVNH0RwboCIQGsPoSv3FhkIZxt8py2wCLcBGAs/s200/west.jpg" width="132" /></a>my take: Here's the tale of F. Scott Fitzgerald's last years, past the wild days with Zelda. He's hawked himself to the Hollywood movie machine.<br /><br />Brilliantly told, a historical novel that brings to life glamorous, ruthless Hollywood with stars and directors and dancing and premieres.<br /><br />Having caught glimpses of Fitzgerald in reading about <a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2012/05/paris-wife.html">Hemingway</a>, I wasn't sure how much I would care for the man behind <i>The Great Gatsby</i>. He's portrayed here as a conflicted spouse, a guilt-ridden and proud father, a writer past his days of fame, an alcoholic, a man who needs to make a living to keep his life afloat.<br /><br />I loved this behind the scenes look at the film industry in the 1930's. And I loved this depiction of this great writer.<br /><br />my source: On my very tall TO READ stack ... can't even remember how it got there. Just that I love everything Stewart O'Nan. Also read <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2012/07/emily-alone.html">Emily, Alone</a>. </i><br /><br />my verdict: Great readlee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-55117169000160116242017-07-05T22:00:00.000-04:002017-07-05T22:00:49.337-04:00"Baltasar and Bluminda"<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yye__l-C5S0/WR4IB5Zp9rI/AAAAAAAACJE/qpml_cDN3wgHKLvS9L7CZM3Pt-ddpiKlQCLcB/s1600/b%2526b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yye__l-C5S0/WR4IB5Zp9rI/AAAAAAAACJE/qpml_cDN3wgHKLvS9L7CZM3Pt-ddpiKlQCLcB/s200/b%2526b.jpg" width="127" /></a>my take: Walking through Portugal I was amazed at the scale of their oldest buildings and monuments. It put me in mind of the pyramids: as in slave labor. These things don't get built by the people who dream them/demand them/use them. They get built by captives and those vulnerable to the wealthy and powerful. <i>Baltasar & Bluminda</i> tells the story of the convent at Mafra (a bit north of Lisbon) from it's inception to (premature) consecration.<br /><br />Oh, kids. This is brutal and beautiful. Baltasar is a maimed former soldier, Bluminda is a young woman orphaned by the Inquisition, the King is Joao IV who needs an heir, and the fellow who inspired the tale is remembered as the "Flying Priest". <br /><br />The contrast between the wealthy and the poor couldn't be more pronounced. The contrast between the characters couldn't be harder to distinguish: no quotation marks and not even paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker. This was slow reading. Which gave me time to ponder better. A very relevant book for our times of rich versus poor in the United States and world wide.<br /><br />my source:While prepping for a trip to Portugal I found a suggestion to read <i>El Convento</i>... I downloaded a $5.99 copy to my kindle & opened it to read on the airplane. EN PORTUGUESE! Rats! I hunted down <i>El Convento</i> in Porto at a really great bookstore ... the salesgirl told me they didn't have it but they had this in English and it's her all-time favorite book, not just her favorite José Saramago book. Well! Sign me up! A couple cities later at another bookstore I asked after <i>El Convento</i> and was handed <i>Baltasar & Bluminda</i>. Ta da! Same same.<br /><br />my verdict: Slow-going excellent read for those going to or have been to Portugal.<br /><br />lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-44094168362202057232017-07-02T14:43:00.000-04:002017-07-10T20:28:48.664-04:00"Eligible"<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gc-B9cfVRWE/WUkGPrXV0kI/AAAAAAAACKU/wFGer3nLO6s0X1PfUe_jkU4q_pkmSI96QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/eligible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="182" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gc-B9cfVRWE/WUkGPrXV0kI/AAAAAAAACKU/wFGer3nLO6s0X1PfUe_jkU4q_pkmSI96QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/eligible.jpg" /></a>my take: What looks like wealth and upper class in America? What would bring an upper-middle class family shame? Curtis Sittenfeld has done a marvelous job translating 19th century <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> mores into the 21st century. In fact, she interpreted the old-maidenness and bad manners so well it helped me understand the original better.<br /><br />Mix the five Bennett girls with reality television, transgender discrimination, artificial insemination, feminism, CrossFit, yoga, and a decrepit Tudor ... throw in a couple eligible bachelors ... and add a misinterpreted text, the lure of fame, an act of racism at Stanford ... and violá! The current trappings that make <i>P&P</i> relevant and new.<br /><br />The new comes with a bit more overt feminist language ... in this tale of marrying off the Bennett women, Ms. Sittenfeld suggests a defense of pairing off. As Liz interviews an aging feminist for the magazine <i>Mascara</i>, the grand dame says, "'There's a belief that to take care of someone else, or to let someone else take care of you--that both are inherently unfeminist. I don't agree. There's no shame in devoting yourself to another person, as long as he devotes himself to you in return.'" And maybe that's what we've always loved about Mr. Darcy: he does devote himself to Elizabeth.<br /><br />The author points out that there's also no shame in remaining single. She gives Mary the last word/chapter. It's not about marriage or procreating ... it's about being who you are. She loves to be alone. End of story.<br /><br />Is it terrible to say I'd love to watch this as a mini-series? Sigh. I never tire of <i>P&P.</i><br /><br />my source: Recommended and loaned (in hardcover, no less) by Daughter Anne. She lived in Cincinnati for five years and especially enjoyed all the references.<br /><br />my verdict: Fun modern re-telling of P&Plee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-75879242531436965792017-06-04T18:24:00.000-04:002017-06-04T18:24:00.551-04:00"Lincoln in the Bardo"<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pa_tfhMvXcc/WTRhO6ji4sI/AAAAAAAACJ8/1GXY3blSB4YmPk4LrdHMnNKi2ulNwScuQCLcB/s1600/lincoln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="184" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pa_tfhMvXcc/WTRhO6ji4sI/AAAAAAAACJ8/1GXY3blSB4YmPk4LrdHMnNKi2ulNwScuQCLcB/s200/lincoln.jpg" width="134" /></a>my take: Wow.<br /><br />Legend has it that after President Lincoln's son Willie died, he went to the cemetery and took the boy's body out of the casket to hold one last time. This myth/event is the impetus for this graveyard tale.<br /><br />The inhabitants of the bardo are those who seem to be keeping themselves in a state of purgatory, in the liminal space between life and what comes next. They are shocked and awed that Mr. Lincoln does what no one has done and this sets the entire crazy ghoulish community atwitter.<br /><br />At time hilarious and at times utterly moving, I loved this conversation of the deceased and the journal/letter entries of Mr. Lincoln's contemporaries. After <i>Team of Rivals</i> I adored the 16th President; after this, well, I feel I've walked a mile in his shoes. I also wonder if Mr. Saunders has read C.S. Lewis' <i>The Great Divorce</i>.<br /><br />Daughter Anne reports that the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vDdR7xV-8Q">audio</a> version is a production, nearly a radio play, with all different voices: Author Saunders takes a role with 165 others joining him. The book is a bit confusing at first, so the audio definitely will be to start. And very worthwhile. I think this would make an amazing movie.<br /><br />my source: Stephen Colbert interviewing George Saunders, my interest in Mr. Saunders having grown since I saw him at the Festival of Faith and writing last year. Loaned from bookie Bea - whose hubby gave her a book a month for Christmas (!) from their local St. Joseph, MI bookstore; she gets an email with suggestions and then saunters down there and makes her pick. I may have encouraged this one.<br /><br />my verdict: excellent off-beat readlee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-31356397109960851452017-06-02T14:42:00.004-04:002017-06-02T14:42:58.022-04:00"The Jesus Cow"<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pGjI-Uq8tmg/WS38goHzACI/AAAAAAAACJk/932yJYBEqM8_eDRRBVa4KX_nidRbr19lgCLcB/s1600/cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pGjI-Uq8tmg/WS38goHzACI/AAAAAAAACJk/932yJYBEqM8_eDRRBVa4KX_nidRbr19lgCLcB/s200/cow.jpg" width="131" /></a>my take: Literature can take you anywhere; I do love reading about all kinds of places. As a midwest girl born and bred, there's something particularly homey and wonderful about midwestern writing. Although not a farm girl (by any means) nor a small-town gal, I loved the farmer, Harley, and rural Swivel's inhabitants.<br /><br />Harley has a few beefers and a milker on what's left of his father's farm. On Christmas Eve his milker gives birth to a calf with the face of Jesus on its hide. Enter a the wise veteran, a biker girl friend, and a blabber-mouth mail lady and his quiet solitary life is over.<br /><br />The story is fun, low-key, easy and could be taken just as a nice beach read ... and the thoughts are deep and deserving of inspection and reflection if you've got the time and energy. Michael Perry brings us the intersection of religious belief with the practical, gritty real world.<br /><br /> "What you have there is people assigning meaning to coincidence. Forcing theology into<br /> place between nature and chance. There is a mighty space between the known and<br /> the unknown, and a lot of folks use theology to spackle the gap." p 219<br /><br />Deep thoughts, beautifully crafted language, and earthy characters in a wonderful conglomeration of Michael Perry's life and interests. Even though I could see how some of the plot was gonna play out and the last chapter was more of an epilogue, I loved this.<br /><br />my source: Spotted this hardcover for $7 at the wonderfully fabulous <a href="http://www.unabridgedbookstore.com/">Unabridged Bookstore</a> on Broadway in north Chicago. If you are in the area: GO. Also, a huge Michael Perry fan. Also read: <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2011/06/population-485.html">Population 485</a>, Coop, Truck: A Love Story </i>to get to know him.<br /><br />my verdict: Very good feel good. And just what I needed.<br /><br />lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-80275673156108397212017-05-18T16:36:00.001-04:002017-05-18T16:36:45.215-04:00"The Dry"<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ywWCE2jrxc/WOg54kaGzzI/AAAAAAAACIs/s03F2NXWmJUC7jt0bCZ8HEGibPZNqAYgwCLcB/s1600/dry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ywWCE2jrxc/WOg54kaGzzI/AAAAAAAACIs/s03F2NXWmJUC7jt0bCZ8HEGibPZNqAYgwCLcB/s200/dry.jpg" width="130" /></a>my take: A triple family suicide/murder in a small Australian farming town re-kindles the unsolved murder/suicide from twenty years earlier when the main character returns to town for the funeral of childhood friend.<br /><br />Everybody's on high alert as the crops and cattle fail in the drought. Maybe it's just the title's suggestion, but it felt dry. The dryness came through in making you want to jump in a pool or drink hardily. (I was sitting between the Mediterranean Sea and a lovely pool)<br /><br />This is an easy read and kept me guessing who done it. (Good vacay read)<br /><br />my source: daughter Anne (she carried along to Malta and shared ... big love)<br /><br />my verdict: good fast read<br /><br /><br />lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-59522803402710121412017-01-27T11:01:00.000-05:002017-01-27T11:01:12.552-05:00"The Association of Small Bombs"<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_LvfxCrhVQo/WHfk5DD16AI/AAAAAAAACG8/jJhoPD56hAsB6LwmR9QdBXzgc59mGcynwCPcB/s1600/small%2Bbombs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_LvfxCrhVQo/WHfk5DD16AI/AAAAAAAACG8/jJhoPD56hAsB6LwmR9QdBXzgc59mGcynwCPcB/s1600/small%2Bbombs.jpg" /></a>my take: Doesn't this cover look kind of fun? Strings and colorful dots! Lower case letters! Do not be taken in. The bombs referenced in the title are the real deal.<br /><br />The characters in the novel are forever changed by a terrorist bomb in a marketplace in Delhi. We see the story from all points of view ... the parents of the victims, the survivor and his parents, the bomb makers, the activists. Each of their lives is intimately entangled with each other's though they can not see their connections.<br /><br />Written in a style that mimicked the imprecision of bombings in the shrapnel that imbeds itself into both the body and the psyche. A little chaotic, random, penetrating, hidden.<br /><br /> "If you had horrible thoughts, if you carried rage against your parents and sexual fury against women in your head, as he had--how could you be healthy, happy? Your body imploded. You became the bomb." p170 <br /><br />This writing style reminded me of <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2011/03/let-great-world-spin.html">Let the Great World Spin</a></i> in which all the words and stories felt like they were spinning out of control. In this case, it feels like the words flying off the page, scattering and leaving marks.<br /><br />I found this book incredibly difficult to read because it hit too close to home: the actions taken by a few causing lasting damage to those within its perimeter. As the actual bombs explode in the novel, political bombs were detonating in real life. I felt battered by both.<br /><div><br /></div>my source: Book Chicks January 2017 pick<br /><br />my verdict: Worth a read. Maybe in a sunnier month. Bombs, January, India ... what was I thinking?lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-10949718854174961272017-01-12T16:52:00.000-05:002017-01-12T17:35:43.024-05:00"Today Will be Different"<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HI2VHt0sQdc/WHfuYaCBcaI/AAAAAAAACHE/OzgYjVQ71MsfW3tdyZ2wDyWBsLnHpc-iACLcB/s1600/today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HI2VHt0sQdc/WHfuYaCBcaI/AAAAAAAACHE/OzgYjVQ71MsfW3tdyZ2wDyWBsLnHpc-iACLcB/s200/today.jpg" width="129" /></a>my take: I saw this title and thought: YES PLEASE. Isn't that what we hope for in mid-life? I'll get it together today! I'll drink 64 ounces of water TODAY! Or the epigraph:<br /><br /> "Today will be different. Today I will be present. Today, anyone I speak to, <br /> I will look them in the eye and listen deeply. Today I'll play a board game<br /> with Timby. I'll initiate sex with Joe. Today I will take pride in my<br /> appearance. I'll shower, get dressed in proper clothes, and change into<br /> yoga clothes only for yoga, which today I will actually attend. Today I<br /> won't swear. I won't talk about money. Today there will be an ease about<br /> me. My face will be relaxed, its resting pale a smile. Today I will radiate<br /> calm. Kindness and self-control will abound. Today I will buy local. Today I will be my best self, the person I'm capable of being. Today will<br /> be different."<br /><br />Oh, such good intentions from our beds. We meet Eleanor as she is waking and follow her well-intentioned day through Seattle with far-flung flash-backs to Aspen and New Orleans and meeting Eleanor's crazy cast of life characters.<br /><br />Part of it reads like a voice-over ... and it includes a small graphic novel in the middle (part of the story line) ... which got me thinking ... who is this Maria Semple? She majored in English at Barnard College and worked on TV shows such as <i>Mad About You</i>, <i>Arrested Development</i>, <i>90210</i>.<br /><br />Funny, snarky, fast-paced, circuitous. Fun female fiction. Julia Roberts will be playing Eleanor in the TV movie version.<br /><br />my source: LOVED <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2013/09/whered-you-go-bernadette.html">Where'd You Go, Bernadette</a></i> so when I saw this IN HARDCOVER at Costco...I splurged.<br /><br />my verdict: A pleasant diversion. Not terribly memorable and NOT AS GREAT AS <i>Bernadette.</i><br /><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; 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font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; 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font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 26px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 18px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-2972122811622319812017-01-08T09:48:00.000-05:002017-01-08T09:48:13.676-05:00"A Gentleman in Moscow"<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-34PWxfTQC3I/WHJQH3KeyEI/AAAAAAAACGk/CMYmq36jWfsS9TJnUlT-PStqQJxD7VQiQCLcB/s1600/gentleman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-34PWxfTQC3I/WHJQH3KeyEI/AAAAAAAACGk/CMYmq36jWfsS9TJnUlT-PStqQJxD7VQiQCLcB/s1600/gentleman.jpg" /></a>my take: Wow. Wow. Wow. I had really high expectations for this book based on my love of the author's previous novel. And in an era where disappointment is running high for me ... it was lovely to be out-expected.<br /><br />Count Alexander Rostov inhabits the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. Never mind he is under house arrest and will never leave. He inhabits it fully. Through him we meet the staff, the rising stars of the State, the international visitors; peek into suites, closets, attics and basements; and enjoy meals and wines in the restaurants and bars.<br /><br />One evening as he orders his dinner and bottle of wine, it is revealed that the Bolsheviks have ordered all the labels removed from the wine collection. Here, the Count goes down to the cellar:<br /><br /> "As we age, we are bound to find comfort from the notion that it takes generations for a way of life to fade. We are familiar with the songs our grandparents favored, after all, even though we never danced to them ourselves. At festive holidays, the recipes we pull from the drawer are routinely decades old, and in some cases even written in the hand of a a relative long since dead. And the objects in our homes? The oriental coffee tables and well-worn desks that have been handed down from generation to generation? Despite being 'out of fashion,' not only do they add beauty to our daily lives, they lend material credibility to our presumption that the passing of an era will be glacial.<br /> But under certain circumstances, the Count finally acknowledged, this process can occur in the comparative blink of an eye. Popular upheaval, political turmoil, industrial progress--any combination of these can cause the evolution of a society to leapfrog generations, sweeping aside aspects of the past that might otherwise have lingered for decades. And this must be especially so, when those with newfound power are men who distrust any from of hesitation or nuance, and who prize self-assurance above all.<br /> For years now, with a bit of a smile, the Count" had remarked that this or that was behind him--like his days of poetry or travel or romance. But in so doing, he had never really believed it. In his heart of hearts, he had imagined that, even if unattended to, these aspects of his life were lingering somewhere on the periphery, waiting to be recalled. But looking at the bottle in his hand, the Count was struck by the realization that, in fact, is was all behind him. Because the Bolsheviks, who were so intent upon recasting the future from a mold of their own making, would not rest until every last vestige of his Russia had been uprooted, shattered, or erased." (page 144)<br /><br />I could quote so many passages for their insight and beauty. With 462 pages, there are plenty of options. Playful, witty, grand, cautionary, celebratory ... loved. this. book.<br /><br />my source: Gifted for Christmas ... on my wanted list ever since publication date. Amor Towles <i><a href="http://www.abookchick.com/2013/02/rules-of-civility.html">Rules of Civility</a></i> was a top pick a couple years ago.<br /><br />my verdict: Excellent. Top notch. Five stars. I laughed, I nearly cried, I came away a better person.lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-42095566685510246722016-12-30T21:11:00.000-05:002016-12-30T21:11:02.257-05:00"The Truth According to Us"<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALUh_RFr89U/V2h8APoEwVI/AAAAAAAAB-c/aptmL95l7o0vvgFVWb67gCqT0bbbWkoCQCLcB/s1600/truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALUh_RFr89U/V2h8APoEwVI/AAAAAAAAB-c/aptmL95l7o0vvgFVWb67gCqT0bbbWkoCQCLcB/s200/truth.jpg" width="131" /></a>my take: What is history, if not the truth according to us?<br /><br />Set in the American depression, the tale of a city girl doing WPA work in small town and the family she boards with. Secrets abound in the small town, as well as lots of folk lore about their history.<br /><br />I loved this behind-the-scenes kind of look at how history is recorded - reminding me that who tells and who records it are what mostly make "history."<br /><br />my source: My sister Carey recommended; my momma birthday-ed<br /><br />my verdict: Great feel good read<br /><br /><br />lee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7805688391149721548.post-6419514430709608742016-12-27T21:10:00.000-05:002016-12-27T21:10:13.886-05:00"Truly, Madly, Guilty"<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkzTK1cxDU4/V7dT0goCGaI/AAAAAAAACCs/9GMLg8pWNKAe3Vqq3Jemym6JEmNxk75ZACPcB/s1600/truly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkzTK1cxDU4/V7dT0goCGaI/AAAAAAAACCs/9GMLg8pWNKAe3Vqq3Jemym6JEmNxk75ZACPcB/s200/truly.jpg" width="131" /></a>my take: First, the cover is fun and matched my beach ensemble. Second, this is a great beach read.<br /><br />Like her other novels, this one is populated with average people who have shared an uncommon occurrence. The novel unfolds slowly, not revealing the event in question until mid-way through. Which gives the reader plenty of time to imagine all sorts of mayhem.<br /><br />my source: Daughter Anne bought with her airline meal voucher when stuck in transit. Smart girl.<br /><br />my verdict: Fun readlee @ abookchick.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069844304089597500noreply@blogger.com1