Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding …
Review of 'Fairy Tale' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
An ode to the fairy tales we've all heard, very nicely written. The characters are sympathetic and the plot moves along at a steady, engaging pace. I'd recommend it.
This is an entertaining mystery set in Kaua’i, during the worst days of the pandemic, when small businesses and schools were all closed. Viewing the pandemic’s effects on a vastly different place and culture than my own was the most intriguing aspect about this story.
Actually, I feel that this novel is just as much drama as mystery. There are many characters involved, and their stories do not necessarily have much to do with the mystery, but do show the reader the everyday struggles of life on a remote island during an economic downturn.
All the background stories also highlight how important the main character, Leilani Santiago, is to so many people. Naomi Hirahara has certainly invented a strong and likable female protagonist. I found this to be a light and enjoyable read.
Thank you to Turner Publishing Company and Edelweiss+ for this enjoyable experience.
This fascinating thriller takes its name from a forest featured in Shakespeare’s play McBeth. Like that famous play, this novel is populated with flawed individuals whose ambitions prove hard to balance with their morals. Accidents, deceptions, and cross purposes make for a complex, exciting plot.
In Eleanor Catton’s new novel, Birnam Wood is the name of a small nonprofit organization that seeks to plant crops in unused spaces, sometimes with permission, and sometimes not. There is certainly some lawlessness and trespassing going on, but the group’s members see it as a necessary evil in their mission to help those in need and to work for a more fair society. Before I read this, I was not aware of guerilla gardening.
There are four main characters in this book, plus two important supporting roles. Mira and Shelley are prominent members of Birnam Wood, and their relationship is complicated. They’ve been close …
This fascinating thriller takes its name from a forest featured in Shakespeare’s play McBeth. Like that famous play, this novel is populated with flawed individuals whose ambitions prove hard to balance with their morals. Accidents, deceptions, and cross purposes make for a complex, exciting plot.
In Eleanor Catton’s new novel, Birnam Wood is the name of a small nonprofit organization that seeks to plant crops in unused spaces, sometimes with permission, and sometimes not. There is certainly some lawlessness and trespassing going on, but the group’s members see it as a necessary evil in their mission to help those in need and to work for a more fair society. Before I read this, I was not aware of guerilla gardening.
There are four main characters in this book, plus two important supporting roles. Mira and Shelley are prominent members of Birnam Wood, and their relationship is complicated. They’ve been close for a long time, but at this juncture, Shelley is beginning to feel that it’s time for her to move on, and Mira is aware of this, and dreading it. To this end, Mira is striving towards her goal to prove that Birnam Wood can make a go of it, and eventually start paying the staff. However, for Shelley, this is not the only ambition. Shelley would also like to move out of Mira’s shadow.
A third important character is Tony, an aspiring journalist who is returning to the Birnam Wood fold after being abroad for a few years. Since he’s been away, and not experienced the hard work and frustrations of the past, he is appalled at the group’s newest venture, which he believes goes against all their principles.
This new venture involves a billionaire named Robert Lemoine, a middle-aged man who is buying a large swath of land to build a doomsday bunker–or so he says. Robert is a fascinating character. We don’t know how he got so rich, or exactly how he acquired his particular skill set. He meets Mira by accident, and immediately gives her permission to farm part of the land he is buying. Furthermore, he philanthropically gives her a lot of money, immediately.
The two other characters in this story are Sir Darvish and his wife, Lady (Jill) Darvish. It’s their land that is being sold. They have a good marriage, and Lady Darvish is proud of her beknighted husband, though she’s the smarter, more capable one.
When Mira reports back to the group about Robert’s proposal, everyone is impressed with her find, except Tony. He leaves the group, and it becomes his ambition to find out as much as he can about Robert Lemoine.
So, Birnam Wood sets up a camping site, and gets to work. Robert charms and wins over these new young friends. Tony googles, makes phone calls, and spies on them. Meanwhile, Sir Darvish becomes curious and pays a visit.
At this point, there are a couple plot twists, and things happen quickly. Both thought-provoking and riveting, this novel would make for an excellent discussion about both morals and the characters involved.
Bravo! I would recommend this to anyone.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for this wonderful experience.
It is super rare for me to finish a book this long in under three weeks, but I found the plot of this mystery extremely addictive. The characters were intriguing and there were plenty of developments and surprising plots twists. The Ink Black Heart was especially intricate.
As usual, I found all the details about the the agency's cases fascinating, and the relationship between partners Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott continues to entertain.
Bravo! I'm looking forward to the next installment!
The town psychiatrist has decided to switch everybody in Pine Cove, California, from their normal …
Review of 'The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This is quite the zany read. If this hadn't been foisted on me by a friend, lustful lizards would never have been on my radar, believe me. And yet, I was very entertained. There are a few parts that are very funny. So, if you're in the mood for a light read that is humorous in a surprisingly smart way, I recommend it.
This is a riveting, twisty psychological thriller and mystery. It might start a wee bit slow, but the plot thickens exponentially as it goes. It's an intriguing read and I do recommend it.
NW is a 2012 novel by British author Zadie Smith. It takes its title from …
Review of 'NW' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
The star of this novel is Zadie Smith's writing. It's a thoughtful exploration of the lives of four people who grow up in the same area of London, especially the two friends Leah and Keisha/Natalie. I especially admire how the author imagines different dialogues and demonstrates the different expectations and world views of her characters. Overall, it's melancholy, but manages to end on a hopeful note for the two main protagonists. There is a pleasing symmetry to their relationship.
This is beautifully written, and it will stay with me for awhile.
The history of a woman born poor, orphaned early, and who eventually rose to a …
Review of 'Eva Luna' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This is another very engaging story by Isabel Allende. Eva Luna has been an orphan since her early childhood and by the time she comes of age, has lived several different lives. A gifted storyteller who can weave together many pasts and futures, she eventually discovers meaning and purpose for her talents, as well as a family of her own.
I found this story and its characters fascinating, with its touch of magical realism and realistic chaos. Most of the story takes place in an undisclosed country in South America, sometime in the late 1960's, I believe. The variety of cultures and the political warfare of the times make a compelling backdrop for Eva's story.
Review of 'We are never meeting in real life' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A both hilarious and devastating work including some riveting stories and wise insights into one woman's life. I am thankful that Samantha Irby is with us, and no, I won't ever be seeing her in person. I'm guessing that those author readings and book signings aren't her thing.
Seriously, even if my life has been nothing like Samantha's, there is plenty to identify with here, mostly because I'm a woman. I'd recommend this to anyone who is not easily offended by language. I'm very glad to have gained the acquaintance of Samantha Irby's writing.
“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”
Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, …
Review of 'West with Giraffes' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Westward with Giraffes is an historic novel, based on a well-researched, true event about a pair of giraffes who survived a hurricane at sea and then a road trip across the country, from New York City to San Diego, California. It is also a tumultuous coming of age story for one young man named Woodrow Wilson Nickel, or Woody Nickel for short. The year is 1938, a time when this country is still recovering from The Great Depression and Hitler is threatening war in Europe.
Woody, all of seventeen years old, has already suffered loss and trauma, but we the readers never get a sense of exactly what Woody has lost: I’d like to know more about his time with his mother and sister. Were there any good times at all, bittersweet memories of life before the dust bowl?
Also, the story is supposed to be told by Woody when …
Westward with Giraffes is an historic novel, based on a well-researched, true event about a pair of giraffes who survived a hurricane at sea and then a road trip across the country, from New York City to San Diego, California. It is also a tumultuous coming of age story for one young man named Woodrow Wilson Nickel, or Woody Nickel for short. The year is 1938, a time when this country is still recovering from The Great Depression and Hitler is threatening war in Europe.
Woody, all of seventeen years old, has already suffered loss and trauma, but we the readers never get a sense of exactly what Woody has lost: I’d like to know more about his time with his mother and sister. Were there any good times at all, bittersweet memories of life before the dust bowl?
Also, the story is supposed to be told by Woody when he is aged 105, written in longhand by pencil. That might be too much for me to picture, but it’s not a huge point. And if I wasn’t completely comfortable with the writing style, perhaps it’s because an old man wrote it, in a hurry, before dying.
And once again, Woody is all alone. To whom is he writing this long missive? We don’t learn that until the end, and it’s yet another tragedy that he never gets to know its effect. Woody has multiple people in his memories, but has had precious few moments with them, or so it would seem, since there is very little information about what happens during his life between WWII and the present.
Woody Nickel certainly has his adventures driving a rig hauling two giraffes long distance, beside his employer, an old man in a fedora who loves animals and tall tales. There is also a mysterious young woman, nicknamed Red, who is determined to follow them with her camera and dreams of being a photographer for Life Magazine. They get into some precarious positions, but are always lucky enough to survive them.
This was an easy, interesting novel to read, though somehow I didn’t find it moving. There were aspects about driving across country during that time period that were an education, and I am glad to have read this.
John Irving’s much awaited new novel is a treasure chest of the memorable characters and backstories I love him for, and it is probably twice the length of Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville. I mention this because another thing I enjoy about Irving’s work is that he always shines a light on other works of fiction that have factored into his life.
This tome focuses on Adam Brewster and his formative years in Exeter, New Hampshire, amongst relatives with diverse world views and lives. The reader can count on encountering some zaniness, here.
Adam has been born out of wedlock to Rachel “Little Ray” Brewster, an expert skier and former serious competitor. Since Ray spends part of the year as a ski instructor in another location, Adam spends plenty of time missing his mother. In her absence, Adam’s early experiences involve hearing his insufferable maternal aunts moralize about his mother’s situation, …
John Irving’s much awaited new novel is a treasure chest of the memorable characters and backstories I love him for, and it is probably twice the length of Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville. I mention this because another thing I enjoy about Irving’s work is that he always shines a light on other works of fiction that have factored into his life.
This tome focuses on Adam Brewster and his formative years in Exeter, New Hampshire, amongst relatives with diverse world views and lives. The reader can count on encountering some zaniness, here.
Adam has been born out of wedlock to Rachel “Little Ray” Brewster, an expert skier and former serious competitor. Since Ray spends part of the year as a ski instructor in another location, Adam spends plenty of time missing his mother. In her absence, Adam’s early experiences involve hearing his insufferable maternal aunts moralize about his mother’s situation, seeing ghosts in his attic bedroom, and having his grandmother read to him from Moby-Dick. He also becomes close to Nora, an older cousin. She and her girlfriend Em become important people in his life. Another wonderful, important character is Elliot Barlow, yet another adult who will act as a lodestar in Adam’s life. Additionally, his mother’s girlfriend, Molly, is also there for Adam, at times helping him to better understand Little Ray. All the while, though, Adam has burning questions about his father, who his mother will not talk about.
As the years pass, Irving reminds us of plenty of history, especially concerning sexual politics. The outside world’s opinions and laws affect the lives of Irving’s characters in profound ways, and their reactions are a vital part of the plot. Another part of Adam’s saga is aging, and the loss of these special souls in his life, and how they all stay with him, in various ways.
Bits of this book seem to be autobiographical. For instance, Irving’s biological father was indeed a mystery to him, so he let his imagination run with that. Irving even communicates, through Adam, that “biography isn’t good or bad enough to work as fiction,” at least in itself. It’s been an important ingredient in his novels, but not the most important one.
The characters Irving invents are memorably unusual and for the most part endearing. I certainly haven’t mentioned them all! Some parts of this saga would work well as short stories, and that brings me to my only criticism. This novel could have and should have been more thoroughly edited. There was some repetition at times, which would have been needed if it had been split into smaller segments, but altogether, it was too much.
I am honored to have been given this opportunity to read this marvelous novel as an early reviewer. Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.
____ Note: since I forgot to add the book here at first, I have no idea how long it took me to finish. It was awhile...
In Aspen, Colorado, in 1941, Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill …
Review of 'The Last Chairlift' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
John Irving’s much awaited new novel is a treasure chest of the memorable characters and backstories I love him for, and it is probably twice the length of Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville. I mention this because another thing I enjoy about Irving’s work is that he always shines a light on other works of fiction that have factored into his life.
This tome focuses on Adam Brewster and his formative years in Exeter, New Hampshire, amongst relatives with diverse world views and lives. The reader can count on encountering some zaniness, here.
Adam has been born out of wedlock to Rachel “Little Ray” Brewster, an expert skier and former serious competitor. Since Ray spends part of the year as a ski instructor in another location, Adam spends plenty of time missing his mother. In her absence, Adam’s early experiences involve hearing his insufferable maternal aunts moralize about his mother’s situation, …
John Irving’s much awaited new novel is a treasure chest of the memorable characters and backstories I love him for, and it is probably twice the length of Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville. I mention this because another thing I enjoy about Irving’s work is that he always shines a light on other works of fiction that have factored into his life.
This tome focuses on Adam Brewster and his formative years in Exeter, New Hampshire, amongst relatives with diverse world views and lives. The reader can count on encountering some zaniness, here.
Adam has been born out of wedlock to Rachel “Little Ray” Brewster, an expert skier and former serious competitor. Since Ray spends part of the year as a ski instructor in another location, Adam spends plenty of time missing his mother. In her absence, Adam’s early experiences involve hearing his insufferable maternal aunts moralize about his mother’s situation, seeing ghosts in his attic bedroom, and having his grandmother read to him from Moby-Dick. He also becomes close to Nora, an older cousin. She and her girlfriend Em become important people in his life. Another wonderful, important character is Elliot Barlow, yet another adult who will act as a lodestar in Adam’s life. Additionally, his mother’s girlfriend, Molly, is also there for Adam, at times helping him to better understand Little Ray. All the while, though, Adam has burning questions about his father, who his mother will not talk about.
As the years pass, Irving reminds us of plenty of history, especially concerning sexual politics. The outside world’s opinions and laws affect the lives of Irving’s characters in profound ways, and their reactions are a vital part of the plot. Another part of Adam’s saga is aging, and the loss of these special souls in his life, and how they all stay with him, in various ways.
Bits of this book seem to be autobiographical. For instance, Irving’s biological father was indeed a mystery to him, so he let his imagination run with that. Irving even communicates, through Adam, that “biography isn’t good or bad enough to work as fiction,” at least in itself. It’s been an important ingredient in his novels, but not the most important one.
The characters Irving invents are memorably unusual and for the most part endearing. I certainly haven’t mentioned them all! Some parts of this saga would work well as short stories, and that brings me to my only criticism. This novel could have and should have been more thoroughly edited. There was some repetition at times, which would have been needed if it had been split into smaller segments, but altogether, it was too much.
I am honored to have read been given this opportunity to read this marvelous novel as an early reviewer. Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.
The real star of any Elizabeth Strout novel is her voice. Her sentences are simple, clean, and elegant.. Her main character, Lucy Barton, is always, eventually, able to examine her feelings until she can express them with a rare eloquence. We spend time with Lucy and her thoughts, while not a lot happens around her, and yet there is a story here that does not drag.
This is a pandemic story. The world is going into lockdown before Lucy can absorb what is happening. Luckily for Lucy, her ex-husband, William, comes to her aid, insisting that she evacuate New York City with him, to a place on the coast of Maine. He also makes arrangements for their two daughters.
When life suddenly becomes unrecognizable to her, Lucy expresses how alone and adrift she feels, bereft for her late husband, her apartment, and her purpose. Lucy feels like she is losing …
The real star of any Elizabeth Strout novel is her voice. Her sentences are simple, clean, and elegant.. Her main character, Lucy Barton, is always, eventually, able to examine her feelings until she can express them with a rare eloquence. We spend time with Lucy and her thoughts, while not a lot happens around her, and yet there is a story here that does not drag.
This is a pandemic story. The world is going into lockdown before Lucy can absorb what is happening. Luckily for Lucy, her ex-husband, William, comes to her aid, insisting that she evacuate New York City with him, to a place on the coast of Maine. He also makes arrangements for their two daughters.
When life suddenly becomes unrecognizable to her, Lucy expresses how alone and adrift she feels, bereft for her late husband, her apartment, and her purpose. Lucy feels like she is losing her mind, and can’t concentrate on reading or writing. As time goes on, she makes some friends in Maine, and settles into this house with her ex-husband.
Strout’s prior books have shed more light on the love and friendship between Lucy and William. It’s complicated, and within these pages, their relationship does take a different turn. Has Lucy been so wrapped up in her daughters’ marital issues that she doesn’t see the possible problems ahead, for herself? That door is obviously left open, to be continued.
I loved the backdrop of this installment of Lucy Barton’s history, the little house perched atop a hill overlooking a turbulent sea. It can reflect and foreshadow so many things…
Lucy by the Sea is another beautiful novel by Elizabeth Strout, I enjoyed it immensely, and thank Random House books and Netgalley for giving me the special opportunity to read this and write a review!
In the 1970s, Topper and Sanya flee to Miami as political violence consumes their native …
Review of 'If I Survive You' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Jonathan Escoffery has succeeded in writing a series of short stories so connected that the entire work can be taken for a novel. Additionally, these memorable stories are both sad and funny, deal with a young person’s identity crisis (both racial and cultural), racism, homelessness, family discord, financial disaster, and Miami culture.
Most of the stories focus on Trelawney, the younger son of Jamaican immigrants, and the only person in his nuclear family to have been born in the US. At school, no one thinks he looks or sounds Jamaican, because he is not. Additionally, his complexion suggests Hispanic or Dominican, and it turns out that in this country, society has a need to pigeon hole people’s ethnicity, so at times, Trelawney has to announce himself as Black. The absurdity of colorism is very well portrayed.
Escoffery’s writing style is impressive, and I am personally in awe of how he …
Jonathan Escoffery has succeeded in writing a series of short stories so connected that the entire work can be taken for a novel. Additionally, these memorable stories are both sad and funny, deal with a young person’s identity crisis (both racial and cultural), racism, homelessness, family discord, financial disaster, and Miami culture.
Most of the stories focus on Trelawney, the younger son of Jamaican immigrants, and the only person in his nuclear family to have been born in the US. At school, no one thinks he looks or sounds Jamaican, because he is not. Additionally, his complexion suggests Hispanic or Dominican, and it turns out that in this country, society has a need to pigeon hole people’s ethnicity, so at times, Trelawney has to announce himself as Black. The absurdity of colorism is very well portrayed.
Escoffery’s writing style is impressive, and I am personally in awe of how he portrayed Trelawney’s desperate poverty and homelessness without crushing the reader with overwhelming sadness. For instance, at one point, Trelawney’s job is certifying people for public housing, all the while being homeless himself. While having compassion for these people in need, Trelawney is also torn between being totally honest, and taking care of himself. Some of the people Trelawney deals with are very funny!
There were several characters in these stories, and I admired the way all the voices were distinctive. Trelawney’s narrative is particularly distinctive,, the way he puts you in his shoes, while his father’s is in a Jamaican dialect. His mother’s language suggests that she has assimilated more, while his brother Delano can switch back and forth. There is also his cousin Cukie, whose story is also riveting.
I recommend this wholeheartedly. Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, Giroux for introducing me to Jonathan Escoffery.