The Art of Racing in the Rain (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

I am still reeling from the emotional effects of this book.  So beautifully told from the perspective of a dog, this story is about a race car driver named Denney, who is married and has a little girl.  His wife develops a brain tumor and her parents sort of take over her care and the care of their daughter.  On the very day that the wife dies, the parents propose that they gain custody of the daughter, and so begins a Denney’s heroic battle to gain custody of his daughter.  The battle becomes unbelievably ugly and the reader is sucked in and kept breathless over the course of the fight.

The beauty of this book is in the voice of the dog.  I am sure I am not the only one who has seen dogs appear to understand everything that is going on and wonder if they really do.  The voice of Enzo, this particular dog, gives a warmth and a humor to the story that really engages the reader.  He is extremely philosophical and wise and has awareness of things beyond what people are able to sense — and it feels entirely plausible when you are reading it!

This is another book that after finishing, I could not rush into the next book because I really just wanted to sit with the characters in my mind for a day or two.  I love when a book does that!

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker

The Art of Heating Heartbeats is an absolutely beautiful story about a young lawyer, Julia, who takes a leave from her job to investigate her father’s disappearance.  Her father, Tin Win, had mysteriously left for a business trip and never returned and the only hint of his whereabouts was a love letter that had been found from him to a woman in Burma, in his home town.  When Julia arrives in this tiny town, she is met by a stranger who begins to tell her the story of her father and his upbringing and about the heart-wrenching love story he had been embroiled in during his youth.

The story is poetically woven, capturing the reader’s attention at the first page and never letting go.  The characters are as unique as the story itself and the reader cannot help but be drawn in to their story.  Tin Win’s teacher when he was a young boy, for example, became a tender father figure to him and was patient and kind and shared with Tin Win (and the reader) much wisdom.  Even Julia, who starts out as a daughter who feels hurt and angry and abandoned, develops a compassion for her father that she did not know she was capable of.

This is a powerful “love conquers all” story that wins your heart with every beat.

The Innocents (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Innocents by Francesca Segal

This book is one of almosts…  The main character, Adam Newman, a young lawyer in the close-knit Jewish community in London is almost happy being engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Rachel.   Unfortunately, when her cousin, a tall, beautiful but vulnerable model called Ellie, returns from America amidst scandalous circumstances, he almost falls for her instead.  Too many times, Ellie leaves just before Adam can do anything about his feelings for her.   And when he is just about to confess his feelings about Ellie to Rachel, suddenly something major happens and distracts him from the task.  Honestly, this happens just too many times to feel plausible.  The reader is waiting and waiting for something major to happen, and it sort of does but it’s anticlimactic.  Again, almost.

While there are some potentially interesting characters, the author seems to stop short just before they can become really human to the reader.  Most of the characters are unidimensional and flat.  One character almost discovers Ellie and Adam’s relationship but again it’s just almost.

This book was good, almost…

One Last Thing Before I Go (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper

Here’s another fun read by Jonathan Tropper.  This story, which centers upon Silver, a divorced, ex-rock star,  middle aged man living in a sort of limbo of a life, who discovers that he has a potentially fatal illness for which he needs surgery and is deciding whether or not to have the operation.  That is, he is struggling over whether his life is actually worth saving.  In the meantime, his daughter presents a dilemma of her own, his ex-wife is about to remarry, and his father, a rabbi, tries to push him toward a decision, which brings him back into the lives of those he loves and has let down.

Tropper’s characters are almost always endearing.  His wit and sarcasm shine through and make the reader laugh out loud in spite of some very unhappy underlying story lines.  Even while Silver and his two close buddies are pathetic and sad, they make the reader laugh as they laugh at themselves.  And even when there is disappointment and resentment between father and daughter, Tropper enables the reader to see the underlying affection that still exists between them.  What Tropper is good at is balancing truly biting sarcasm with just enough warmth to pull the reader in to liking the characters enough to really need to know what happens to them.  And even while the characters are suffering, the reader laughs in spite of herself because they are really funny!

Thanks, once again, Mr. Tropper!

Barefoot Season (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Barefoot Season, by Susan Mallery

This is an unusual story about a woman (yes, a woman) who returns home to Blackberry Island off the coast of Washington State from 10 years of army service in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  She brings home with her not only her PTSD but her previous baggage from a broken family and a broken best friendship.  She returns to an inn which she owns and has to readjust to managing and which her recently deceased mother has run down financially.  The story is an inspiring one of how she rebuilds her own personal life with the help of those around her, as she rebuilds the inn’s stability.

While the story is a bit predictable, it still has some surprises and it is written with humor and warmth.  It has many layers and the characters are lovable even while often brutally honest.  I sometimes felt that nobody really speaks quite as bluntly as these characters often do, but probably there are those who do.  (It was refreshing, actually, and sometimes I’d love to speak like that!)

A little bonus comes at the end, where the author shares recipes from the inn!

The Love Market (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Love Market by Carol Mason

Simply put, this is a fun summer read.  After the many heavy books I’ve completed this summer, this was a fun, light-hearted change.  The Love Market is a story about a woman just divorced who’s a professional British Yente (ie. runs a matchmaking service).  She rekindles an old flame of her own and it becomes a love triangle of sorts.

There is no larger meaning not did I learn about any major historical event.  But I enjoyed briefly getting to know these characters and sharing their romantic pursuits.

Gone Girl

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

This is truly the perfect summer/beach read.   The story is about a couple who are about to celebrate their 5th anniversary and suddenly the wife, Amy,  goes missing.  There are, of course, shady circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the story takes many, many very unexpected twists and turns.  This is the kind of book that when you read, your own spouse gets annoyed because every so often you’re yelling at the book (“Oh, no!” or “Seriously??”) like a bit of a fool.  But you won’t be able to stop yourself because it’s that crazy!

I had fun with this one.  The characters are very complicated and while the husband is certainly the protagonist, he’s not exactly a hero in my mind.  And until the very end, the author is relentless with the surprises!

I will admit, I did quite a bit of yelling at the book at the end.  It felt initially as if it stopped short.  But after digesting it for awhile, I realized that it was the way it had to end.

I would love for others to read this one to see if you agree!

The Long Way Home

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Long Way Home, by Karen McQuestion

This utterly forgetable but mildly amusing story is about 4 women (strangers) who agree to take a road trip together to help one of them reconnect with her (sort of) stepson.  The women are different ages and have almost nothing in common, one is a recluse who on a whim decides to break her years of solitude to join in,  and —  of course! —  one is a psychic.  Basically, this story is as realistic as me winning the Miss America Pageant and the lottery combined!

There are a few funny moments and little surprises, and if you’re looking for a light, mindless read, this may be for you, but it’s not a must-read by any stretch.  Just my opinion…!

Lone Wolf

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Lone Wolf, by Jody Picoult.

I LOVE Jody Picoult.  She has the uncanny ability to delve into the stickiest of ethical dilemmas and to elicit sympathy on the part of the reader toward each side.  I believe it is because she creates such beautifully complex characters, each of whom you want to win.

And in this book, she does it again.

The book revolves around a man who in order to fully study the habits of wolves, leaves his family to live in the wild among them, becoming part of a pack of wolves who take him in as one of their family.    After he returns to his own, human family, he has difficulty fitting in and circumstances lead to the breaking up of his family.  When he later suffers a severe head injury and is on life support, his son and daughter take up a legal battle to determine who will make the decision of whether or not to end life support.

In addition, throughout the book, the author weaves in various facts about wolves which make them appear more human than we are.  Each tidbit is actually quite profound and provides a metaphor for what is happening to the characters in the story.   I’m no naturalist, but I do find these facts very interesting.  Each little factoid also serves to increase the suspense in the book with each further delay in the progression of the story.

This is yet another craftily woven story by Jody Picoult.  You easily come to know and love her characters, you empathize with each side because each side is made valid, and you can’t help staying up late — no matter how late it is and no matter how important your work is the next day! — because you have to find out what happens (and there are a few major surprises!)

While some say Ms. Picoult has something of a formula, I say she uses what works —  and it always does!

Fifty Shades of Grey – Posted 2012 on blogspot.com

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James

I thought I’d start out with a controversial one (or three)…  50 Shades of Grey!

Now, no one will freely admit that they’ve read it —  but we all have.  I have heard about people using their kids’ book socks to cover the book so that no one knows they’re reading it on the train, for example.  (Thank goodness for Kindles/Nooks, right?)  Everyone that I’ve asked about it, however, will admit it with some coaxing, and then won’t stop talking about it!

What is it about this book that we all find so unusual?  Is it the S & M stuff?  Is it the “love story” as one of my friends insists?  Is it the hero saving the damsel in distress, once again?  A Cinderella story, rags-to-riches dream that we all secretly share?  Or is it just that we’re all really horny and it’s too titillating to resist?

My guess is that it’s a combination of all of these.  But most importantly, I think it’s just plain hype!  With so much talk about the book, I figured I needed to read it just to be “in the know.”  Isn’t that why you read it also?

So what is my opinion?

Well, I have mixed opinions.  Yes, it’s a little fun to read.  Yes, there’s some suspense and some psychological intrigue.  Yes, it’s good that the female character actually has a libido too.  But yes, it’s horribly written.  Yes, the sex gets just a little repetitive (I get that they each smell good, ok?) And yes, it’s horribly unrealistic.

Mostly, though, I am sad that this may be another backslide for women.  Christian definitely steps in and saves Ana way too frequently and his money and power are all-consuming.  He is a controlling, conniving stalker and he manipulates any situation that he possibly can.  Has your boyfriend or husband bought the company you work for just so he can keep an eye on you??  Seriously??  Do women secretly want that?  Do we want someone to step in and grant us everything that we even casually wish for?  Do we want someone to solve all our problems?

I hope not.

I hope that we all look at this and feel a little sorry for Ana, who may seem to stick up for herself a bit (the end of the first book) but she really caves way too often.  I hope that we are stronger and have come further than that and appreciate when we take matters in our own hands and accomplish all on our own!  I hope that we have come beyond the Cinderella wishes of the beautiful dress and the prince who will save us from our evil stepmothers (why are the female characters always evil?).

I am not a radical feminist, but this aspect of the book did get me thinking about the way women are treated here.

Basically, you will have to read this book if you want to be a part of almost every conversation that is happening among friends these days…  so go for it!  And have your book sock ready!