Happy Mother's Day!

This will be a brief post, as it's Mother's Day here in the United States, and it's a beautiful day outside! I am anxious to start my day by enjoying my lovely patio and getting a little reading done.

I have two books for you this week. One is a debut novel by a new author and the other is another book by an author who feels like...family.

Debut

Lilac Girls, by Martha Hall Kelly, is a great book to read if you're a fan of historical fiction set in World War II. Kelly stayed as close to the real, actual events as possible, using her research to guide her story. The novel is special because it is told from three people's very different perspectives. Caroline is a New York socialite who works at the French consulate, Kasia is a Polish teenager taken captive by the Nazis, and Herta is a German doctor determined to make her mark in the male-dominated Nazi regime. 

This book was chosen by the new book club I joined. When we met to discuss it this past week, the consensus was the same: we all enjoyed the book and none of us had ever read a novel that gave a voice to a German doctor from World War II. We agreed that all three narrators were good ones and gave us a lot to consider we had not thought of before. One of the ladies in my book club is Polish, and she said she learned things she did not know before about the Polish people in World War II. It was an interesting and absorbing novel. I read it in three days.

Family

My love for Joshilyn Jackson continues, as I just finished The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. She is, as I have described before, amazingly talented at pinpointing how some older Southern women act, talk, think, and...have a tendency to not want the world to see their reality (and, too often, they don't even see it themselves). For them, it's all about what it looks like on the outside and not what it truly is on the inside. 

This novel surrounds a tragedy, how people react to it, and the truths hidden behind the facade of a nice neighborhood. Because of the tragedy, the main character, Laurel, is forced to analyze her own life a little closer. She struggles with something terrible in her own past, as she tries to deal with something terrible in her present. The action builds as Laurel tries to find answers to both before she loses her mind. She is haunted in many ways and must find her own way through a reality that others deny.

I have to say, I was surprised to find some people didn't like it on Goodreads. I looked at reviews  after I posted mine. I found myself wondering if they read the same book I did. I guess we all connect to books in different ways, and I definitely connected with this one. Maybe you have to acknowledge the superficial level many people live on to appreciate a story that reveals the possibilities of what may be underneath it all and seeks to answer why they choose to live that way. I think Jackson did an excellent job at that. She always does. Like I've said before, I'm pretty sure we must be related somehow.

That's all for this week! I hope you all enjoy your Sunday!

Happy reading!

Rude Reviews

Rude people annoy me. I mean, really, it says a great deal about a person who can't give a review of a book without spoiling it for the rest of us. Geez...

Fortunately, for me, I'm careful when I choose to read book reviews before reading a book. Very careful. Too often these days, reviewers don't give "spoiler alerts," which is the common and decent thing to do. When I see those words, I know not to read the review if I'm going to read the book. I won't read a book at all if I know too much.

If someone reads a book and doesn't like it, there's a way to say why they didn't like it without giving anything away. It isn't difficult. This is why I know it's done intentionally when some 'knucklehead' goes out of their way to spoil an entire book in one paragraph. And you have to wonder,...what kind of person, who is a true lover of books and reading, would ever do that? They wouldn't. They simply...wouldn't.

Why am I particularly perturbed about this at the moment? I just finished a book that was "meh," but fun (which I'll tell you about shortly). I went on to Goodreads to log that I'd finished it and decided to post my review. It was short and sweet and, I felt,...right on target. It would let people know if they might be interested, or not, based on my comparison to something else. I gave it three stars and here's what I posted:

"Ridiculously unrealistic, but I enjoyed the ride. It's a 'Blue Lagoon' for grown-ups."

After I posted, I decided to scroll down and see what others had said. One review summed up the entire novel in one, small paragraph and gave away everything. Rude! I couldn't believe it! You know, just because one reader doesn't like a book, it doesn't give them the right to spoil it for other readers by purposely telling the end. What a...#$!@#&^?!

There's no excuse for people like that. None. And there's no place for them in a booklovers' community.

The book I posted about was Wreckage by Emily Bleeker. This was Bleeker's debut novel in 2015. I actually read her most recent work first (When I'm Gone), and I decided to go back and read this one. I have a soft-spot for debut novels. I like to give new writers a place at the table with old favorites and classics.

I stand by the brief review I gave on Goodreads, though I'm aware some readers may not be old enough to remember the 1980 movie, "Blue Lagoon," with Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. It was one of those movies where you enjoyed looking at the beautiful people and the beautiful paradise island they were stranded on, but you knew it wasn't a great movie. It had a certain charm, though, even in it's completely unrealistic context.

Emily Bleeker

I liked the characters in Wreckage and, while I shook my head in a few places, I was smiling. There is something that rings true beneath the struggles the characters go through. They have more layers to them than the characters in "Blue Lagoon." I'm empathetic to their internal conflicts, and their need for survival is realistic. Bleeker also shows a talent for writing some good banter between the characters at lighter moments in the novel. I read one review that said "with a little spit and polish" it could've been a better novel. I'll agree with that, but when you add in this was Bleekers first attempt? I say, "Let's give her three cheers for her first novel! You go, girl!"

And, since I already read her second one, I can assure you she's learning and improving as a writer, though both her books have reminded me of movies.

And, without knowing it, I just realized something...

I've used both Bleekers' novels as 'tweeners' - the type of book I reach for when I've been reading heavy-content historical fictions and non-fictions for awhile and need a break. It means they're novels I can read quickly and just enjoy in the moment. My brain won't insist on additional research while I'm reading. I guess you could say, 'tweeners' are my brains equivalent to what television-watchers do when they sit down to watch something that doesn't require a lot of concentration to get the meaning of a show or a movie. Easy to figure out and pleasant enough to indulge in from time to time.

And there's nothing wrong with that. :)

Happy reading!

 

Dilly Bars, Dreams,...and Those Damn Stars

I just finished a book I completely enjoyed...for many reasons:

 1)  I love the title.
 2)  I love the cover.
 3)  I love Dairy Queen, as it was a big part of my childhood.
 4)  I love stories about Southern folks because it's a part of who I am.
 5)  I was raised in a religious home and I get the humor of it all.
 6)  I am heavily medicated and confined to my bedroom because I'm sick.
 7)  I needed to read something that felt like comfort food for the eyes and brain.
 8)  I'm feeling a bit...sorry for myself because it's my Spring Break (refer to #6).
 9)  It's the author's debut novel.
10) I love Dairy Queen.

It is because of these many reasons that I feel sure I am unable to give a fair assessment. That being said, I'm going to give my assessment anyway.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore is a charming, coming-of-age type story about a girl growing up in a small town in Georgia. She is the oldest of two daughters, and her daddy is the Baptist minister for the town. All Catherine Grace Cline thinks about, while she sits on a picnic table at the local Dairy Queen eating a Dilly Bar once a week, is how she's going to get out of that town when she's eighteen and chase her dreams.

Catherine Grace is a delightfully funny and honest narrator. She uses a combination of phrases and Southern idioms I grew up with and know quite well. She loves her daddy, loves her sister, and loves Jesus. As we all know, we don't question things much when we're young. It's when we begin turning into young adults that we question things and learn we have to find our own way. Things can get a bit...complicated, as they do for our narrator, which makes for quite an interesting story with some surprising turns.

Now, while I know this is not Daphne du Maurier, I did give this one four stars on Goodreads. I laughed out loud when I did it. Not because I didn't take it seriously, but because I meant it - wholeheartedly. I have no doubt the ten reasons listed above may have had something to do with that - in fact, I'm sure they do - but it was my heart's honest rating. It also made me feel bad I'd only given two stars to Still Life by Louise Penny, so...I changed it and gave it a three. Yeah, yeah. I know.

Damn stars.
 

A Different Debut

Let's just jump right in, shall we?

    "Carolyn, blood-drenched and barefoot, walked alone down the two-lane stretch of blacktop that the Americans called Highway 78. Most of the librarians, Carolyn included, had come to think of this road as the Path of Tacos, so-called in honor of a Mexican joint they snuck out to sometimes. The guacamole, she remembered, is really good. Her stomach rumbled. Oak leaves, reddish-orange and delightfully crunchy, crackled underfoot as she walked. Her breath puffed white in the pre-dawn air. The obsidian knife she had used to murder Detective Miner lay nestled in the small of her back, sharp and secret.
     She was smiling."

How does that grab you?! It certainly grabbed me! Wow!

Actually, let me back up a minute, the first thing that grabbed me was the title: The Library at Mount Char. I just liked it. Then, I saw the cover of the book and loved it (still do). After that, I noticed it's a debut novel by the author, Scott Hawkins. I love to read debut novels! So far, this book was hitting on all my favorite things. Needless to say, when I opened it up to the first page and read what you just read, I was completely in and moved it to the top of my holiday reading stack.

While I liked the book, it is not one I would recommend to just anyone. It's dark and more than a bit warped. It is a fantasy with a different spin on gods and how the universe works. There is death and destruction and abuse, but those kinds of things are often at the center of any tales involving gods. If you're a fan of Greek and Roman mythology, you may not find this novel quite so warped as other readers may.

The premise of the novel is that there is someone called "Father" who is raising twelve orphan children to be librarians,...but not like the librarians we think of. Each child is being trained to be an expert in a particular field or "catalog" - and they are not allowed to learn outside their catalog. Carolyn, for instance, is required to know all the languages in the universe. She should be able to communicate with anyone or any thing. Father is harsh and abusive in his training, but claims it is necessary so they are all completely prepared for what they must do to help run the world. I guess you could say Father is head god, and the children are gods.

When we meet Carolyn, on page one, she is already grown. There appears to be a situation of some sort, and she's trying to get back to the library. That is what you begin with. As the story unfolds, you learn more about how they all were raised and trained in Father's library. The story moves forward as you get pieces of the backstory a little at a time. I thought the author did a good job, and he tied up all the loose ends in the end.

This is a bit of a complex story, so I wouldn't suggest you read it in bits and pieces. You'll lose the thread of thought if you put it down for too long. I read it over three days. Of course, there's no need to read it that quickly, you just have to keep with it. Don't let it gather dust on a shelf between chapters. Of course, to be honest with you, I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to see where the story was going. Yes, it lulled in a couple of places, but not for too long. I realized, at the end, the little lulls were there on purpose.

This wasn't a book I was crazy about, but I did like it. I liked it because it was different. I like an author who takes a risk and shows me something I didn't expect. Hawkins does that. He's also good at descriptive writing and paints vivid pictures in your mind. The difficult part is when he's describing something that's horrible, something you may not want to picture. I believe that's why some people might struggle with the darker side of the novel.

One last thing, I'd like to defend the author a bit against a few bad reviews I read today. I read reviews that claimed the pieces didn't fit. For instance, they said if Carolyn was supposed to know all the languages, why didn't she know a round piece of bread with cheese on it was called a pizza? They claimed it just didn't ring true to the story. Obviously, these people have never taught English as a Second Language, or ever tried to learn a language that was not their native tongue. Just because you learn a language from a book (which is how Carolyn learned) doesn't mean you understand it completely in practice.

I will say again, I don't think this book is for everyone. If reading about death and dark things brings you down, then don't read it. I said it was dark and warped and it is, but it also holds a few precious jewels of thought I won't soon forget. If you like mythology and fantasy, I definitely think you'd find this interesting. And if you're like me, and welcome trying a bit of anything new and unusual, I say go for it!

Happy reading!
 

A Disturbing Treasure

I read a book, not too long ago, that I did not write a review for. Not because it wasn't good, but because I wasn't sure how to describe it or how to describe how it made me feel. The book has stuck with me for some time now, haunting me in the oddest ways. Most recently, I took a little vacation to a nearby town, and I kept thinking about passages from the book and the characters in the story. Please allow me to explain.

If you read my blog, you know I love to find random books I've never heard of. In one of my treasure hunts through a bookstore, I came across The Turtle Catcher by Nicole Helget. I loved the cover (because I am a cover lover), and the title of the book seemed odd when compared to the picture. It pulled me in, and I read the back cover. The hook was complete.

I don't usually do this, but I'd like to just quote the back of the book...

"In the tumultuous days after World War I, Herman Richter returns from the front to find his only sister, Liesel, allied with Lester Sutter, the "slow" son of a rival clan who spends his days expertly trapping lake turtles. Liesel has sought Lester's friendship in the wake of her parents' deaths and in the shadow of a dark secret of her own. But what begins as a yearning for something of a human touch quickly unwinds into a shocking, suspenseful tragedy that haunts New Germany, Minnesota, for generations. The Turtle Catcher is a lyrical, vibrant, beautifully wrought look at a fascinating piece of American history - and the echoing dangers of family secrets."

I couldn't say it better myself...without giving something away. It is a story you need to unfold for yourself. I won't lie, there are parts that show the horror of many things: war, betrayal, cruelty, secrets. There were times I found my hand covering my mouth in disbelief, as I shook my head from side to side, to think such things could happen. And they did. Yes, it's fiction, but it's also realistic - particularly for that time in history.

The book played out even more vividly in my mind when I took a little vacation to Fredericksburg, Texas, for a couple of days over Thanksgiving holidays. The small town is rich in history. It was founded by Germans in 1846 and their culture is everywhere. I didn't mean to associate it with the book I had read, it just happened. In my mind, the town was very much like the one described in the novel. As I walked up and down the main street in town, I could imagine what it would have been like in the days after World War I.

While I warn you that parts of the novel will disturb you, as the reality of human cruelty is always disturbing, the novel is very worthy of your reading time. It is well-written, interesting, and pulls you in from the very beginning.

It also does what is most important for a book to do: it makes you think.
 

Another Good Summer Read!

Can you believe it? I scored another good summer read from a first time author - and it was another random pick! I just LOVE that! I just finished (and by "just" I mean "just put it down") The Mourning Hours by Paula Treick DeBoard, and I really liked it! 

Why did I pick it? Well, I liked the cover because I am sentimentally attached to fireflies in mason jars (part of my childhood), I was intrigued by the play on words for the title, and the preview on the back of the book interested me. There were no reviews or recommendations on, or in, the book - so, I almost took it as a challenge. I also liked her dedication page. I suppose I felt a common bond with an author who writes, "For my Tea Time friends, because I always said I would." My book club friends can relate to that, as they try to encourage me in my writing endeavors. ;)

Now, to sum it up and not give anything away...

I read this novel in a few days (of course, I'm a teacher on summer break). I usually like to sprinkle a few shorter reads in between big novels or series. I knew this would be one of my shorter reads. While it wasn't a difficult read, it was an interesting one! The first couple of chapters didn't flow for me at first, but once I got into the main story, the storyteller did a good job of pulling me in to the family's life.

The narrator of the story is an adult woman who is having to return to her childhood home because something has happened. As the reader, we don't yet know what that event is. The trip "back home" takes the narrator back in time to when she was nine and tragedy struck her family. She tells the story of what happened and how it changed her life, and the life of her family, forever. The back of the book states, "The Mourning Hours is a gripping portrayal of a family straining against extraordinary pressure, and a powerful tale of loyalty, betrayal and forgiveness."

One more thing I just have to mention. It was only after I purchased the book that I noticed the publisher was Harlequin MIRA. Harlequin? Really? I only associate them with romance novels. So, researcher that I am, I looked it up. Some of the information I found seemed to indicate that this part of Harlequin publishing focuses on "relationship novels," but I did find some references to "romance" on other books published under the "MIRA" label. That being said, let me assure you The Mourning Hours is not a romance novel. 

I hope you'll give Ms. DeBoard's novel a try! I also hope you give other new authors a try from time to time. I love to go to bookstores that have a special section dedicated to new writers. Classics are great, national bestsellers are usually a good bet, but...sometimes, be sure you're giving the unknown a try. I'll tell you what I tell my students, "A careful, good preview of any book should usually result in a good read." :)

If you'd like a little more info: http://www.paulatreickdeboard.com/mourning_hours.html