Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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This is a really fun read!  Clay Jannon takes the reader with him on this very high tech journey into the workings of a very unusual bookstore.  The clients of the store come in at all hours, are generally older, and never actually pay for the books they read.  The books are written in code and Clay really has no idea what this is all about.  As his curiosity gets the best of him, and he delves into the mystery of the code and the store itself, he rouses both himself and Mr. Penumbra to challenge an old, mysterious secret society.

What is great about this book is the writing – it is witty and light and even with the technological descriptions (and I’m the furthest from being techy!) it never slows or lags.  There is suspense and mystery and even something of a romance, but it is always kept light and amusing.  And in its own, very innocent way, it highlights both the strain and the synchronicity of age/wisdom vs. youth/modernity.  There is also an underlying theme of what it means to achieve immortality, but it is subtle and very tenderly woven in.

A great read – summer or otherwise!

The House on Oyster Creek by Heidi Jon Schmidt

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Subtle is the word I think describes this novel.  It begins slowly as Charlotte’s world is introduced to us.  She has married Henry, some 20 years her senior, who treats her frankly, with disdain.  He is seemingly unfeeling, intellectualizing everything and minimizing Charlotte’s work and intellect.  She yearns for his approval and affection, but contents herself with the love she gets from her daughter, Fiona.  On learning that Henry has inherited his family’s home in Wellfleet, on Cape Cod, Charlotte picks up her family and moves them to this new home.  As they get to know the locals, who view them as intruders, she becomes embroiled in a controversy over property and loyalties and even finds love.

What I found strange about this book was that there was indeed a lot to the story on hindsight, but it did not feel that way while I was reading it.  It progressed somewhat quietly, getting slightly mired in description, but definitely building in complexity.  It definitely addressed issues of class, intellectual and socio-economic, and the insiders and the outsiders.  It also addressed issues of ecology vs. industry and progress.  There is also a love story here as well, that overrides the whole story.

It is not a “fun” read, but it is decent writing and a solid story in the end.

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead

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To say that this story had a subtle beginning would be a radical understatement.  The story builds almost painfully gradually as a love story between Joan, an aspiring ballet dancer, and the world-famous ballet-dancing Arslan, who has mysteriously chosen her to assist him in his defection from Russia in the 1970’s. Ultimately jilted by Arslan, she turns to her truest friend, Jacob, who has always loved her, and builds a life with him instead.  But about half way through, there are gradual revelations that ramp up the momentum and twist the plot around on its tail such that it ultimately becomes a book that you cannot put down.

What is as beautiful about the book as the story is the writing, which is crisp, clear, and full of pretty imagery.  The author carries the reader through changes in time and date as well as voice of narration with the utmost of grace, avoiding any flicker of confusion, but adding richness from additional perspective in doing so.  I also felt I learned quite a bit about ballet, something about which I am quite ignorant.  It gives the inside perspective on just how hard and demanding a lifestyle it is to be a professional dancer.

The moral of the story is:  Don’t give up!  This gets so very much better with every turn of the page that its worth staying with it.  Enjoy!

The Last Summer of the Camperdowns by Elizabeth Kelly

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LOVED this book!

Riddle, a woman shunned by a man from her past during a momentary encounter, looks back on the summer that changed her (and his) life forever.  At the age of 12, Riddle was an accidental witness to a crime, but was quietly terrorized into remaining silent about what she heard and saw.  As her fretting over her own silence mounted, so did the confusion and mystery around the crime, and the circle of guilt enlarged like the rippling of water from a stone.  Riddle saw her own family become entangled in the mystery, and she saw first hand, how keeping secrets can haunt you and endanger you in the end.

What shines in this book is the writing – it is absolutely resplendent, with richly painted imagery and razor-sharp dialogue.  The banter between Riddle’s father, a war-veteran and politician running for office, and her mother, an actress who’s taken a break from acting but not from being glamorous and cynical, is full of jabs at each other that are biting and callous and occasionally laugh-out-loud hilarious.   The setting is also near and dear to my heart – it takes place in Wellfleet, on Cape Cod, on a beautiful estate overlooking the Atlantic.  The characters are rich – figuratively and literally – and are adored and detested as the rich often are, and there is frequent commentary on both the power and the vulnerability of money.  There is also the component of the coming of age of Riddle, who is thrust into the lives of adults as she turns only 13, and her character is extremely sympathetic.

From glamor and romance to suspense and thrill – and especially fantastic literary sheen — this book has it all!  Highly recommended for that Cape Cod vacation – and any other time as well.

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

6066819This is the quintessential summer read!

I love Jennifer Weiner!  Her writing is always witty, sarcastic, entertaining and full of heart – and this book is yet another example of this.

Addie and Valerie, who although are very different, grew up as best friends, living across the street from each other and sharing all their childhood secrets.  Unfortunately, their paths diverged when an incident in high school sent them spinning in very different directions.  Suddenly, now, many years later, just after their high school reunion, Valerie shows up at Addie’s doorstep asking for help after what may have been a serious crime.  Almost in spite of herself, Addie is drawn in to the drama and their adventure begins.

What I love about Weiner’s writing is the building of characters that the reader loves.  The reader cannot help rooting for Addie in this story – she’s an underdog who you can’t help adoring for her steadfast loyalty to her friend and her family.  Even Valerie, who is vain and materialistic, is sympathetic and entertaining in her own right.  Each of the characters is written with tenderness and self-deprecation and you can’t help wanting to know how it all ends for each of them.

I think I may have a deeper appreciation for Jennifer Weiner, also, since I had the amazing opportunity to be present during BookCon (a few weekends ago at the Javits Center), when she interviewed Judy Blume.  There was such a great rapport between the 2 of them ,as they spoke about everything from writing to sex and to the size of their respective chests.  They were both warm, funny, smart and respectful of each other’s talent —  I could have listened to them converse for hours!

Bottom line, I’d take this with me to Cape Cod if I hadn’t already read it!

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (migrated from bookblogger)

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This is the sequel to The Rosie Project and is almost as cute and charming as the first one.  This takes the main character, Don, and his new wife, Rosie, to New York to continue his research at Columbia while his wife is a medical student there.  To his surprise, Rosie is suddenly pregnant and he is led by a series of comical errors to believe that he will be unsuited for the role of father.

I think it would be a good idea, if others are considering reading this sequel, to maybe wait awhile before reading it.  I think reading it too soon after the first was a mistake, because as much as I was enamored of the main character and his very endearing voice in the first book, I think I actually got almost as annoyed as Rosie was with him in the second.  It is still an engaging and sweet book, however, and I do recommend it.

Most importantly, I think, the book enlightened the reader about Asperger’s.  I think it tells, in a very straight-forward way, both the difficulties and the virtues of those who have this type of personality.  Don, in his own very direct and humble way, does so much good for others, even when it puts him in danger, and he is very much a hero in his own way.  Without even thinking about the consequences, he does the right thing so often, when one who is more emotional, might not have.  It is an interesting perspective on a condition that most think is a negative.  Here, in many ways, it demonstrates how positive this condition can be.  And anytime a book expands our insight into another way of being, I feel this is a good thing.

 

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty (migrated from bookblogger)

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It was supposed to be a lovely celebration of the triplets’ birthday and it began as such, but a sudden explosion of temper erupted and all hell broke loose.  This is how this story starts and the rest of the book discloses how these 3 tall, very attractive triplets came to arrive at this tumultuous point in their lives.

As usual, Liane Moriarty crafts a fun read – with a combination of both heavier and lighter issues that each of the sisters is coping with.  She is able to weave an emotionally abusive relationship, blended families, infertility and infidelity among the sisters’ lives, without making this a totally depressing story.  Quite an accomplishment, I think!  I think she is able to do this by intertwining the serious with lighter, funnier moments, with sarcasm and with beautiful moments as well.  Sort of like how life is, I believe — ie. the good with the bad.

While this was not my favorite book of hers, I did enjoy it very much and do recommend it.  This would be a good summer read!  (Just wish it felt anywhere close to summer right now — I’d even take spring!)

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (migrated from bookblogger)

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Camille, a reporter for a small Chicago newspaper, is sent down to her very small home town in Missouri to cover the story of a second 13 year old girl who is murdered – strangled and found with teeth missing.  It is painful for her to return home, where her ice cold mother and her crazy-wild, half-sister are still stuck in their twisted relationship and where Camille feels like an outsider.  As she gets closer and closer to solving the mystery, she also comes closer to understanding what has caused her her own emotional pain over the course of her life.

While this book does not have the extreme twists and turns that Gone Girl had, it still is suspenseful and has its own black moments.  There is a psychological quagmire in almost every character in the story, and one has to wonder if Flynn believes anyone is ever happy and without pain.  Camille, the main character, for example, is a cutter and gives a fairly realistic picture of how addictive and relieving/shameful this behavior is.  It is also an extremely dark portrait of the proverbial small town, where one either gets “stuck” or “gets out” but that no one actually chooses to live there.

Flynn’s writing is that kind of guilty pleasure — it’s sharp, smart, a not a little twisted — but you have to indulge once in awhile!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (migrated from bookblogger)

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This book is delightful! Don, a genetics professor with Asperger’s, has decided that he is ready to find his life partner.  In his structured, rigid world, this seems to be his next step.  He decides to go about this in the logical way in which he goes about everything — by creating the Wife Project, for which he develops a questionnaire.  In the course of this search, he comes upon Rosie, who he eliminates from Day 1 because she does not make the cut (too many wrong answers!).  However, when Rosie asks for help with her own quest, Don gets drawn in, in spite of himself.

Don’s story is also told with great humor and tenderness.  One can see how even with his rituals and his need for logic, he struggles with his own emotionality and how while emotions are not logical, they are still a part of him.  And the irony is that he is probably more similar to others than different in this regard.

It is an interesting commentary on human behavior, what is considered “normal” and what is really and truly abnormal.  It is also a really, really fun book to read!

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (migrated from bookblogger)

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Tess has just been told that her husband is in love with her cousin…  Cecilia has just learned that there is a letter from her husband that she is instructed to open only upon his death…  Rachel has just learned that her son is going to be moving to the other side of the world, taking away her grandson and the only reason for living since her daughter has been murdered all those years ago.   These characters are gradually woven together into a story that is both gripping and heartbreaking.

The writing here is simple, a little repetitive, but the story is worth it.  There is a calculated twist to the action in the story that is a little far-fetched, but that is what fiction is about, no?

I think the Epilogue is actually my favorite part of the book, though, and I won’t give any of that away.  Suffice it to say, it is a great commentary on the randomness of life and how a small or not-so-small action can impact the trajectory of a life and/or lives.  This I believe to be true.

Not exactly high literature here, but a good read nonetheless.