The Lady of The Rivers

This is another of Philippa Gregory's Cousin's War series (about the Wars of the Roses) and it does not disappoint. This novel tells the story of Jacquetta, who is Elizabeth Woodville's mother (Elizabeth's story is told in The White Queen). Jacquetta is a young French beauty who marries the much older Duke of Bedford, but upon his untimely death she stoops to marry her true love, Bedford's squire Richard Woodville. Jacquetta and Richard become close friends to King Henry VI and his Queen Margaret d'Anjou.

Of course that's not all there is to the story. Jacquetta is a descendant of the goddess Melusina and may or may not have the Sight. She and Richard survive a great deal with the upheaval and turmoil surrounding the early days of the Wars of the Roses. Henry VI and Margaret are incompetent rulers at best, murderous despots at worst, so there's a lot to be said for just surviving in those days.

Gregory once again shows that she is a true scholar, creating a fascinating story about a woman who, though she certainly played a pivotal role in British history, was a mere footnote in the history books. Obviously there is fictionalization, but the bones of the story are factual, which makes the fiction just that much more enjoyable.

The Lady of the Rivers

The Hunger Games

I loved this book! Thank you Shari for the tip. I've already put the second book in the series on reserve at the library (Nook edition not available), and I'm looking forward to the movie.

Set somewhere in the future-former North America, Katniss Everdeen is a young lady from a poor district of Panem, and she winds up "playing" in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death between 24 young people that's televised across the country, and used as a way of making sure the citizens know who's boss. Yes, I know, sounds like a happy little book, doesn't it? Katniss is really likeable, and very believable, and this is just a really, really good story.

Okay, it's a young adult book, but so are the Harry Potter books. That doesn't mean it isn't thought-provoking and chilling, and it's a very deep book for young people. I'm not sure I would want my 12-year-old reading this... if she did, I would want to make sure I had read it first and we could discuss it.

The Hunger Games

The Next Always

Nora Roberts is back with another trilogy, this one set in the very real town of Boonsboro, Md. The book is good, if rather typical Nora Roberts - strong protagonists, witty banter, quaint setting - and the added value of a teeny bit of mysticism.

That's not to say I didn't like the book - I obviously did, I read it in about 2 days. It was a nice palate cleanser after The Dovekeepers. I enjoyed the setting - made me want to book a room at the Inn. And I liked the main characters - Clare is nice without being too nice, and Beckett is charming without being smarmy. And Clare's 3 sons sound like real little boys, not mini-adults, so that's good writing.

As always, I'll look forward to book two, and I've pretty much already figured out who Nora is going to hook up with whom. These aren't deep reads, but very enjoyable.

http://www.amazon.com/Next-Always-Book-BoonsBoro-Trilogy/dp/0425243214/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321976800&sr=1-1

The Dovekeepers

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but this is a pretty long book - and a pretty deep read. Alice Hoffman tells the story of the last days of Masada through the eyes of four women - Yael, Shirah, Revka, and Aziza - the dovekeepers. The book is broken into sections, each told from one of the women's perspectives, beginning and ending with Yael.

I knew of Masada before I read this book, but I didn't know the entire story. I looked it up when I finished and Hoffman keeps quite close to the actual story, she just makes it a lot more personal, and gives back stories and histories for the people who were there. We in fact learn the story of how each of these women came to be at Masada in these last days, and how the Roman attacks all over the region impacted them.

This isn't exactly a happy story - if you know about Masada you know that. But it is a story with power, and it is a story of personal strength, of love, and of survival. I found it truly moving.

http://www.amazon.com/Dovekeepers-Novel-Alice-Hoffman/dp/145161747X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321800190&sr=1-1

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

This is a really amazing TRUE story of Kamila Sidiqi, who not only survived life in Afghanistan under the Taliban but started a successful home business that helped dozens of other women as well.

Kamila had just graduated school when the Taliban took power in Kabul and her life changed. When her parents flee to the north to avoid being prosecuted for their service in the previous regime, it is up to Kamila to support her family. But how does a woman who can't go out in public without a man, who can't interact with men, do that? She sets up a dressmaking shop in her home, and brings in other neighborhood women to help.

Kamila is an amazing woman who selflessly risks jail, beatings, or worse to support her family AND to help other women support their families. One doesn't really consider what the Taliban's view of women did to Afghan society: women couldn't work outside the home, couldn't interact with men outside their families, and weren't even allowed in public without a male escort. Afghan men were either pressed into service with the Taliban or left the country to avoid being pressed into service, so the economy basically collapsed. But Kamila is a tenacious, dedicated woman, and she does what she has to do.

I highly recommend this book... in addition to being an intriguing story, it was also an educational story.

http://www.amazon.com/Dressmaker-Khair-Khana-Remarkable-Everything/dp/0061732370/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319812267&sr=1-1

You Had me at Woof: How Dogs Taught me the Secrets of Happiness

This is a really sweet memoir by Julie Klam, a Manhattanite who loves Boston Terriers. Over the course of the book she owns (and rescues/fosters) a number of Bostons, notably Otto, Beatrice, Moses, and Dahlia. If you are a dog lover this is really a must read.

I am a dog lover who has never owned a dog - most apartments don't allow them, so it's just never been a question - but I love other people's dogs, and one of the things I love most about Arlington is that it's a very doggy community. If I could have a dog I would have a French Bulldog or a Boston Terrier. Anyway, New York is different from Arlington, because apparently a lot of apartment dwellers in NYC have dogs - and Klam actually had FOUR in her apartment at one time, two of whom were puppies. She's a very good writer with a great sense of humor (I think that's a requirement for BT owners) and I really enjoyed her stories about life with her dogs. There are some sad moments, but there are far outnumbered by the by the funny stories.

I admit to crying twice, but I laughed twenty times, and that's a pretty good ratio in my opinion. I highly recommend this book even if you aren't a dog lover, just because it's a story that I think we can all relate to.


You Had Me at Woof

The Raven's Bride

I thoroughly enjoyed this fictionalized story of Edgar Allan Poe and his child bride, Virginia "Sissy" Clemm. You don't really have to be a Poe fan to enjoy this novel, which is told by Virginia from her perspective. It is a beautifully written, a haunting tribute to Poe's writing, and a sad story of a great love.

Virginia is half Poe's age when they marry - 14 to his 28 - and his cousin. Their families are impoverished but mannerly and educated, and Virginia is a strong-willed young lady. Eddy, as she calls him (which I initially found a little jarring but soon got over it) is a troubled genius, with a dark imagination and deep sensitivity. The story follows them from Baltimore to Richmond, to New York, to Philly, and then back to New York. Eddy is always looking for the next great opportunity, and he seems to ruin every good opportunity he gets. When he does find literary success, there seems to be very little monetary success to accompany it.

I enjoyed reading about the reactions to Poe's writing during his lifetime, and seeing him as a real person, not the character that he has become in the century-and-a-half since his death. The author, Lenore Hart, was named for a Poe poem (she says in the afterword) so she obviously has some affinity and affection for her subject. I like the way she portrays Poe as, not an alcoholic opium-addict, but as a troubled soul who has troubled times. And I like that young Virginia, his child bride, is the one person who can keep him from going too deep inside of himself.

Lenore Hart made Edgar Allan Poe human for me, not just a name on a book jacket, and I very much enjoyed meeting him.


http://www.amazon.com/Ravens-Bride-Novel-Lenore-Hart/dp/0312567235/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318943923&sr=1-1

Stories I Only Tell My Friends

I really, really enjoyed this memoir of Rob Lowe's - thanks Rhonda for recommending it. Lowe comes across as funny, smart, self-deprecating, and generally interesting. He accepts blame and doesn't point fingers (okay, maybe just a little). This is just a really well-written and enjoyable book.

If you are a person of a certain age (like me) who grew up watching Brat Pack movies, then you will really get a kick out of a lot of what Lowe writes about. If you are a film lover, then you will really get a kick out of the behind-the-scenes movie making stuff, especially Lowe's description of working on The Outsiders with Coppola. And if you are just into Hollywood celebrity insider info, then you will enjoy all the cameos and walk-on appearances.

With this book, I think, Rob Lowe proves that he is more like Sam Seaborne than he is like Billy Hicks - though he's definitely lived like both characters at one point in time, and that's what makes him who he is today.

Stories I Only Tell my Friends

Turn Right at Machu Picchu

I saw the author of this book, Mark Adams, on The Daily Show, and he made me want to read his book. I am not one of those people who has always wanted to visit Machu Picchu, for adventuring or mystical reasons or whatever.  It always seemed like an interesting place that would be very difficult to get to (and without things I enjoy, like showers and air conditioning). And it still seems like one of those places to me, and I have no greater desire to visit. But this was a really good book.

Adams basically tells the story of following the footsteps of the explorer who is credited with discovering Machu Picchu, Hiram Bingham. Along the way he learns about the history of the site (and other Inca sites), of the Inca empire, and of Peru. Adams is a really good writer, humorous, warm, and conversational. He is very good at bringing the landscape to life and, more importantly, bringing the people he meets to life. Because although this book is about Machu Picchu, I think it's equally about the people he spends time with, particularly John Leivers, his primary guide.

I highly recommend this book for travel buffs, history buffs, and anyone who has been or wants to go to Machu Picchu. It's just a really good read.

http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Right-Machu-Picchu-Rediscovering/dp/0525952241/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317647352&sr=1-1

Pillars of the Earth

I've never read anything by Ken Follett before, but this book was recommended to me (by someone I don't know well). I tried to like it, I tried for about 100 pages, but I just couldn't get into it. The story is set during the 12th century in England, right around the time William the Conqueror dies. It focuses on a few different people - Tom the builder, Ellen (who might be a seeress), Monk Phillip, and some others. Everyone seems to be hungry and miserable, and there are a lot of mean people who want to hurt and/or kill other people. I wanted to like it, but it's just depressing. I'm usually a big fan of historical fiction, but I think this was just too... real for my tastes. Oh well, someone else out there might like it.

A Discovery of Witches

This is a really neat (and deeply researched) novel about witches and vampires (and demons) living among us, and also about history, evolution, and love. Diana Bishop is a direct descendant of a Salem witch, but ever since her parents' death when she was a child she's tried to turn her back on her magical powers. She's made her life with her intellect, and is a now a well-respected historian. But her discovery of an ancient manuscript - long considered lost - awakens the magic all around her, and what's inside her as well.

Enter Matthew Claremont, a 1,500-year-old vampire. Diana and Matthew find themselves drawn to each other, despite the fact that witches and vampires are historically enemies. The action that develops is fantastic, intriguing, and exciting and makes for a book that's hard to put down. The characters are well-developed and interesting too, and likeable in their humanity (well, except most of them aren't humans, they're witches and vampires and demons). Anyway.

The author, Deborah Harkness, is a historian, so she brings a lot of detail to the story. I found it interesting that she tossed out some or our usual assumptions about vampires: they won't burn in the sunlight, and they don't have fangs. I found it a little bit of a stretch that Matthew interacted with so many noted historical figures, but it didn't make me enjoy the novel less. I can't wait for the sequel!

A Discovery of Witches: A Novel

Talking to Girls About Duran Duran

If you are an 80's music lover - or just someone who came of age in the 1980's - then you'll really enjoy this book. The author, Rob Sheffield, is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and a guy who was born around the same time I was, so much of what he wrote about really resonated with me, and was downright funny too.

Each chapter is named for an 80's tune, but that's really just a jumping-off point to talk about a topic that's semi-related. For instance, his chapter named after Haysi Fantayzee is mostly about the concept of the one-hit wonder (and has this great line: "The gods of pop music are fickle bastards.").

Sheffield has a lot of great stories and I found myself, again, reading whole sections to Mike, and also almost laughing out loud on the Metro. He's way more into music than I ever was - obviously, it's his life work - but because of the era he's talking about that's never an issue. This is just a really enjoyable book about growing up.

Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut

Broken Promises: A Novel of the Civil War

I really enjoyed this novel about the Civil War, which was told from a much different perspective than what I'm used to. And it was the perfect hurricane reading.

The novel is fiction but it revolves around some actual historical figures: Charles Francis Adams (son of John Quincy), who was the US Minister to Great Britain during the war, his son Henry, and various other British and American government types. The main fictional characters are Miss Julia Birch, a wealthy young lady who's father is helping the Confederates, and Baxter Sams, a Harvard classmate of Henry's and a Virginian.

Yes there is a love story, but it's really secondary. The main focus of the novel is the relations between America and Britain during the war.

Broken Promises: A Novel of the Civil War

Unbroken

Wow, wow, wow, wow. This is an AMAZING book. First I have to thank Rita for recommending it, because I never would have picked it on my own. Unbroken is the true story of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who survived horrible experiences as a Japanese POW in World War II. I am not generally into books about war and suffering, but Louie is such a wonderful character, and Hillenbrand tells his story with such charm and humor and respect, that I just couldn't put this book down.

Change that: I put the book down several times to marvel at the cruelties perpetrated in the name of war, and to read Mike some of the more alarming statistics and some of the amazing examples of humor and heroism in the face of devastating degradation. This was by no means an easy read, and I found myself tearing up throughout.

I'm guessing they will make a movie of this book, as they did with Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit. But I'm not sure if I'll be able to bring myself to see it. But the book is truly a must read, and will ultimately make you feel good about human nature, though it often doesn't seem that way. Just trust me, it will.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

The Paris Wife

Hello all you Hemingway fans - this is a must read! The Paris Wife is a fictionalized memoir of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, and their years together in Paris. Paula McLain really did her research, and she writes a compelling and believable account of the author and his wife's turbulent marriage.

If you have read A Moveable Feast, which is Hemingway's actual memoir of his time in Paris, then you will recognize the characters and events that populate this novel. You'll also recognize the actual people Hemingway based some of his characters on, particularly those in The Sun Also Rises. I even found a few of F. Scott Fitzgerald's characters on these pages... Anyway, if you HAVEN'T read A Moveable Feast I recommend it highly, and I'll even lend it to you - it's a good follow-up to this novel.

McLain is a gifted writer, and she really made me feel like this was Hadley's story. I highly recommend this book, even if you aren't a Hemingway fan, just for the way it captures a time and place in our literary history.

The Paris Wife: A Novel

Scarlet Nights

I know, I know... that title just SOUNDS like a bodice-ripper, doesn't it? Well it's not. In fact I'm not sure how Ms. Deveraux came to give that title to her novel since Scarlet Nights plays very little role in the actual plot.

Anyway, this was a very nice love story/mystery focused on Sara and Mike. Sara is a resident of the small town of Edilean, which Deveraux created and uses in other novels. She's being targeted by some very bad criminals but we don't know why. Mike is the undercover cop who comes in to save her and capture the bad guys.

Sara and Mike develop a nice relationship and they are very likeable characters. In fact all of Deveraux's townspeople are interesting characters. I didn't catch on to the mystery until the end, and there was a nice change-of-pace with the ending too. I really enjoyed the book.

Scarlet Nights: An Edilean Novel

Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being

I liked this book, but I was also disappointed by this book. I liked it because it reminded me of my ODKM program - the terminology, the ideas, the academic feeling of it. And I'd come across Marty Seligman's name in that program and have enjoyed his writing. I also liked it because it's an interesting concept - that positive emotions can affect our health and well-being, and even our success.

What disappointed me about the book is that it didn't tell me the specific steps I can take to ensure that I live a flourishing life. Seligman talks about setting up his program at Penn, and creating a training program for the Army, but he doesn't tell me what I need to do. Yes there's a web site and quizzes, and they're very interesting, but all they tell me is how I actually AM, not how to BECOME someone who is flourishing. For instance there is a quiz that tells you your top strengths, but it doesn't tell you how to leverage those strengths in order to flourish.

I was looking for a self-help book, and came away with a theoretical history and sort of diagnostic tool. Almost half the book is end notes and appendix! But on the positive side, the web site is very interesting: www.authentichappiness.org. Check it out.

Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being

The Clockwork Universe

So I started reading this book, then I put it down to read Sookie Stackhouse, then I picked it up again, but now it's due back at the library, so I'm not going to finish it. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it, or that I didn't like what I read.

Dolnick's writing style is very conversational, it's not over-the-top academic at all, which makes for an enjoyable read. And what I read of the book was not really the story of Isaac Newton, but more the story of the circumstances of the world in the 1600's the allowed an Isaac Newton to come into being.

I'm not a scientific person, but I do love history, and I think people in both of those groups will enjoy this book. I may put it on hold again so I can finish it.

The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World

Dead in the Family

It's been a while since I read a Sookie Stackhouse book, but I was ready for something a little lighter. I really enjoyed this one, although I think I've skipped at least one book because I didn't recall all the events she talks about.

If you are familiar with the series, or watch True Blood on HBO (which is based on the books), then you know all about Sookie the mind-reader and her undead, two-natured, and Fae friends in Bon Temps, Louisiana. If you aren't familiar with the series but like fantasy (particularly vampires), then I recommend you start with the first Sookie book, Dead Until Dark. Harris writes very "real" fantasy, and the characters are super-likeable.

Reading the novel inspired me to put the first DVD of True Blood on my NetFlix (I don't have HBO). A friend told me that people who read the books generally don't care for the series, but we shall see.

Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10)

The Happiness Project

This is an interesting and insightful book in which Gretchen Rubin outlines her year spent trying to make herself and those around her happier. She admits up front that she isn't particularly unhappy when she starts the project, but she just feels that she and her family and friends could benefit from more happiness in their lives. Full disclosure, I haven't finished the book, I'm only up to July, but a library book I'd had on hold came in so I put this aside for the time being.

Rubin is a good writer with an accessible style. She does a nice job of interspersing personal anecdotes with research about the causes and consequences of happiness. She doesn't set herself up as any paragon of perfection and she is forthcoming about her mistakes and shortcomings.

I've read a little over half the book and I will definitely finish it at some point in the near future. I've also already checked out Rubin's blog (http://www.happiness-project.com) and signed up for the Moment of Happiness daily email. Although I doubt this book will cause any epiphanies for anybody, it's a book that makes you want to try to improve your outlook on life, even if just in little ways, and that's a pretty positive thing.

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

The Peach Keeper

Loved, loved, loved this book! The characters, the setting, the story are all wonderful, and it's got just enough mystical realism to make it interesting. But at bottom it's the story of relationships between people: Willa, Colin, Paxton, Sebastian, and Georgie and Agatha.

Allen is a beautiful writer, she writes some of the best scenic descriptions I've ever read. She also writes intriguing characters: these are not one-dimensional archetypes, these are real people with real failings and quirks and feelings. Perfect Paxton doesn't think she's perfect, and boring Willa has no idea of the inspiration she's given to others. That's what made this story so charming.

But I also enjoyed the small southern town feel, the stuff your grandma told you about ghosts, and the sense of a mystical land separate from the rest of the world. I keep coming back to this author again and again and am never disappointed.

The Peach Keeper: A Novel

The Search

Okay, let's see... I've said it before and I'll say it again: I like Nora Roberts, I really do, but I feel like she's gone Danielle Steele formulaic on me. I purposely waited a while to read another of her books, but it seems that not much has changed. Once again we've got a spunky-almost-beautiful heroine and a gorgeous-but-rough-around-the-edges hero reluctantly falling in love and facing a horrible situation together. The only thing that really sets this novel apart from Roberts' others is the dogs.

Fiona is a dog trainer and a search-and-rescue leader, and Simon has a new puppy named Jaws who needs a bit of training. Throw a serial killer and the wilderness of the Northwest into the mix and the only thing that makes this novel stand out is the dogs and dog training stuff. I admit that Fiona and Simon are likable characters, but all of Nora's lead characters are likable.

Having said all that, I did read the novel in about 3 days, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't challenge me. But I'm sure I'll still return to Nora in the future.

The Search

Island Beneath the Sea

This novel by Isabel Allende is quite different from most of her novels that I've read - there's really no mysticism to it - but it's really very good. It's the story of Zarite (called Tete), from her days as a young slave girl on Sainte-Domingue (now Haiti) to her emancipation and life as a free woman in New Orleans.

We follow Zarite's life from the age of about 11, a few years before the slave rebellions in the late 1700's, to about age 40 in New Orleans, several years prior to the civil war and abolition. She has a difficult life - she is a slave for most of it, after all, though luckily not in the cane fields - but she also makes some good friends along the way and finds love and a family.

I have to say I knew pretty much nothing about how Haiti came into being, and that was an interesting part of the book. Also interesting was the attitude of the New Orleans Creoles towards "Americans", and their distaste after the Louisiana Purchase of being forced to speak English. There was also a rigid caste system in both Sainte-Domingue and New Orleans among upper class whites, working class whites, and free people of varying amounts of color.

The best part of the novel for me, though, was the personal relationships between Tete and her friends and family, and the way she used what she learned, in combination with her spirituality, to overcome setbacks and create a good life for herself and her children.

Island Beneath The Sea: A Novel

The 19th Wife: A Novel

Really interesting (and slightly creepy) novel about the practice of polygamy in the Mormon church, the far-out sects that still practice polygamy, and the people who are caught up in it. This is a long book that jumps around a bit, but it's really worth the read.

There are basically two stories going on concurrently. One is the modern-day story of Jordan, ex-communicated by the "Firsts," a sect of Mormons who still practice polygamy, whose mother has been arrested for the murder of his father. Her name is BeckyLyn and she is, of course, the "19th wife".

But the other "19th wife" is Ann Eliza Young, an actual historical person, who was considered to be Brigham Young's 19th wife (yes, that Brigham Young), and who's apostasy from the church and following writings and lectures were considered to have helped end polygamy in the Mormon church. Ebershoff includes chapters from her "memoir" interspersed with Jordan trying to help his mom beat her murder rap.

I thought it was a really great story. Jordan is a really, really likeable character, who is trying to do something he feels is right despite having every reason to run as far from it as possible. And setting his story against a quasi-historical backdrop of the Mormon church points out how some people can pervert a set of religious beliefs for their own purposes.

The book has made me want to do a few things: check out the real story of Ann Eliza and Brigham Young, and see if the Firsts really exist. I also found out there is a Lifetime movie based on the novel, but I'm guessing they've taken all of the interesting stuff out and made it a love story, so I doubt I'll be watching it. But I definitely recommend the book!


The 19th Wife: A Novel

Bookends

This is a very enjoyable novel by Jane Green, about a group of friends in London who met their first year at university, and now at age 31 are dealing with all that adult life has to offer. The main character is Cath, a likeable, self-depracating, successful single who's really not interested in relationships. But when Cath and friend Lucy decide to open the bookstore/cafe that Cath has always dreamed of, life takes a turn.

This novel made me think of the cast of Friends, near the end of the show. Lucy is married to Josh and they have a kid, Cath is single but seems okay with that, and Si is always thinking the next man who comes a long is THE ONE. They've been friends forever, have a routine together, and share way too much information with each other. But they're all likeable enough.

This is not great literature, but it's a nice read - perfect beach or poolside read. The group does deal with some serious issues, and I liked the way Green handlded those. My only real complaint about the book is that Green used "and I" when she should have used "and me." A LOT. I wonder if it's a British thing?

Bookends: A Novel

Cutting for Stone

I have to admit that I resisted reading this novel, despite all the great things I heard about it. It got great press, it was on the best seller list, I had friends recommend it... but I thought it would be depressing. I figured it was just another Kite Runner or Slum Dog Millionaire, and I just wasn't in the mood. I am glad to say that I was wrong.

Verghese writes an epic novel, ranging from 1940's India and Africa to present day America. It's the story of Marion and Shiva Stone, identical twins born to Carmelite nun Sister Mary Joseph Praise (the best name for a nun EVER) at Missing Hospital in Addis Ababa in 1954. Marion narrates the story of himself and his brother, their parents Hema and Ghosh, and their extended family and friends, as they grow up to be doctors. There are of course twists and turns and troubles along the way, that make for a real page-turning read.

Verghese is both a writer and an actual doctor, and he has a lot of medical detail in the novel. I thought at first that I'd skip over that, but it isn't overwhelming, and it really does serve to move the story forward. Verghese also has a way of bringing characters to life, so I felt I knew a lot about even some of the more minor characters, and I really felt that I knew Marion, Shiva, Hema, and Ghosh.

I'm really glad I read this novel, in fact it was hard to put down almost from the first page. I highly recommend it.

Cutting for Stone

A London Home in the 1890s

This third and last installment of Molly Hughes' enjoyable memoir sees Molly finally marry her Arthur and start a family. This book also has its share of downers, but Molly and Arthur generally seem to get through life with wit and humor.

I'm saying goodbye now to my Victorian friend, and I am going to miss her. But I thoroughly enjoyed our brief time together - I bet Molly was a lovely person to have known.

A London Home in the 1890s

A London Girl of the 1880s

This is Molly Hughes' second book in her trilogy of memoirs, and it's just as interesting as the first. Most of this book is about Molly's schooling and her training to become a teacher. Again I was struck by the depth of learning, even for "just a girl." I mean, she drops Latin phrases like we're all supposed to know what they mean! We are also introduced to the man who Molly will eventually marry, Arthur Hughes.

I was also struck by Molly's and her mother's ability to make do with what they have, and to never seem to resent the things others have that they don't. For instance, as far as I can tell, Molly never has more than three dresses at any given time, and that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Can you imagine anyone today (at least anyone who has the means to read this blog) surviving on just three outfits?

This book, like the first, ends rather abruptly and with a sad event. But I guess Molly considered those to be natural ending points, when her life changes. I've already started the third book, and I'm looking forward to see how it goes.

London Girl of 1880'S

Update on Suzanne Somers Diet

As promised, I followed Suzanne Somers' diet tips this week and I said I'd let you know how I did. Guess what? I LOST 2 POUNDS!! Yep, that's right. Now, for full disclosure, I didn't follow the diet exactly. I did cut out all "funky foods" except caffeine (I figure one cup a day doesn't hurt). And I did once or twice have carbs with dinner. Also, I had my usual Greek yogurt every afternoon and I'm not sure what kind of food that is - it's protein, nonfat, but with fruit - is it funky? I can't find any mention of it in the book or online.

Anyway, I also did my usual hour at the gym every day. But I think these are some valid guidelines if you want to lose some weight, and it wasn't terribly depriving, although I was definitely hungry when mealtime rolled around. I can see myself doing this diet during the week, but not on the weekends - I gotta have my wine on the weekends ;-).

Happy Friday!

A London Child of the 1870s

What a lovely little book! Thanks to my friend Shari for lending it to me (and the sequels, so more to come). This memoir by Molly Hughes recounts her childhood in Victorian London, the youngest (and only girl) of 5 children. She's very clear from the start that they are a normal family, no one is famous, they're just regular, real people.

What's most interesting to me is how keen for knowledge Molly and her brothers all seem to be. With no television or video games, they are all extremely well-read and learned in a variety of subjects. Even Molly, who is schooled at home by her mother, learns Latin and history and geography in addition to reading whatever books she seems to be able to get her hands on, and all this before the age of twelve.

If you are into the Victorian Era, or just enjoy learning what life was like in the past, I highly recommend this book. I've already started the sequel and am enjoying that just as much!

A LONDON CHILD OF THE 1870S

Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight

First, I have to admit that I just skimmed the book. I didn't read any of the "success stories" or the recipes. I just wanted to get the gist of what Suzanne and her endocrinologist think you should do to lose weight. And I'm going to share it here with you!

1. Eliminate all funky foods.
2. Eat fruits alone, on an empty stomach.
3. Eat proteins/fats with veggies.
4. Eat carbos with veggies and no fat.
5. Keep proteins/fats separate from carbos.

So it's low carb, but it's also about food combining. And funky foods include some surprises, like avocados, nuts, and bananas, in addition to the obvious alcohol, potatoes, and white flour.

I'm going to try it this week and see what happens. Based on comments on internet diet sites, some people lose 5 or more pounds the first few weeks of this diet (what the hell are they eating before the diet?). I'm going to weigh myself Friday and see if I've lost anything. I'll let you know.


Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

I know, I know - not more Jane Austen. But I have to tell you, if you are a Jane fan you have to read this book, it is that fabulous. The author, Syrie James, does such a great job of capturing the tone and feeling of Austen's work that I had to keep reminding myself that this isn't a REAL memoir written by Jane herself.

The memoir covers most of Jane's early 30's, prior to publishing her books, during which she has a secret love affair. Now in reality there is no record of Jane having any affairs - there were one or two male "friends" and one proposal but no great loves. But I think there must have been one... for how could a woman who never knew great love have written about it the way she did? I think that is James' point too, and why she wrote a great love for Jane in her "memoirs."

James really weaves in the characters, locations, and events in Jane's novels, making it seem that Jane was inspired to write certain things based on true-life events. I guess that's why makes this made up memoir feel so real.

Okay, I promise, no more Jane Austen for awhile.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

The Remedy

I started reading this novel, then put it down to read Committed, and now I've just finished it. I have to say that, after a bit of a slow start in my opinion, I really enjoyed the novel and even was a bit surprised by it.

The Remedy is set in Venice and London of the late 18th century, and I think one of the things the author does best is capture the sense of both of those cities. The places and characters feel very real and of of-the-moment, without feeling stereotyped in any way. The characters who most concern us are Mimosina Dolcezza and Valentine Greatrakes, a Venetian actress and a London underworld businessman, and their interesting and convoluted relationship.

Of course Mimosina isn't JUST and actress, and that isn't her real name, and she's got quite a bit more of a past than Valentine is aware of, and there's his ward, Pevanche, daughter of his murdered friend Tom, getting in the way of things, and well... it's all very complicated. The author also has alternating sections told from the perspective of Mimosina and Valentine (and Pevanche gets a say too), and that adds to the sense that we aren't sure who is being totally honest and who we can really trust. And that makes for a fun and intriguing story.

I sort of had an inkling of the mystery that's revealed at the end, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. I also liked how the author shows that the "commoners" can be the higest minded people, and the "aristrocats" can have the lowest inclinations. It was an enjoyable - if long - read.

The Remedy: A Novel

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

Any of you who have been reading this blog for a while - all 3 of you (thanks!) - know that I am a Liz Gilbert fan. I loved Eat, Pray, Love. So when I got the notice that my hold was available I put down the other book I was reading so I could read this sort-of-sequel to EPL. I'm glad I did.

Liz and Felipe are in love, and want to spend the rest of their lives together. They don't particularly want to get married though. But then the Department of Homeland Security gets involved, and they learn that in order for Felipe to live with Liz in the US they will have to be married - but only after the US government decides that it's okay. So Liz has some time to come to terms with the idea of remarrying, and she uses it wisely.

Like EPL, this is a really well-written book about Liz's travels around the world - mostly in Asia - meeting people and talking to them about the the things that concern her, in this case, marriage customs. But unlike EPL, Liz does a bunch of research too, on stuff like the history of marriage. So the book is a nice blend of feelings and facts. I learned, for instance, that the Christian church was totally against marriage at its inception: we were all supposed to commit to Jesus, not to other people, and new Christians came through conversion, not birth. But now marriage is a holy sacrament, and Liz explains how that came to be.

Anyway, this is just a really good book. I'm not saying it's necessarily going to change anyone's mind about marriage, but it might make you think about why we get married, and what kind of relationship we want to have with our spouse. I would recommend it to all Elizabeth Gilbert fans, and to anyone who is engaged to be married.

Committed: A Love Story

I See Rude People

First, a hat tip to my friend Shari for lending me this book. I basically read the whole thing on a plane from Vegas to DC. REALLY amusing but also quite interesting, and also really well-documented.

Amy Alkon is a syndicated advice columnist and blogger, who seems to have made it her mission in life to take down rude people one at a time. She is (it seems) not afraid to confront anyone about their rude behavior, and does so in some clever ways. For instance, she often takes notes on loud cellphone talkers and either calls their phone and leaves them a message (amazing the number of people who shout out their cell numbers in public places), or posts the content of her notes on her blog. She also takes pictures of rudeness and posts those on her blog. She's courageous, if a little intense.

There's a lot to like about this book. First, Alkon has a really warm, approachable voice - she writes like she's talking to you, which I really like. She's also very funny and self-deprecating. And I like that she backs up her stories with research. For instance, she explains why hearing just one side of a conversation is much more annoying and invasive to us than hearing both sides. She also, to be honest, does a lot of stuff that I totally applaud (she bills telemarketers for interrupting her at home!).

This was a good, quick read, and I went back through the book after I finished it to write down some web sites and other info that I want to check out. I'm also going to check out Amy's blog. So I'd say I really enjoyed this book.

I See Rude People: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society

What Would Jane Austen Do?

This is a really cute novel. If you like Regency romance, time travel, and Jane Austen, this is the book for you.

The main character is Eleanor, a costume designer traveling in the English countryside. At her inn she encounters the ghostly Cracklebury sisters and soon finds herself transported back to the time of Jane Austen. There she meets the living Cracklebury sisters, their family, and the very sexy Lord Shermont. She also gets to meet the real life Jane Austen! Although Eleanor has no one to guide her in the manners of the period, she is luckily a huge Jane Austen fan so, when faced with a dilemma about how to act, she simply asks herself, "What would Jane Austen do?"

I really liked this book, particularly the couple of plot twists as the end that I really didn't see coming. I'll definitely look for more books by the author, Laurie Brown.

What Would Jane Austen Do?

The Red Garden

I am a HUGE fan of Alice Hoffman, and her latest book does not disappoint. Beautifully written, evocative, mystical... The Red Garden is all of those things. The novel is really almost a series of short stories, all connected by the Massachusetts town in which they occur from it's beginnings to the present day. The garden of the title is an area in the yard of the founder's house where everything that's planted grows red - lilacs, green beans, cucumbers, all red. It plays a role in several of the chapters, and it acts as a sort of frame for the novel.

Sure, there's some stretching of reality - that's what Hoffman does. But if you're a fan of the genre, you'll love this book. The characters are well-written and very representative of their era (though I found the town overly peopled with gorgeous men and beautiful women... isn't anyone just average looking?), but I love the strength of Hoffman's female characters, and the ladies of Blackwell do not disappoint.

The Red Garden

Blindspot

This is an historical romance novel written by two well-regarded historians. So there is a LOT of historical detail, which is great, but it also makes a long novel (500ish pages). But it's a good novel, so that shouldn't be a deterrent.

What I like about this novel is that it combines some of my favorite elements: American history, murder mystery, hidden identity, and a sexy Scot (who wouldn't like that combination?). The characters are interesting and likeable, and the murder mystery had me fooled until the very end. Some readers might balk at Jameson's interactions with his young male apprentice, but knowing the apprentice's secret made it less creepy than it might otherwise have been.

If you like historical romance but don't like bodice rippers, this is the book for you. And I love the background the authors give at the end of the novel, it really enhanced my enjoyment of what I had read.

Blindspot: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

I read all of the Little Women books as a child - more than once - so I'm a big fan of LMA. This novel does a fabulous job of humanizing her and showing the passionate, vital person behind the books. The author writes in her afterword that she figured there must be some passion in the woman who created Jo March so she created a love affair for her.

These are great characters, and I love all of the similarities between Louise and her sisters and the girls of Little Women. But even if you aren't a fan of LMA, I think you'll still find this to be a really good story about a 19th century woman who doesn't want to lead the kind of life a woman is expected to live, and who wants to be the person she is.

This novel makes me want to go back to all of the old LMA books, and it makes me want to check out some of the "not for young girls" stuff the author mentions in her afterword.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

The Rules of Engagement

Don't confuse this book with the television sitcom, because there is nothing comedic about it. I'm not really even sure that it's a likable book. I enjoyed it, but don't think I'll be seeking out any more of Brookner's work any time soon.

This is the story of Elizabeth and Betsy, two girls born in 1948 who start school on the same day, and who wind up being friends the rest of their lives. Elizabeth and Betsy are born at just the wrong time - too late to be the perfect 50's housewife, too early to be the hippies of the 60's. There lives run parallel but rather differently - Elizabeth carefully follows the rules (mostly), whereas Betsy lives a freer life... although neither one seems to be all that happy.

The novel is VERY cerebral - it is narrated by Elizabeth and takes place almost entirely in her mind - there is very little action. It is one of those novels that some readers will think about for a while afterward, and learn new insights in the process. Other readers won't get past the first chapter. I'm obviously not the latter, because I finished the book. But I'm also not going to spend a lot of time contemplating what I read. It was rather too depressing.

The Rules of Engagement: A Novel (Brookner, Anita)

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Southern mystical realism with barbeque and cake - what's not to like? This is a really sweet novel about Emily, a teenager who comes to live with the grandfather she didn't know she had - who's a giant - in the small town her mother left in shame 20 years earlier. There she finds a room where the wallpaper changes to reflect her mood, and plenty of secrets - plenty.

Emily also meets some really nice people who have issues with their own pasts, including Julia and Sawyer. She also is drawn to Win Coffey, with whom she shares a past of which she is unaware, but who also is hiding a secret of his own.

The characters in this novel are all pretty likeable, even those who have made mistakes and kept secrets. I like that there is a lot of gray area - people are made up of good and bad elements, as regular people are. I also like that there is some obvious struggles to resolve issues and mysteries - nothing is handed to the reader all neatly tied up with string. There is a definite arc to the story, a getting to the end, which I enjoyed.

I also enjoy that the author ends the novel with a germ of a new novel - that's always fun.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon: A Novel

The Year of Disappearances

This is book two in Susan Hubbard's "ethical vampire" series, and it was okay. I like the third book better. It's really my own fault, I read the third one (The Season of Risks), then the first one (The Society of S), then this one, all within a few months, and I think I just overdosed on ethical vampires.

This novel did answer some questions for me that were raised by reading the third book first, like how Ari came to go to college so young, and what the heck was going on with those crazy Nebulists. But the plot line just wasn't as engaging for me as The Season of Risks was. But I do like how Hubbard shows the characters developing, particularly Ari, and I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future.

I do this to myself too much - I read a novel by an author that I like, and then I go and get everything else s/he has written, and it's like eating too much chocolate - nice, but just too much. I need to pace myself.

The Year of Disappearances: An Ethical Vampire Novel (Ethical Vampire Novels)

Bitter in the Mouth

WOW! I love this novel! It's like a combination of Like Water for Chocolate, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood. I swear.

Linda Hammerick can taste words. Her name, for instance, tastes like mint. The word "mom" tastes like chocolate milk. Linda doesn't share her secret sense with very many people (obviously) and she spends a lot of time finding ways to lessen the "incomings." Tobacco, alcohol, and sex seem to do the trick, but that's not what this story is about.

Linda is a typical small-town southern girl growing up in North Carolina in the 1970's-80's. That she is different from everyone else is obvious, but she gets along fine, has a best friend and a boy who likes her. Yes, there are some very bad experiences, but Linda grows up to attend Yale and become a lawyer, and to have a pretty good life. The only thing that makes her different, we think, is her ability to taste words.

But we learn at the very end of Part One of the novel that we're wrong: there is something else that makes Linda very different from everyone she grew up with, and the second part of the novel deals with her journey to find out where she really comes from. But it's more that: it's also about discovering what constitutes a family.

There are some great southern characters in the novel - I adore Baby Harper - and many typical southern scenarios (the town gets all their gossip from the beauty shop). But the language and structure take this from mass market novel to literature: I just loved it.

Bitter in the Mouth: A Novel

The Reader

I have to admit, I had no idea what this book was about before I started reading it. I read it because it was on a list of great novels, and because the movie was on a list of great movies. I am SO glad I read it. It's a truly moving novel.

While on the surface this is the story of a young man who reads to, and falls in love with, a mysterious older woman, it is so much more than that. It is a story of forgiveness, and redemption, and deception, and a number of other moral issues. And I am not sure that the characters - or those of us who read the book - ever come to any real kind of resolution.

In a larger way, it is about how an entire country, an entire population, is able to - chooses to - move forward following a nationwide atrocity. It is in a way specifically about how the German people dealt, or didn't deal, with the shame of the Holocaust - and even how some of them didn't feel any shame. For such a simply and beautifully written short novel, it packs a lot of punch.

I've put the movie on my Netflix, at the top. I'm not sure how much I'm looking forward to seeing it, but I really want to see it. Does that make sense?

The Reader

Dream When You're Feeling Blue

Have you ever started reading a book and thought, haven't I read this before? I felt that way about this novel, like I had started it at some point but not finished it. I knew what was going to happen. I even knew how it would end, sort of.

I liked the book - I read it in 2 days, so obviously I liked it. I've enjoyed other books by Elizabeth Berg as well. This was a very sweet novel about a big family in Chicago during WWII, particularly the 3 daughters (the "dreamy" sisters). It focuses primarily on Kitty, the oldest daughter, and how she is changed by her experiences and her relationships during the war.

I like all of the period detail that Berg gives - the styles and brands of dresses, the music, the slang. And her characters are likeable (Kitty's father Frank is an Irishman straight out of central casting) if slightly superficial - Kitty is the most well-developed. But it was a nice read, and I will continue reading Berg's work in the future.

Dream When You're Feeling Blue: A Novel

At Home: A Short History of Private Life

This is a really interesting book that covers a wide range of subjects, all held together by the author's home in the English countryside. Moving from room to room in the house, Bryson basically takes us through a history of the Industrial Revolution and how it affected everything from the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the diseases we get.

It is a long book - 400-plus pages - and I admit to skimming some of it (I pretty much skipped the part about bugs and other creepy crawly things). But Bryson tells a story well, and he has a sense of humor I enjoy, so it was pretty fast reading. Bryson also obviously did a great deal of research, and tells about the real inventors of various household items and the real stories behind why we wear or don't wear certain things. For example, I now know why every business suit has those totally useless rows of buttons on the sleeves.

Even if you aren't a big history buff, this is just a really interesting book. I think everyone will find something in it that makes them say, "gee, I wondered about that." And that's pretty cool.

At Home: A Short History of Private Life

The Help

This is a fabulous novel. And, it feels kind of appropriate that I read the whole thing over MLK weekend.

I know you've all heard of this novel - it's been on the NYT best seller list for months. It's the story of a number of African-American maids and the white families they work for in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960's. It's a really beautifully written story about the close and complex relationships between the rich white families and "the help."

I have to admit I was a little put off at first by Stockett's use of dialect, but I got used to it very quickly and I think it adds to the novel. The characters seem very real, there are no pure angels here (though there is one outright devil), there is good and bad among both the whites and the blacks. And there were some characters who actually surprised me, which doesn't often happen in novels.

Ultimately this is a story about people and relationships, and the changes they go through. I'm so glad I spent my MLK weekend with all these folks in Jackson, I think it was a very good use of my time.

The Help

Leonardo's Swans

I enjoyed this novel about the lovely 15th century D'Este sisters, Isabella and Beatrice. As you know I am a fan of historical novels, but I usually go more for the British stuff, not the Italian. So I have no idea how true to history the story is, but it's still a very good story.

Isabella is the older, more beautiful, and more accomplished sister, but she is promised in marriage to a lesser noble to strengthen the family's position. Beatrice is a year younger, more headstrong, less learned, but she is destined for the powerful Duke of Milan. There is a great deal of intrigue between the sisters, between Isabella and Beatrice's husband Ludovico, and with Ludovico and almost everyone in Italy (and some people in France and Germany).

The affairs of state don't excite me - Italy was basically a bunch of separate nation-states during the time period, who would only ally together against an outside enemy like France - but I love the personal intrigues. I also love that these women are smarter, and better equiped to handle what life throws at them, than the men around them. And I love that Leonardo DaVinci is an important character in the novel - and that he is portrayed as a rather vague and scattered genius, something of a curiosity to the people around him, because you know he must of been just that.

Leonardo's Swans: A Novel

Great Wine Made Simple

This book was recommended by a sommelier in an online chat I read, and she was so right. This book is perfect for the person who knows nothing about wine, but also great for the knowledgeable wine drinker who wants to improve their ability to maneuver a 25-page wine list and find a wine they like, at a price they like.

Immer's style is very accessible - she's no wine snob. And what's great about the book is that you can use it as a basis for a wine club tasting schedule, because she pretty much wants you to not take her word for the wines, but to taste them for yourself. And she lists wines at every price point, so you can pay what you are comfortable paying and know you are getting a decent wine.

I haven't read the whole book - just kind of been skimming and jumping around - but the number one piece of information I've come away with so far is Immer's flavor map, and I'm going to share it with you now. In a nutshell, if you think about the various wine regions around the world and the FRUIT that grows in them, it will give you an idea of what to expect from the flavor and intensity of the WINES. It sounds simplistic but it really makes sense, and it's something that's easy to remember the next time you are faced with a list of wines you have never heard of.

As I continue to read it I may post about this book again, because I foresee it as being a source I will consult on a regular basis and from which I will continue to learn.

Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier