Airborn

Airborn
By Kenneth Oppel
Eos, 2004. 355 pgs. Young Adult

Matt Cruse, a cabin boy aboard the airship Aurora, proves to the captain that he is ready to advance to sail maker, but his job is given to the company owner’s son instead. Disgruntled at first, Matt’s day is brightened when Kate, an adventurous young passenger, boards the airship, determined to search for a mysterious flying creature her grandfather encountered just before dying. As Matt joins Kate in her search for answers, they must also tackle storms, pirates, and nagging passengers.

This is a great adventure story that teens and adults will enjoy. Spunky, strong-willed Kate and cool-headed Matt make a terrific team. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

KK

Cards on the Table

Cards on the Table
By Agatha Christie
Berkley Books, 1984. 226 pgs. Mystery

Hercule Poirot is invited to attend a dinner party at the eccentric Mr. Shaitana’s house along with seven other guests, three of whom are also detectives. After dinner, their bridge game turns deadly when Mr. Shaitana is found dead and all the detectives take it upon themselves to be the first to solve the murder.

Usually I find Poirot’s mannerisms a bit annoying, but since the focus was divided among the other investigators as well, I found the story enjoyable. This is a quick, clean, cozy read.

KK

A Lesson before Dying

A Lesson before Dying
By Ernest J. Gaines
A.A. Knopf, 1993. 256 pgs. Fiction

When Miss Emma's godson Jefferson is on trial and sentenced to die in the electric chair, one moment stands out to her: the defense attorney's weak defense that Jefferson can't be accountable because he's not a man, just a mindless hog. Indignant at the comparison, Miss Emma implores Grant, the local schoolteacher, to visit Jefferson regularly in prison and get him to die as a man, not a hog. Grant, wrapped in cynicism and the frustration of being a black man in rural Louisiana, thinks nothing will come of his visits. While he doesn't believe he can help Jefferson, he does visit, and attempts to give Jefferson a lesson--but finds himself learning one as well.

This novel portrays the plight of the African American community in the deep South prior to the Civil Rights movement. While it has somewhat of a slow pace, little action, and Grant isn't the most engaging character, the story weaves together to demonstrate the strength of the human soul.

**This book is available as a book club set at the library. It's not squeaky clean, but there are wonderful themes to discuss.**

AE

Jane's Fame

Jane’s Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World
By Claire Harman
Henry Holt & Co., 2010. Biography

Jane Austen. Her name is familiar to almost everyone, but she still remains a figure we know little about. Most of her personal correspondence was destroyed within years of her death and what little remains provides a patchy portrait at best. This new biography covers more than just her life but the decades of fame she has enjoyed since her death. The author presents the popularity and almost universal enjoyment of her six novels as an unprecedented phenomenon. Austen’s books have provided material for plays, movies, prequels, and sequels and has inspired works on etiquette, dating, fashion, and more. Harman presents a host of interesting insights into Austen’s contributions to our literary heritage and popular culture over the past 150 years.

This is a must read for all Janeites. (Which is pretty much everyone, right?) Harman is an obvious fan herself and quickly draws the readers into the subject matter with warmth and humor. She includes quotes and characters from Austen’s books that enrich her narrative and make the reader feel a part of the “in” group, even including a section on Colin Firth’s wet shirt. Entirely entertaining and enlightening. After putting this book down, you will either want to pick up your worn copy of Pride and Prejudice or maybe just pop in the DVD.

CZ

Mrs. Mike

Mrs. Mike: The Story of Katherine Mary Flannigan
By Benedict and Nancy Freedman
Coward-McCann,1947. 312 pgs. Fiction

Katherine Mary is sent from a sheltered life in Boston to live with her uncle in Canada where, her mother hopes, she will enjoy better health thanks to the cleaner air. Soon after her arrival she meets and promptly falls in love with handsome Sergeant Mike Flannigan of the Canadian Mounted Police. Days after their marriage, she is off to the far North where the newlyweds set up a life for themselves in that great white wilderness at the turn of the century.

Though not written in a journal format, this book is similar to Nancy Turner’s These Is My Words. Katherine Mary is not the spitfire Sarah Agnes was, but she is still a strong woman enduring a life filled with danger and sorrow, yet finding joy, love and friendship. Minus a little mild language this is an enjoyable book for almost any reader looking for a gentle and uplifting read.

CZ

Art of Choosing

The Art of Choosing
By Sheena Iyengar
Twelve, 2010. 329 pgs. Nonfiction

Why would a person choose to eat more chili flavored yogurt if it had been picked for him than if he had selected the flavor himself from an array of equally disgusting options? Why do children do better at math puzzles they choose themselves than they do at puzzles selected for them by their parents? Through questions like these, this book discusses the amazing power choice wields in our lives. Author Iyengar presents a fascinating series of studies centered on our ability to choose, from the big decisions, like marriage and career, to the little decisions, like what to wear and what color of polish we want on our toes.

The subject matter presented here is completely fascinating and the author is able to present it in an entertaining and vibrant voice. Many of the studies offered were conducted by Iyengar herself and she adds a personal note to conclusions made and how one set of results led to more inquiries and further studies. While not as readily accessible as some of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, this is still quality science writing.

CZ

The Swan Thieves

The Swan Thieves
Elizabeth Kostova
Little, Brown and Co., 2010. 564 p. Fiction

The reverence of art is a tranquil occupation in D.C.’s National Gallery, until a man tears out a pocket knife and lunges at a painting with ferocious malevolence. When the criminal is found to be Robert Oliver, a famous artist himself, the police are bewildered but unable to elicit more than a sentence from him, after which he refuses to speak--to anyone. Eventually Oliver finds himself in a psychiatric facility under the care of Marlow, a 50’s something psychiatrist whose artistic background renders him sympathetic to his patient. Marlow slowly finds himself more and more intrigued by the mystery behind Oliver’s bizarre attack--which has something to do with the painting Oliver attacks, an impressionist rendering of "Leda and the Swan Thieves", and the beautiful woman he never ceases to paint. However, his silence is broken only by his cryptic burst, “I did it for her.”

The Swan Thieves is an artistic, multi-layered achievement comprised of mystery, love story, art history and the ever ambiguous hint of madness. Each chapter offers one more piece to the intricate puzzle, which only serves to keep the reader captivated and begging for the next. Unfolding slowly, the tension builds with beautiful ease until the reader is nearly frantic to discover the truth. As the author of major bestseller, The Historian, Kostova knows how to create an atmosphere and it wafts from between the covers like a lingering fog, not disappearing even after the book is shut--which won’t happen much as it’s difficult to put down. You won’t find it as fearsome as The Historian, but the slight air of eroticism will waylay a few readers and the final resolution doesn’t have quite the panache as the rest of the book. However, Kostova fans and art lovers should approve.

DAP

Gateway

Gateway
By Sharon Shinn
Viking, 2009. 280 p. Young Adult

Transported to another world through the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Daiyu meets a kind, and handsome, stranger who takes her to the people who brought her there. Daiyu learns from Aurora and Ombri that there are multiple worlds and a few people are able to travel between them. Daiyu has been brought to this new world to stop an interloper from a third world who is masquerading as a politician and doing evil things. Daiyu integrates herself into this new society with the help of her new companions and sets out to stop the politician. While I didn’t find this as compelling as some of Shinn’s other young adult titles, her fans will want to seek this one out.

MN

Dress Rehearsal

Dress Rehearsal
By Jennifer O'Connell
Signet, 2007. 304 p. Fiction

Lauren Gallagher, the owner of an upscale cake boutique has a theory about couples. Lauren decides that she can predict the probability of the success of a marriage based on how a couple acts when they are picking out their wedding cake. She applies this theory to her own situation - torn between a past lover, and current lover - as well as her friends. This is a funny, romantic romp reminiscent of Sex in the City.

DEF

Bite of the Mango

Bite of the Mango
By Mariatu Kamara
Annika Press, 2008. 216 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Mariatu recounts her life in Sierra Leone, where she became a victim of the civil war when rebel soldiers amputated her hands and told her to go show them to the president. Twelve-year-old Mariatu, who had lived in a small village all her life was left to wonder "What is a president?" Mariatu made her way to Freetown where she was treated in a hospital and found that besides missing her hands, she was pregnant, having been raped by a man in her village. From the hospital, she moved to a refugee camp with hundreds of other people who had been maimed by rebel soldiers, begging on the streets for survival until she was given the chance to move to Canada, learn English, attend school and make something more of her life.

When a teacher suggested to Mariatu that she write a book, the teenager wondered who would want to read a book about her. Luckily for readers, she decided to go ahead and write one, and the result is phenomenal. This book does many things, including inform readers about the atrocities of the war in Sierra Leone, but it's most importantly a message of hope--a message of a girl who suffered horribly but was able to overcome her past to see herself "not as a victim but as someone who could still do great things in this world." An inspiring tale of a young woman's journey, both physical and emotional, this is one I highly recommend to any and all readers.

AE

Making Toast: a family story

Making Toast: a family story
By Roger Rosenblatt
Ecco, c2010. 166 p. Nonfiction

When Roger Rosenblatt’s daughter died, he and his wife immediately left to be with their son-in-law and grandchildren. The next morning, one of the children asked how long they would be staying. Rosenblatt replied, “Forever.”

Making Toast is the very intimate story of how grief changes the dimensions of our lives and how families re-arrange and realign in order to survive. Rosenblatt shares minute details that allow the reader to appreciate how even the mundane ritual of making toast can be an act of love.

The famous essayist tells the family's story as a composition of short vignettes that examine the sweetness and sorrow that accompany the loss of a daughter--who is also a wife, a sister and a mother. It is a tribute to Rosenblatt’s daughter, Amy and a beautiful reflection on the poignancy of death. Each family member is rendered in cherished, personal tones and because the essayist shares his own experience the community is at once both richer and stronger. The author has an effortless, quiet touch that somehow makes the book even more powerful. Making Toast is recommended for anyone who has lost a child and everyone who loves a beautiful book.

DAP

Numbers

Numbers
By Rachel Ward
Chicken House, 2010. 325 pgs. Young Adult

Fifteen-year-old Jem has the unlucky ability to look at people and see their death dates. Haunted by these numbers, Jem tries to avoid personal relationships, but Spider is another outsider who weasels his way into a friendship with Jem. Jem thinks this is risky enough, since she knows Spider only has a short time to live, but before long, things become more complicated than she could have imagined as they find themselves wanted for terrorist activity and are forced to run away together to avoid facing the police.

This book began with an interesting premise; however, I don't feel like it achieved its potential. While I find Jem's reluctance to involve herself with people realistic, I also found she isn't a stellar main character. There was nothing to draw me to her, to make me really care if she was caught or what happened to her. And while Spider's fate has the potential to be a moving and interesting aspect of the story, the book wraps up too abruptly for it to make the impact that it could.

AE

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
By Phillip Hoose
Melanie Kroupa Books, 2009. 133 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

In this highly acclaimed book (Newbery Honor Book, National Book Award winner), Hoose combines first-person accounts from Claudette Colvin with third-person narrative to tell Claudette's story. Raised in Alabama, Claudette was subject to the Jim Crow laws of the south, including segregated buses. However, one day, months before Rosa Parks, fifteen-year-old Claudette refused to give up her seat on the bus. While it was after Parks' arrest that the Montgomery bus boycott was organized, Claudette's arrest was the one that got people talking. Additionally, Claudette was an essential part of the lawsuit in which she and three other black women sued the city of Montgomery, arguing that segregated buses were illegal, thereby forcing the end of segregated buses.

With all the recognition this book has received, I was expecting great things--and I wasn't disappointed. This is a fascinating account of a forgotten but important figure in the civil rights movement. Besides just being a lesson in history, though, it helped round out Claudette and other people involved in the movement as real people; Claudette's feelings and glimpses of other people (such as Parks) through her eyes really add depth to both Claudette's story and the segregation and subsequent civil rights movement in Montgomery. Excellent book for teens and adults alike.

AE

The Vinyl Princess

The Vinyl Princess
By Yvonne Prinz
HarperTeen, 2010. 313 pgs. Young Adult Fiction

Allie is the Vinyl Princess, a 16-year-old dedicated to the LP and real music, not the tinny kind that you download. Allie works at Bob and Bob’s, an independent music store, and secretly publishes her blog and fanzine at night. This book details one summer as she works and meets two very different boys and begins her foray into the blogging world.

Although I didn’t recognize half of the bands and songs Allie talks about, I appreciated Allie’s passion and her desire to educate the masses. Her tale, while not extraordinary, was a fun read for the weekend.

MN

The Recipe Club

The Recipe Club
By Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel
Polhemus Press, 2009. 360 pgs. Fiction

Lilly and Val, friends from childhood, reveal their feelings, secrets, and recipes through a series of letters, until a misunderstanding separates them for years and a death forces them to decide if they want to reconcile.

Even though this book is over 300 pages, it reads very quickly since it is written in letters and emails. I really enjoyed how the book incorporated over 80 recipes throughout the book. The story itself I enjoyed parts of, but over all for me it was just so-so. Anyone looking for a book on women’s relationships and some great recipes will want to take a look at The Recipe Club.

AMM

Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush
By Becca Fitzpatrick
Simon & Schuster, 2010. 391 pgs. Young Adult Fiction

Nora Grey’s father is unexpectedly mugged and killed leaving Nora feeling jumpy, lonely and vulnerable. Her mother is forced to take a new job which requires her to be away from their isolated country home for days at a time. Adding to her problems, Nora feels like she is being watched and followed. These impressions prove true when an unknown assailant begins to harass and threaten her. At the same time, in Nora’s sophomore science class she is strangely paired with a senior student, Patch Cipriano. Nora is intrigued by Patch’s dark good looks and bad boy persona but instinctively feels something is “off” with him. Nora’s best friend, fun loving Vee, develops a friendship with private school transfer student, Elliot. Despite Vee’s protests, Nora doesn’t trust Elliot either. Soon quiet Nora finds things are not as they seem, and her intuition about immediate danger is right.

Becca Fitzpatrick’s first work combines horror and romance in a novel that is sometimes gripping but often implausible. As a romantic foil, Patch should be intriguing enough to feel like otherwise sensible Norah could fall for him, but he’s not. In addition, the pacing of the novel is off. The forthcoming sequel could help explain events that were wrapped up too quickly and succinctly.

ALC

Beguiled

Beguiled
By Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand
Bethany House, 2010. 329 pages. Romance

As a child Rylee Monroe lived in the rich, historic district of downtown Charleston. Now, after a family tragedy, she only works there as a dog walker for the local elite. While in a client’s mansion, Rylee encounters the “Robin Hood” thief, so nicknamed because he is stealing artifacts from the rich and donating them to charity. Newspaper reporter Logan Woods is covering the story. Logan and Rylee meet cute and begin to try and solve the crime together. Logan feels a strong attraction for Rylee and wants a relationship but Rylee has trust issues. To further complicate matters the local police detective suspects Rylee is involved with the break-ins. Logan must decide whether to pursue the story or the girl.

Deeanne Gist is an inspirational romance author. Her talent at describing a Christian courtship is accentuated by crime writer Mark Bertrand’s contributions. The whodunit element adds interesting characters and suspense. Fans of Charleston will enjoy detailed descriptions of the area. I wouldn’t name this novel among Gist’s best, but readers who want a predictable, nice mystery along with some gentle romance will take pleasure in this one.

ALC

Ice

Ice
By Sarah Beth Durst
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009. 308 pp. Young adult fiction.

In this story where modern and ancient collide, Cassandra Dasent is raised in a remote Arctic research station with her father. Although her grandmother has told and retold the fairy tale that Cassie's mother, daughter of the North Wind, was whisked away by trolls, Cassie's pragmatism and scientific upbringing keep her from regarding it as anything more than a euphemism for her mother's death. When Cassie's path brings a strange, magical polar bear into her life, he describes her mother's imprisonment, agreeing to rescue her if Cassie will become his wife. Thus begins what first seems like an endless imprisonment but evolves into a loving, loyal partnership. However, when Cassandra unwittingly destroys their life together, she must make an impossible journey east of the sun and west of the moon to save her beloved Bear.

Beautifully woven, this fairy tale retold has been done splendidly. Although this is the third chapter book retelling of this particular tale that I've read, I was impressed that it was not only a great read but also very different from the other two, being Pattou's East and George's Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, both also being well-told. Durst's gorgeous descriptions in this story weave a beautiful, magical fantasy world that is so neatly juxtaposed with the stark reality of Cassie's scientific modern life. Excellently done!

Can You Keep a Secret?

Can You Keep a Secret?
By Sophie Kinsella
Dial Press, 2004. 357 pgs. Fiction.

Emma Corrigan is young, sweet, and has a long list of secrets - the kind of innocent secrets everyone has - one of which is that she is afraid of flying. Coming back from a thoroughly ruinous business trip to Glasgow, she is seized by mortal fear when the plane encounters some turbulence. Out of nervous terror she starts talking to the handsome American sitting next to her, and she can't stop - even when it comes to her very personal secrets. He gets to hear that she sleeps beneath a Barbie bedspread, that she fibbed to get her current job, and that she lied to her boyfriend about her weight and consequently is wearing underwear two sizes too small. Rather than disappearing into anonymity, the American turns up in her life again. He's the CEO of her company, and remembers her quite well...

This was a really fun story to read, I liked the main character and I enjoyed watching the story unfold.

BHG

Mega Traumarama!

Mega Traumarama!
Hearst Books, 2009. 256 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

This collection of embarrassing moments is an easy, breezy read. Broken down into different categories, such as fashion and school, it has some embarrassing moments that are funny and some that are truly cringe-worthy. This is a fun book to flip through and to find an embarrassing moment to share with others.

AE

How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew

How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew
By Erin Bried
Ballantine Books. 2009. 278 pgs. Nonfiction

These days, dry cleaners press shirts, delivery guys bring pizza, gardeners tend flowers, and, yes, tailors sew on those pesky buttons. But life can be much simpler, sweeter, and richer-- and a lot more fun, too. And, as your grandmother knows, it actually pays to learn how to do things yourself.

A collection of treasured wisdom from grandmothers across the country, this practical guide offers more than one hundred step-by-step essential tips for cooking, cleaning, gardening, and entertaining.

This book has so many interesting tips and tricks that I didn’t know about. In the age of going green and needing to save your pennies, this book will take you back to a simpler time. Although not all of the tips are earth-shattering, I found this book to be an enlightening read.

AMM

K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain

K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain
By Ed Viesturs with David Roberts
Broadway Books, 2009. 325 pp. Nonfiction

Ed Viesturs is the premier living American mountain climber. David Roberts is arguably the premier American climbing writer. Together they have assembled a somewhat lumpy but mostly fascinating history of climbing on K2, the second highest mountain in the world but much more difficult to climb than the taller Everest. Viesturs begins with his own attempts on K2--one successful, one not--then moves into the climbing history of the mountain. Attempts on K2 began in 1902 but no one reached the top until an Italian team succeeded in 1954. But what is more interesting is not who made it and who didn't, but the individual experiences and personalities of each team. The courage and compassion of the 1953 American teams has made their achievement legendary in climbing circles, even though they didn't summit, where the victorious Italian team's horrific treatment of each other has long tainted the climb itself. For every four climbers who have summited on K2, one has died, and while Everest has become practically a tourist destination, "wired" to the top, K2 remains "the Holy Grail of Mountaineering." Viesturs' book captures the essence of K2's mystique, if not some of the particulars. Fine reading for mountaineers and armchair adventurers alike.

Buried Book

The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh
By David Damrosch
Holt, 2007. 315 pgs. Nonfiction

The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered to be the first masterpiece of world literature. However, the only intact record of this epic poem lay buried and forgotten for over 2,000 years following the sack of Nineveh in 612 B.C. Several copies, written on stone tablets in cuneiform writing, were uncovered by archeologists and reintroduced to the world in the late 1800’s. Buried Book tells the story of key individuals whose lives were wrapped up in the fate of Gilgamesh’s tale.

Buried Book lacks a coherent narrative. Damrosch spends over half the book discussing the lives of George Smith, whose work was key in piecing together and translating the clay tablets containing the tale of Gilgamesh, and Hormuzd Rassam who worked for years to secure the artifacts from Nineveh for the British Museum. While these men, along with other minor players introduced, were fascinating and did much to bring us the epic poem, the amount of time spent telling of their lives and unrelated details makes the text seem tedious. Finally, towards the end of the book, Damrosch speaks of Ashurbanipal and his great library of cuneiform tables along with a summary of the actual legend of Gilgamesh and his role in history. Oddly, the most fascinating portion of the book was the epilogue which discussed the effect this ancient piece of literature had on Saddam Hussein and a number of modern writers. This book introduces a fascinating topic, but presents an uneven and unfocused exploration of it.

CZ

The Alchemist

THE ALCHEMIST
By Paulo Coeoho
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. 177 p. Fiction

I do not know why I waited so long to read this book. It is a delightful fable about Santago, an Andulusian shepherd boy, who leaves the comfortable security of his job in Spain to travel in pursuit of his "personal legend". His quest takes him to far off Morocco and Egypt. Spiritual enlightenment, self understanding, overcoming depression and believing in your own dreams are just a few of the valuable life lessons Santago learns from those he encounters along his way. This is an engaging short easy read recommended to both teens and adults. Just remember, this is a fable and fables usually deal with a moral lesson plus personification is allowed for animals, power of nature and inanimate objects. I listened to the unabridged 4 cd Recorded Books version. Jeremy Irons does an admirable job as narrator.

mpb

Inside Alzheimer's: how to hear and honor connections with a person who has dementia

INSIDE ALZHEIMER'S
By Nancy Pearce
First Forrason Press, 2007. 300 p. Nonfiction

When the time comes in your life to know/care for someone who has dementia/Alzheimer, pick up the book "Inside Alzheimer's" by Nancy Pearce. The subtitle, "How to Hear and Honor Connections with a Person who has Dementia" is exactly what the book is about. While the first 60 pages deal a bit too much about "personal gremlins" for my liking, the premise of the book in its entirety is wonderful. Pearce refers often to her six principles to help you make a connection with an Alzheimer patient: 1) Intend to make a connection 2) Free yourself of judgment (gremlins) 3) Love 4) Be open to being loved 5) Silence 6) Thankfulness

Each chapter is filled with Pearce's personal heart warming and heart wrenching experiences dealing with dementia/Alzheimer's patients. I actually had the opportunity to attempt to use some of her wisdom when I visited my own mother-in-law. I was amazed at the results I got. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who are friends or family members of a loved one with dementia/Alzheimer's.

mpb

In Her Shoes

IN HER SHOES
By Jennifer Weiner
Washington Square Press, 2003. 424 p. Fiction

Rose and Maggie are two sisters opposite in everything from physical appearance to accepting responsibility and yet as fate would have it, they are bound together by sisterhood and the same shoe size. Maggie messes things up i.e. her jobs, other peoples lives, her life. Rose bails Maggie out, the result of a promise made to her mother who died 20 years ago. Then one day Maggie's behavior crosses the line that even sisterhood cannot forgive.

Since the day of their mother's funeral the two sisters have had no contact with their maternal grandmother, Ella, in fact they were not sure if she was still alive. Can Ella be the key that brings these sister's back together, re-instilling the importance of family?

I listened to the Recorded Books 15.75 hours version of this novel with a very adept narrator, Barbara McCulloh. The blurbs I'd read made this sound like a fun read so I really wanted to enjoy it, but sorry to say I did not and I would have a difficult time recommending it to anyone. The graphic sex scenes and abundance of hard core language did nothing to enhance the story. I really thought I could ignore all of it and just enjoy, but I was wrong.

mpb

Letter to My Daughter

Letter to My Daughter
By George Bishop
Ballantine Books, 2010. 148 pgs. Fiction

When her 15-year-old daughter runs away from their Baton Rouge home, a guilt-ridden mother writes a healing letter about her own adolescence, marked by a strict Catholic boarding school, a forbidden romance and the origins of an enigmatic tattoo.

I picked this book up and couldn’t put it down. Reading about Laura’s adolescence and her desire to have a better relationship with her own teenage daughter was intriguing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, but meaningful read.

AMM

A Reliable Wife

A Reliable Wife
By Robert Goolrick
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2010. 305 pgs. Fiction

Ralph Truitt has spent the last twenty years in self inflicted solitude. He continues to grow his unfathomable fortune and employ almost his entire town in Northern Wisconsin; but, he does not interact with anyone beyond what is necessary, not since he lost his wife and children. But now, he wants a “reliable wife” and has ordered a bride from Chicago to share his life. Catherine Land is not the woman Ralph Truitt is expecting when she steps off the train. She is much more attractive than her letters led him to believe and Truitt is sure she is hiding a lifetime of secrets. Their unlikely marriage is filled with deception and tragedy but may lead to love and devotion if only they can learn to trust one another.

This book should not be read in January, February, or March. Its description of the long, dark, bitterly cold Wisconsin winter is likely to give readers diagnosable SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). If the synopsis didn’t give it away, this book could easily be classified a romance. This is a quick, though not light (or clean), read for someone wanting a lot of drama and only a little plausibility.

CZ

The Orange Houses

The Orange Houses
By Paul Griffin
Dial Books, 2009. 147 pgs. Fiction.

Fifteen-year-old Tamika is hearing-impaired and likes to turn off her hearing aids to block out the world around her. Eighteen-year-old Jimmi is back from a brief stint in Iraq and mentally unstable as a result. Sixteen-year-old Famita is an illegal immigrant, fresh off the boat and trying to forge a better life for herself than the violence she witnessed in her native Africa. As these three struggle with the challenges in their lives, they find a connection to one another that teaches them about life.

This book presents a bleak picture of inner-city life, complete with poverty, gang violence and lynchings. The characters remain somewhat undeveloped, and it took me a little while to get into the language of the book. Many elements of the story are sad, but the hopefulness that rises up as well makes the book worth reading.

AE

The Brightest Star in the Sky

The Brightest Star in the Sky
By Marian Keyes
Viking, 2010. 468 pgs. Fiction

At the center of this book is a Dublin townhome inhabited by an eclectic set of residents. Katie, a successful PR rep, occupies the top floor and is recovering from her fortieth birthday and her growing doubts concerning her relationship with her handsome but distant boyfriend. One floor down is young cabdriver Lydia who works as much as possible, partially to avoid her two Polish roommates and partially to escape her worries about her ailing mother. Next is the apartment of Jemima, an aging Christian “do-gooder”, and her cantankerous dog Grudge. Finally, on the ground floor, are Matt and Maeve who have been married for three years and seem to have settled into a dangerously ‘safe’ routine. And now, there is a spirit presence in the building, patiently waiting for a coming change that will alter the lives of each of these individuals.

This is an excellent piece of Women’s Literature. It is filled with current issues occurring to relatable, and likeable, characters. The women represented here span ages and life situations giving readers a glimpse into a wide range of experiences and personalities. Keyes’ story flows steadily and she is able to unfold her characters and their stories in an intriguing way. Because of some harsh language and violence, I would not recommend this book to everyone. But it is an enjoyable read if you can look past these aspects of the story.

CZ