Beach Music (migrated from bookblogger)

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Beach Music by Pat Conroy

You must read this book!  Whether you like historical fiction, or suspense, or comedy, or tragedy, you must read this book, because it has it all.  In developing the story, Conroy creates stories within the story, which enriches both the plot and the character development.  The basic story is about a young Southern father named Jack, whose wife has committed suicide and he’s made a new life for himself and his daughter in Rome.  He’s vowed to separate himself from his family because of their layered, painful past, but he receives a call that his mother is dying of leukemia and that he must come home.  This initiates a journey into his past as well as the past of others who have surrounded him since his youth.

Pat Conroy is a genius — a magician with words who can create such imagery that you feel you are seeing what he’s seen, even if it’s in his imagination.  The dialogue between the characters is brilliant, rapid-fire sarcasm at its best.  The dramatic stories of the characters’ pasts are so vividly drawn that it’s hard to believe they are not real.  And the characters are all so beautiful that when you finish the book, it’s quite sad — you have to say goodbye to these loving and lovable people.

 

I loved this book and I’d recommend it heartily.  A MUST read!

Crossways (migrated from bookblogger)

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Crossways by Sheila Kohler

This is a book I found in my favorite bookstore, the Strand (in Manhattan).  It was not recommended by anyone and I had no real expectations.   It was like seeing a movie or a play without having read the reviews or having seen a trailer.  How often does that happen nowadays??   I like having no information sometimes!

The story is about a woman, Kate, whose sister has suddenly died in a car accident in South Africa (where she was raised) and left her husband in an intensive care unit and 3 children at home in the care of her mother and their Zulu housekeeper, John.  Slowly, there is doubt raised about the nature of the accident and the story rises to a surprising crescendo toward the end.

I felt that the story had a slow start, but did build into an interesting twisting tale.  I also loved learning a little more about the classes in South Africa, including the Zulu servant, the Boers, and the wealthier British.  There is a lot that is disturbing in this book and there are some slower parts, but it is overall a pretty good read (and probably the potential makings of an intriguing movie).

 

 

The Typist (migrated from bookblogger)

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The Typist by Michael Knight

This is an unusual story about Van, a GI from the south who is stationed in Japan at the very end of WWII.  Because of his unique ability to type as fast as 100 words per minute, he has captured the attention of General MacArthur and therefore has been promoted to work as part of his typing team.  From this perspective, the reader learns about the politics and chaos of Japan at this time and the efforts made by MacArthur to build a democracy and resist Communism.

The story is unusual in my mind in that it is a WWII story that does not focus on Europe or on the Holocaust.  There is, at least in my view, very little written about this period in Japan’s history and about the relationship between the U.S. and Japan in the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  This is a little piece of historical fiction that fills in some of that era.

It is a simply-told, well-written story, with solid characters.  For anyone who likes historical fiction, this is a solid read.

Heartburn (migrated from bookblogger)

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Heartburn by Nora Ephron

This is true vintage Nora Ephron, a book where not much happens, but she has you laughing through much of what she has written.  The story, such as it is, is about a woman who is 7 months pregnant with her second child and discovers that her husband is cheating on her.  This is, of course, her second husband and it feels as if everyone she’s surrounded by is cheating or has been cheating as well.  In addition, she happens to be an author of cook books, and so interspersed with the story are recipes.  It’s a bit of a bizarre story, but it is cute.  (Evidently, it was also made into a movie awhile ago as well.)

Not exactly high literature, but it was a light, quick read on the beach!

And the Mountains Echoed (migrated from bookblogger)

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And the Mountains Echoed: A Novel by Khaled Hosseini

     Once again, Mr. Hosseini (author of the Kite Runner) has demonstrated his brilliance in telling a story.  The central story is about a brother, Abdullah, and his sister, Pari, who live in a small village outside Kabul and are separated by dire circumstances.  What is unusual is how the story is told:  sometimes through letters, sometimes through first person narratives, changing subtly and smoothly so that the story unfolds over the years of their lives.  Sometimes there is a break and the connection to the story is not known for a few pages, but always it is captivating, warm and moving.  When you do realize how each part is connected, there is that “aha” moment and you feel like you’ve found the most important piece of a large puzzle.

   In the telling, there is also a subtle history of Afghanistan and the impact of its history on its people.  It is not something that hits you over the head, it is more quietly told.  But it is there in a way that is more human and more inner-reaching.  Because the characters are very human and likable, the reader has an easy attachment to them and you find yourself caring so much about what happens, feeling their pain and their joy.

   This is a beautiful, tragic, and real-life story and in my opinion, a must-read!

The Interestings (migrated from Bookblogger)

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The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

I believe that further editing might have saved this book.  The idea is good — kids meet at an arts camp and, seeing themselves as destined for greatness, form a sort of club.  Over the years, these characters’ lives remain entwined, partly because of the true friendship that is there and partly because of a tragic incident.  Unfortunately, there is just too much detail and too much bouncing around from time period to time period and from character to character to keep it really engaging.  In addition, the “foreshadowing” that the author uses is in so much detail, that it feels the story is being told over and over again.

I think a shorter, simpler version of this book would have been so much more “interesting.”

Looking for Alaska (migrated from Bookblogger)

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Looking for Alaska by John Green

Since my kids are so enamored of this author, I felt obligated to read yet another of his books.  This one, a story about Miles, a previously nerdy boy who has come to a prep school to seek the “Great Perhaps,” is actually quite good.  Miles’s roommate, “the Colonel” takes him under his wing and introduces him to Alaska, a beautiful, smart, extremely distraught student who lives down the hall.  Together, they create mischief (staging pranks) and share experiences until the “Before” becomes the “After.”  There is a turning point at which the story turns upside-down and it is a matter of finding their “way out of the labyrinth.”  Very philosophical and interesting analysis of exactly what that labyrinth really represents.

This is very well-written and in my opinion, appeals to a wider audience than just the young adult.  Anyone who’s ever been a teenager can relate to the types of problems that these characters encounter, although hopefully they have not had the sort of “before” and “after” that took place here.

Good book!

The Sacrifice of Tamar (migrated from Bookblogger)

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The Sacrifice of Tamar by Naomi Ragen

I should probably digest this book more before writing this blog entry…  there is so much to it.  The basic story is about Tamar, the good, obedient daughter of an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish family who after marrying a righteous, law-abiding Hassid, is raped by a black man.  She is so terrified to tell anyone for fear that she might be cut off or humiliated in some way, that she proceeds as planned to her mikvah, goes home to her husband, and pretends that nothing has happened.  Of course, about a month later, she notes that her period is late and she is in a panic.  What should she do?  What if this is her husband’s baby?  What if it isn’t?

In her turmoil, she turns to the 2 women who were always there for her, in a sense.  Her friend Hadassah, the rebellious daughter of the highly honored Rebbe, and her friend Jenny, who has chosen her faith along with her value of education and independance.  Each gives a voice to the various sides of the religion debate, and each is articulate and smart.  Hadassah, taken with the colorful choices in the world that are not allowed by the restrictive lifestyle of the ultra-faithful, seems to drift from one distraction to another without a purpose.  On the other hand, Tamar gives voice to the law and closed religious society, which gives structure and purpose, in spite of the choking need to hide anything that isn’t perfect, anything that will ruin a reputation and standing in the community.  Somewhere in between is the voice of Jenny, the voice that questions and seeks knowledge and individuality, but also loves the good teachings of the Torah, the ethics and the humanity that can be found there.

There is a lot of discussion of who is really faithful and good and who just gives the appearance of what is good.  Will Josh, Tamar’s husband come through and do what is good or will he obey the law, as Tamar sees it?  Will Tamar herself ever stop being hypocritical and stop hiding herself and her truth so that she can finally be happy and not criticize everyone else?

Again, Naomi Ragen has written another book that exposes the paradoxes of the religious Jewish community, where there is true beauty and there is also true ugliness.  A lot to think about!

I Still Dream About You (migrated from bookblogger)

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I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

Eh.  Not my favorite…  This slightly weird story is about a woman in her 60’s who is planning to kill herself.  She is a former Miss Alabama and has had some disappointments in her life that have brought her to a place where she’s decided that the pro’s of living do not outweigh the cons.  However, her plan keeps getting interrupted by the various goings on in her work life.  Between the possible sale of her dream estate by her arch rival realtor and her best friend possibly having a heart attack, her plans get derailed.  But of course, she learns that things happen for a reason — and a good one at that.

In my opinion, Flagg (remember her?  Hollywood Squares…) is a very mediocre writer and the story is trite.  It’s a light read, though, and somewhat engaging and I guess if you are looking for an easy summer read, this fits the bill.  Better to look elsewhere, though…

The Temple of Gold (migrated from bookblogger)

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The Temple of Gold by William Goldman

This book, written by the author of The Princess Bride, was recommended to me by my daughter, who read it in her English class.  This story is about the coming of age of a young man named Ray Euripides Trevitt in a Chicago suburb in the 1950’s.  We first meet him as he forges a close friendship with his new next door neighbor, Zock.  The 2 of them begin their teens together innocently enough until tragedy befalls them.  The story tells of Ray’s struggle to cope in a family who does not discuss how to do this.

The voice of Ray is extremely effective.  He is blunt, sometimes crude, but always honest to the core.  He is very much a product of his time and circumstance and gives the reader a very interesting glimpse of life in the 1950’s.  Many refer to it as a simpler time, but as we see here, life has never been simple really.  Not for most, anyway.

This book is very engaging, the characters very real and 3-dimensional, and I wish I could’ve read it in a class, because I’m sure the discussions would be great!