Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer

I started reading this novel at my eleven-year-old daughter's elementary school's roaring twenties gala. I knew to take along a book, because at the last school function, a seventies soiree, she asked me not to dance with her. Then I was crushed, but this time I was happy to find a little corner beneath a dim light and submerge.

I thought I would be crying my eyes out, knowing the subject matter was a boy's loss of his father on 9/11, but for the first third of the novel, and then intermittently throughout, I laughed my head off. I forgot I was at an elementary school dance, as I wiped tears from my eyes and threw my head back in uncontrollable laughter. A mother sitting next to me assumed I was laughing at a kid dancing in front of us. "He is hilarious," she said. I pointed at the book. "This is hilarious," but I didn't want to be sucked into a conversation with her, so I stuck my head back between the pages.

To me, the story was like a cross between The Incident with a Dog in the Nighttime and The Shadow of the Wind. Three different narrators, all with issues, are endearing and tragic in their own ways. We have the boy, Oskar, whose father is killed in 9-11; we have his grandma who helps to take care of him and whose family was killed in the bombing of Dresden; and we have the grandpa he never met and who also lost family and loved ones in Dresden, where he knew Oskar's grandma. There are a host of other interesting characters, equally memorable, which add great depth to the story and illustrate the genuine goodness people are capable of along with the evil.

It's interesting to see the parallels between the two tragedies generations apart and the struggle of the survivors to continue to live in a world where such things happen.

My book club hasn't yet met to discuss this story, but I couldn't wait to blog about it. We are in the process of finding a date on which we can all watch the movie together. After our meeting, I may update this entry to better represent the reaction of the entire group and to add my opinion of the movie.

I highly recommend this novel.

January 24, 2012

A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick

I read A Reliable Wife in one day. I literally could not put it down. I instantly cared for the characters, even though Ralph beat his son and Catherine was plotting to murder Ralph. Although the novel was written by a man, the internal lives of the characters were as fleshed out as one finds more frequently in stories written by women. One member in my book club said that she thought she was reading the words of a woman. To me, the sex gave the author away. More sensual and romantic than the sex authored by most men I've read, the shear abundance of it signaled to me that a male psyche was behind the story. Someone once told me that men have sexual thoughts throughout the day, and that was certainly demonstrated in this story. But I was not put off by it at all. I sympathized and longed for Ralph to find pleasure.

Everybody in my book club felt that Catherine went too far in her plot to murder Ralph, and that if she hadn't tried so hard to save her sister, her sympathy as a character would have been lost. And Ralph accepted too much. Once the horrible side effects of the arsenic presented themselves, he should have fought back, though I suppose his dilerium might have hindered that.

Tony was also nicely fleshed-out and complex. He was easy to hate, but also easy to understand. I was satisfied with the way the author ended the story, though not as sure as Catherine concerning whose child she carried. I was okay with that. I liked the ambiguity and felt Ralph would want to raise the child regardless.

I highly recommend this novel.

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The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain

My book club read this novel about Hemingway this month, and every person in the club enjoyed it. Having read most of Hemingway's works, in addition to works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, and Gertrude Stein (not to mention the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas--Stein's lifelong partner), I can say with confidence that McLain depicts the essence of Hemingway's life as a young man. The Bohemian lifestyle of the expatriates, the attention to the craft of writing, the struggles with finances, and Hemingway's interactions with other literary figures and their partners all ring true. I also felt McLain was able to show the inspiration behind Hemingway's writing of The Sun Also Rises, with wonderful scenes of the bullfights in Pamplona, Spain.

Told from the point of view of Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, this fictional interpretation submerged me into Hemingway's lifestyle and struggles while presenting me with a good story. I immediately liked Hadley and sympathized with her, feeling crushed by her husband's betrayals. There were moments I hated Hemingway, but McLain does a superior job of keeping him sympathetic to the end.

I highly recommend this novel.

October 6, 2001

Mothers and Other Liars, by Amy Bourret

How would you feel if what you believed to be true about your nine-year-old daughter weren't, and she was suddenly taken away from you even as you attempted to do the right thing? I don't think I could go on living, but Ruby does as she fights to be reunited with her daughter in Amy Bourret's well-crafted novel, Mothers and Other Liars.

With a literary, musical style and vivid characters and setting, Bourret takes us through Ruby's struggle in Santa Fe, New Mexico to avoid prison and protect her precious daughter, not to mention the baby growing inside of her. I found myself sobbing uncontrollably and clinging to my own daughter after sneaking into her room in the middle of night, just to remind myself that she was still there. I can't recall another book making me react so strongly. I could barely read between my tears.

Ruby comes up with a surprising plan to save her daughter, and, I have to say that, as a mother, I would have done the exact same thing! Ruby's actions are entirely believable and sympathetic, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the ending.

I highly recommend this novel.

September 16, 2011

The Magician's Assistant, by Ann Patchett

As in Bel Canto, I was a hundred pages into this novel and still wondering why I hadn't given up. I'll tell you why I kept reading: It wasn't because the plot immediately compelled me. It wasn't because I connected with the characters or even understood them. I kept reading because State of Wonder and Bel Canto changed my life, and I had faith that if I kept going, I wouldn't be sorry.

I was right.

Somewhere between the first hundred pages and the last hundred, I came to care so deeply for the characters, that I couldn't stand to be away from them. Even now, I want to jump back into the pages of the novel and say, "Scoot over. Make room for me. I want to spend more time with you."

I feel so sad that the story is over. I wish I would have dragged it out a little longer. The characters become so personable and intimate, and the plot, which seems insignificant in the first half of the story, has a major surprise by the end. Sabine seems like the kind of woman who has had things happen to her rather than the kind who makes things happen. She's loved a gay man her whole life and seems to have sacrificed her own potential to remain by his side and assist him. She continues to help him even after his death, but, in a surprising twist, is finally able to help herself as well as others. She's finally the kind of woman who makes things happen. How delightful you are, Ann Patchett! I can't wait to read another of your books!

September 4, 2011

Burning Bright, by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is one of my favorite authors. I've loved every book she's written, except this one. Although she created believable and endearing characters in Jem and Maggie, she failed to make the real star of the book, William Blake, much more than a friendly blur. If A Girl with Pearl Earring gave me insight into Vermeer, Burning Bright only more confused my understanding of Blake. The children's references to opposites, as an underpinning theme to Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, seemed forced, and most of the recitations of the poetry did as well.

I did enjoy getting to know the children in the story, who were very real and mostly endearing, as well as the English landscape, but the plot was only engaging in a few areas, unlike everything else Chevalier has written. Even my least favorite, Virgin Blue, was better than this one. What a disappointment.

August 14, 2011

Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett

After reading State of Wonder, I immediately returned to the bookstore to find another novel by Ann Patchett. I must admit, I was disappointed, at first. I had trouble getting into the various points of view. I kept wondering, "THIS was a bestseller?" But I knew the whole world couldn't be wrong in recommending this book, so I plowed onward.

Oh...my...God! I am so glad I read this novel! Patchett shows us the beautiful side of humanity and the love we can have for one another in spite of the violence around us. And the catalyst for the bond between people is the joy of music. This story is a study of the role of music, and by extension all of the arts, in bringing the best out of humanity.

I might have written the ending a little differently, but I was very pleased overall and would highly recommend this novel.

August 12, 2011

State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett

I was shocked when I read a description of this novel as "a creepy fountain of youth story." Those words are far from the ones I would use to describe this magnificent adventure story. If you want to experience authentic life in the Amazon jungle of South America; if you want to live among a fascinating tribe mostly untouched by modern civilization; if you want to witness the devotion of doctors to the betterment of humanity; and if you want to see this outrageously dangerous and beautiful adventure from the point of view of a lovely woman dedicated to both her work and her friends; then this novel, nothing like a fountain of youth tale, is for you. The characters and the setting, brilliantly crafted, linger in my mind long after closing the book. I can't wait to read it again.

I highly recommend this novel.

June 2, 2011

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Spoiler Alert: My book club just finished the first book of this trilogy and most of us really enjoyed it. The time in the arena dragged in a few places for me, and although I saw the set up with Rue coming, it still worked! I cried my eyes out, but I do that easily, as the others in my club will tell you. I liked how a new tension is introduced once the games are over, and then again at the very end.

My favorite parts involve the creativity the author puts into the staging and the stylists and the interviews. I liked the costumes. I also liked the irony in the fact that Katniss is forced to please the very people she despises.

Did Anyone else think of PETA as you read Peeta?

Although I didn't like the wolf muttants at all (I kept seeing the werewolves in Twilight), I did enjoy the mockingjays and their songs and the mutated bees.

I do think so much more could have been done with the Peeta relationship, but maybe the author wanted to keep it tame for a PG audience. The violence though makes it PG13, I would think (though I was surprised that one of my friends found the violence too tame). Racier feelings could have gone along with that level of violence. I just didn't feel enough sexual tension in that relationship, but not everyone in my club agreed.

Although I like the new tension at the end of the novel, I would have liked to see Prim and Gale again at the end, Gale's expression especially. Some of the ladies in my club thought the ending was too abrupt.

Overall, I recommend this book.

What did you think? I hear the movie has been cast. Anyone know who's playing whom? I heard rumor that Donald Sutherland might be up for Haymitch.

May 20, 2011

His Dark Materials Trilogy, by Philip Pullman

I am fascinated by the many worlds and characters Pullman has created, and I enthusiastically recommend this trilogy to everyone--young and old. My book club hasn't read this trilogy yet, which consists of The Golden Compass (or The Northern Lights), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. But I will encourage them to because it will provoke some interesting conversation.

The following may semi-spoil things. I'll try not to be too specific.

I was curious to see what all the hubbabaloo was about "killing God," and, I have to say, I disagree with the notion that that's what these characters do. I understand the story as showing a tyrannical "authority," who is not the true creator but an angel imposter, who has inspired the religious leaders to oppress its peoples by spreading lies and keeping them in ignorance, and it is Lyra and Will's duty to help Asriel and others overpower this imposter and his minions and establish a new kingdom of heaven that fosters knowledge and tolerance and diversity.

The novel is kind of saying that Lucifer was really the good angel and that some imposter--not the creator--flung him down from heaven, and ever since, things have been wrong. The new uprising overthrows the imposter and all the tyrannical, oppressive followers of that imposter, and then we start again in the garden, and instead of a serpent we have a scientist and

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Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon

I just returned from eating Indian food (since our narrator likes Indian food) at a wonderful restaurant with my book club friends where we discussed this interesting study in point of view. Most of us felt that seeing the world through Christopher's autistic perspective was very enlightening. A few of us are in education and found the novel an important reminder that not all of us learn or understand directions in the same way. One friend had a hard time getting into the story and thought it slow and boring, but the majority of us, including me, loved it. In addition to the interesting point of view, I enjoyed the surprise and compelling twists in plot. At one point in the story, I could not put the book down till I had finished it.

Maybe more than others in my club, I truly enjoyed being shown by the narrator how to work through certain logic and math problems. I especially liked the situation of the three doors, with the prize behind only one of them and how to use logic to choose your door. Very interesting stuff!

April 30, 2011

The Lady and the Unicorn, by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier has done it again in this realistic look into the French Renaissance through the eyes of several characters living different sorts of lives, but all connected somehow to a tapestry making business. There's love, mystery, betrayal and a lot more in this relatively short read. I absolutely loved it.

April 5, 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson

Most of the members of my book club loved this thriller. I certainly couldn't put it down. But when I look back over the story, I find it reads too much like a male fantasy, kind of the opposite of romance fiction for women. We have a man who is able to attract a young and beautiful, albeit neurotic, woman whom no other man has successfully engaged. This same man solves an old family mystery that no one else can solve. He writes a story that immediately puts every other journalist to shame. And he is desired by all the women with whom he comes into contact, and these women do not expect commitment--they are merely grateful for the opportunity to share his bed. What a man you are, Mikael Blomkvist!

I recommend the novel with reservations.

March 16, 2011

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen

I loved this book that gives such an in-depth look at circus life during the Depression. Well-developed and endearing characters along with a compelling plot make it very hard to put down. I can't wait to see the movie! Has anyone seen it yet? Was it good?

I highly recommend this novel.

March 1, 2011

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton

It took a while for this book to grab me, but when it did, it grabbed me hard. I was at first put off by the alternating points of view. I would just start to get comfortable walking in one character's shoes when I would be yanked out and forced into another's. But once I adjusted to this yanking around, I loved the story and the characters, though I did find the ending a bit predictable.

I would recommend this book.

February 17, 2011

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

Five stars! I would rank this novel among the very top picks on my list. I loved reading the various points of view during a time in history after slavery but before integration and civil rights. Various perspectives are juxtaposed among the black help and the white female employers who are all struggling against their different forms of oppression.

I would highly recommend this book! Has anyone seen the movie? Can't wait!

January 30, 2011

Winter in Madrid, by C.J. Sansom

I love books that teach about periods in history, and this novel was no disappointment as it depicted Spain and other parts of Europe after the Spanish Civil War with realistic clarity. I found the main character, Brett, to be completely sympathetic, and I was afraid for him as he was pulled further and further into danger when a feeling of obligation puts him in the position of spy for the British Secret Service. Love and intrigue abound, and I could not put this one down. My book club shared Spanish Tapas at my house as we discussed our enjoyment of this book.

I highly recommend this novel.

January 5, 2011

Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

If you like narrators who can make you laugh and cry within a single page, Elizabeth Gilbert is for you. I enjoyed following her along this journey of self-discovery. I was relieved that she didn't take herself too seriously. No one likes to be preached to, and this book is not preachy. My book club enjoyed discussing what one word we each felt defined us. It was a great meeting and a good read. A few weeks later we saw the movie, which we all thought was well done. Then we went for coffee after to discuss the similarities and differences between the two versions.

I would recommend this book.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

This was a brilliantly crafted novel about Afghanistan from the Soviet invasion through the Taliban takeover through the points of view of two very different women. Reading their stories made me grateful to live in a society where women have most of the same liberties as men. I appreciated the insight this story gave me into the worlds of women so different from me. We need stories like this to remind us of how precious basic civil liberties are for all people, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, in order for the pursuit of happiness to be possible.

I highly recommend this book and put it up there among my favorites. I recently read it a second time.

November 15, 2010

Perfume, by Patrick Suskind

Only two people in my book club loved this book, and I was one of them. The others were grossed out by the details of disgusting smells and horrid deeds, but I found the powers of description this author possesses to be absolutely astounding. Many books have made me see and hear and taste and feel unusual things, but this novel makes you smell in a brilliantly artistic way. I've never read a book like this one and consider it a masterpiece as a study of the sense of smell in literature.

I highly recommend this book.

October 11, 2010

The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield

This novel is the perfect combination of heart-strings and eerie. If you are a story-lover, you will love this one in that it glorifies books, authors, and readers. I found the narrator relatable and the woman she interviews titillating. It reads like a ghost story while maintaining a strict adherence to realism. It's part twin story, part family saga, part ghost story, part mystery, and part metafiction. You won't want to put the book down.

I highly recommend this book.

September 5, 2010

Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier

Everyone in my book club loved this book. No one had a negative thing to say about it. We all enjoyed learning about this very important time in history when dinosaur fossils were first being discovered and recognized as extinct beings. It was interesting to see the reaction some of the religious had to these discoveries, with questions, such as, "Would a perfect God make a mistake?" It was equally interesting to see how two important women were treated by the male scientists and at geological meetings where women were not permitted to attend. Chevalier's narrator warns that this is no Jane Austen novel with its romantic happily-ever-after marriages, but the ending is still uplifting in different, more realistic, ways.

I highly recommend this book and anything written by this author.

August 20, 2010

Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett

Wow. I feel this book gave me an authentic look into the many kinds of lives lived during the Middle Ages in England. We see the rich and the starving, the religious and the irreverent, the talented and the disadvantaged. We see the role of the clergy, the merchants, the builders, the peasants, the kings and the lords, and the women and children. I feel especially educated now on the importance of cathedrals to Medieval towns because of the work the building of them created.

The ending was extremely satisfying to me, though not all in my club felt the same way.

I highly recommend this book.

July 16, 2010

The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory

I would put this novel up there in my top two or three picks. If you really want an interesting view of King Henry the Eighth and his wives from a new perspective, read this book. It hooks you right away and never lets up. I didn't want to do anything but read till I finished the story, and the details are still so fresh in my head even though I read the book two years ago.

The movie was surprisingly well done, though, understandably, much was left out. The character of the mother was also different.

I highly recommend this novel.

June 2, 2010

I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers, by Tim Madigan

I was not looking forward to reading this book because I'm not one for nonfiction and because I thought I knew everything there was to know about Fred Rogers. Much to my surprise, this book was a joy, not only because it taught me more about Mister Rogers, but also because it portrayed the transformational power of friendship. I cried and laughed and had a ball reading this inspirational story.

I would recommend this book.

May 13, 2010

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards

Everybody in my book club loved this book but me. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I loved it only so far. The ending was a disappointment to me. I feel too much blame is put on the husband and not enough on the wife, but I was a minority in this way of thinking among my book club friends.

Despite my disappointment with the ending, I would still recommend this book for a tragic look at how Down Syndrome babies were once viewed and how one secret can tear an otherwise loving relationship apart.

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The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafron
originally posted: April 12, 2010

I loved this one so much that I read it twice. This story of a boy named Daniel, whose father deals in antiquarian books and whose mother dies when he's very young, intertwines the world of fiction with the world of reality. I love books that blur those two worlds while maintaining an absolute strict adherence to realism. This book is not mystical, but it brings you to the edge of mysticism.

If for no other reason, you have to read this book just so you can meet my new absolute favorite literary character, Fermin. He is a hoot. He is both tragic and comic and will make you laugh so hard, you'll cry.

March 21, 2010

The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Not everyone in the club loved this book as much as I did, but it sure sparked some really good conversation. This was definitely one of my favorites.

To some of my book club friends, this novel started out slow, but I enjoyed learning about this boy's interest in all religions, about his father's zoo-keeping, and about the differences between the two and three-toed sloths. All of this prelude is so crucial, in my opinion, to the metaphorical significance of the rest of the story, which, once you get to, is amazingly compelling.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. I think this novel is an expression of something Joseph Campbell once said in one of his books, about metaphor being the penultimate truth.

February 18, 2010

The Next Thing on My List, by Jill Smolinksy

Even though this wasn't one of my favorites (I'm not a big chick lit fan), it was still a good read, if you're looking for something quick and uplifting. My book club enjoyed sharing what we would include on a list of things we want to do before we die. Before the meeting, we emailed the author and scheduled a conference call with her during our book club meeting. This part was awesome, because we were able to ask her questions, such as what inspired her to write the book or to create certain characters. Jill Smolinsky is a smart and nice lady.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy chick lit.

January 15, 2010

The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

I'm usually more of a fiction reader than one of memoirs, but the storytelling in this nonfiction work was captivating. What an intriguing look into the life a girl brought up by eccentric and probably mentally diseased parents who end up homeless and the girl's ability to triumph in spite of it all. It's nice to know that our society makes it possible for this success story to happen, though, more often than not, people like Jeanette fall though the cracks.

I would highly recommend this book.

January 3, 2010

My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult

I had mixed feelings about this novel until a surprise is revealed toward the end that made me love it. I deferred my judgment on the narrator, a thirteen-year-old who sues her parents for rights to her own body, which has been used to harvest replacement material for her older sister Kate, who has leukemia. Anna, the narrator, isn't sympathetic enough to me until I learn the surprise that saves the whole story for me. Everyone in my book club loved this and we plan to read another book by this author.

This is a tragic and beautiful story that I would highly recommend. The movie can't compare and changes the story.

December 10, 2009

The Virgin Blue, by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is my new favorite author, but not because of this novel, which is the one of hers that I least like. I was the one in my book club who recommended it, but it received mixed reviews from our members. Most of us enjoyed the historical point of view, but the modern story told through Ella could have been improved. I especially found the section where Ella visits her uncle Jacob lacking. But there were many things about this book I loved, including the character of the librarian, Jean-Paul, and the historical details surrounding the Protestant Reformation and its impact on the lives of everyday families.

I would recommend this novel.

November 8, 2009

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski

Who knew a story about a dog breeding farm could be so powerful? Not only do we have the heart-warming relationship between Edgar, who's mute and speaks only in sign, and his loyal friend Almondine, but we also have the threat of the uncle, Claude, who creates a situation on the farm reminiscent of Hamlet. It's all up to mute Edgar and a few of his unique breed of dogs, a breed that seems to have evolved in a way that makes them able to communicate in a special way with Edgar. This author has excellent descriptive powers that makes the beautiful Wisconsin setting come to life.

I highly recommend this book.

October 7, 2009

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, by Lorna Landvik

This was a great novel to start our book club so many years ago. Not only did it show us how such a club could bring disparate women with different backgrounds, ages, and values together in a heart-wrenching, lovely story, it also gave us ideas for how to conduct our meetings. Most of us were merely acquaintances when we started, and now we are a group of friends who have begun exchanging presents at our December meeting.

The ladies in the novel choose to have meals that relate to whatever novel they are reading, and we've continued to carry on this tradition in our club as well, encouraging us to try some new and yummy recipes.

This novel tells of five different women who each have their own story to share as they bond together through four decades of change. This is an American history novel, a woman's novel, and an inspirational novel. I highly recommend it.

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Eva Pohler has a Ph.D in English and teaches writing and literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she lives with her husband, three children, and two dogs.