Friday, May 31, 2013

Review: A Long Long Time Ago and Essentially True

A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True
By Brigid Pasulka
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2009
351 pages
From the library
PEN/Hemingway Award in 2013, #3

A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True
 
 
Many years ago, a young man nicknamed The Pigeon lived in a small village. He sees and instantly falls in love with a beautiful young woman named Anielica. In a lover's desperate bid to get to know her and win her hand, he begins to make improvements on her family home - for free. But war is looming on the periphery of this seemingly fairytale story. Decades later, The Pigeon's granddaughter Beata is looking for love and purpose in Krakow in the 1990s. As she uncovers the story of her family bit by bit, she finds new insight into herself and her place in the world.
 
This book begins slowly. The contrast between the story of The Pigeon and Anielica in the 1940s and Beata in the 1990s is striking. The first story is set against the backdrop of first love and a community coming together in a time of war. Beata is trying to find her way in a Poland that has survived war and decades of unrest. Her story feels quieter and almost inconsequential at times, in comparison to the epic tale of her ancestors.
 
But somewhere along the way, as I hurriedly flipped through Beata's section to get back to the young lovers, I became just as invested in her story. While the two parts seem to be connected only through ancestry, it slowly becomes apparent that this book is about the lasting impact our family and their stories have on our lives. While Pigeon and Anielica lived in a time of great turmoil, they always held onto hope for the future and for their love. Beata lives in a time of relative peace, but life seems to hold neither purpose nor hope for happiness, at least for the young people of her generation. She struggles with finding her 'happily-ever-after,' but eventually discovers that even her grandmother had disappointments and terrible heartbreak.

A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True is heavily influenced by its setting. Krakow and Half-Village, the home of Pigeon and Anielica, almost become characters themselves. Pasulka describes them so completely and so subtly that they feel like places you have known. She sprinkles Polish terms liberally throughout, but I didn't feel that it detracted too much from the story (and no, I do not know any Polish).

This book contains a love story, a coming of age story, a story about living through a war, and a story about finding your place in your family and your country. The writing is lovely and the characters will grow on you until you feel as if they could be a part of your family - the grandparent telling you the story of their life or the young cousin searching for her way in the world. This is a book you won't want to miss.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Please Stand By...

So my hard drive crashed...

My wonderful brilliant husband is doing amazing computer techy things and fixing what he can, but this is obviously going to set me back a bit. I shall return, my friends!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

It's Monday and I am one tired lady...

Hey there, friends.
It's been a long week and I am sort of tuckered, so I am going to keep this short.
The good news? I have a winner for the Sleeping in Eden giveaway! The winner is Mardel of Rabid Reader! You should have an email waiting for you in your inbox. Congratulations!
Now for the books and things from this week...

Read This Week:
The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2)
The Ask and the Answer
By Patrick Ness

Sight Reading
Sight Reading
By Daphne Kalotay

Posts from this Past Week:
It's Monday
Reviews of The Knife of Never Letting Go and Seating Arrangements
Wednesdays with David: Mary Poppins


Reading Now:
All That Is
All That Is
By James Salter


Up Next:
Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are
Altar Ego
By Craig Groeschel


What are you reading this week?

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Review: Seating Arrangements

Seating Arrangements
By Maggie Shipstead
Knopf June 2012
299 pages
From the library

Seating Arrangements

Winn Van Meter is setting off for the family's beloved sanctuary on the island of Waskeke. But he is not looking forward to this particular trip. His daughter Daphne is getting married and his usually calm summer home will be overrun by bridesmaids, extended family, and future in-laws. Everyone is a bit distracted - Daphne by her pregnancy, her sister Livia by her recent traumatic breakup, her mother Biddy by the craziness of wedding planning, and Winn by one of the alluring bridesmaids. 

This is one of those books where you know that the writing is strong and insightful. Ms. Shipstead is obviously a talented author. But somehow that doesn't translate into a book that you can't put down. It's a well-written satire, but at times it seems a bit too heavy handed. Perhaps that is the problem with much of satire - it creates so much distance between the reader and the characters.

Much of this novel is centered around social status. Winn is desperate to be accepted as a member of a golf club on the island. As a man who grew up with wealth and prestige, he finds himself stymied by changing social standing. He is actually confused by most of his life - the wife he doesn't pay much attention to, the daughters he never took the time to know, and the way time continues to march on without him. 

The characters who I found most fascinating were unfortunately the ones who got the fewest pages. I wanted to spend more time with Biddy and discover if her feelings about family and society matched those of her husband. I was also intrigued by Daphne's friend Dominique who might have been used more often as our eyes into this very dysfunctional family. Dominique does her own thing and seems to be one of the few sane members of the wedding party. Instead, we spend most of the book with Winn and his unwillingness to see beyond his perceived societal snub and Livia, who seems unable to move past the despair of her broken heart.

This might be a good read for a lazy summer day at your vacation home or if you are a reader who particularly appreciates a good satire of the upper crust vacationing on Martha's Vineyard. But for me, it didn't live up to the hype.



Have you entered the giveaway yet for Sleeping in Eden? Check it out here

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Wednesdays with David: Mary Poppins



Mary Poppins
By P.L. Travers
Illustrated by Mary Shepard
Harcourt 1997, first published in 1934
209 pages
From the library


Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins, #1)


The story: You think you know the story - Julie Andrews sings about a spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down and cleans up the nursery with the help of magic before jumping into sidewalk drawings and winning a horse race. While this book contains a few of the episodes you remember, Jane and Michael also travel around the world with a magic compass, visit a zoo where people are in the cages, and hear a story of a cow who can't stop dancing. 

Mama opines: This story is very different from the movie you remember. Mary Poppins has an edge - she is frequently short tempered and endlessly vain. Their adventures have more of a feeling of danger, although everyone always makes it home safe and sound. Mary Poppins feels more like a Roald Dahl book than a cheery Disney story, so settle in for some good dark and twisty story telling. 

Thoughts from David: Well, we know that Mary Poppins is magical! She tells them that she will stay until the wind changes. And as she flies into the clouds, well, it seems that Jane and Michael will miss Mary Poppins. And they sort of cry out into a wall of tears. When they find the letter and picture from Mary Poppins, it says she will come back.
Favorite part: When they help Maia go shopping for her family.


Happy Reading!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go
By Patrick Ness
Candlewick September 2008
479 pages
From the library

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)

Todd Hewitt lives in Prentisstown with only other males. He is the last boy in town, at least until his upcoming birthday when he will officially be a man. Prentisstown is a unique place - everyone can hear each other's thoughts all of the time. When Todd and his dog Machee are out in the woods, he discovers a place of silence. How can this be? What does it mean? Todd's discovery will change his life and Prentisstown forever.

You may know that I'm not a big fan of many YA novels. I often have problems with pacing, character, and obnoxiously unrealistic romantic subplots. In this rare case, I sped through this book in a day and immediately hopped on the computer to request the sequel. I loved everything about this book - the originality of story, the realistic characters, and the beautiful relationships between them. People, I even have strong feelings about the dog in this book and I am 100% not a pet person.

Todd is an exceptionally well-written character. He strikes the perfect balance of being unsure and on his own for the first time as well as desperate to hold on to the confidence and bravado of a teenage boy. Each of the characters are written with care and you can't help but root for them as they try to discover the truth and stay one step ahead of the bad guys (who are oh-so-bad). Every time something happens to put them in danger or set them back, it's as discouraging and terrifying to the reader as it is for the characters.

One of the strongest themes in this book is the idea of morality and the truth. Todd has grown up knowing the story of what happened to his parents and to his community. But he learns that he has been lied to for years, despite the town's strict religious beliefs. This book could be described as a kind of morality tale, but Ness is so subtle in the crafting of it that you might not catch it. How do you choose to do right when it seems like you only have the option of bad or worse?

Dear YA, I take back all of the nasty things I said about you if you have more writers like Patrick Ness and more books like The Knife of Never Letting Go. 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

It's Monday and I have a giveaway for you!


Hello guys and gals! How ya doing?

It's been a good week here. We are of course doing lots of adjusting with an infant in the house, but I think we are all doing admirably considering that some of us are sleeping more than others!

I'm excited to have a lot of new books friends come in to the house this past week or so.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter (from a friend)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (from library book sale)
We Were The Mulvaneys (from library book sale)
Sight Reading (for review)
The World's Strongest Librarian (for review)



Also, I have to direct your attention here. I have a giveaway going on through Friday. Don't miss it!


Read this Week:
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on love and life from Dear Sugar
By Cheryl Strayed

A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True
A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True
By Brigid Pasulka

Post from this Past Week:
It's Monday
Reviews of Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Life After Life, and Sleeping in Eden
Sleeping in Eden Giveaway!

Reading Now:
The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2)
The Ask and the Answer
By Patrick Ness

Up Next:
Sight Reading
Sight Reading
By Daphne Kalotay

What are you reading this week?

Friday, May 17, 2013

Review: Sleeping in Eden (with a giveaway!)

Sleeping in Eden
By Nicole Baart
Howard Books May 2013
368 pages
Received for review from publisher

Sleeping in Eden: A Novel

Lucas Hudson is a small town doctor filling in as the coroner. Lucas' friend Alex, the police chief, expects that the man hanging in his own barn will be a quick open and shut case. But when the investigation reveals a body buried beneath the barn floor, Lucas has the sinking feeling that he knows the victim. Could the young woman be the girl who brought Lucas' wife such joy and sent cracks through their marriage?

This book has dual storylines. The second revolves around a teenage girl named Meg Painter. Meg also lives in the small town of Blackhawk, Iowa. She is a bit of a rebel who prefers learning tricks on her bike or starting a girl's football league to worrying about boys. But when she becomes friends with the new boy in town, it's not long before their relationship becomes more.

The stories of Lucas and Meg work wonderfully in tandem. With Lucas, we follow a man who is holding on to his marriage by the skin of his teeth. We know from the beginning of the novel that he and Jenna are on the rocks, but the reasons for the rift are revealed slowly. In contrast, Meg is experiencing love for the first time. She finds herself unexpectedly torn between a friend she has known for years and the enigmatic new boy who she can't seem to ignore. Meg experiences surprising challenges with both boys and learns that love is never as easy as we hope.

The driving force of this book is the mystery. Who is buried in the barn? Lucas thinks he knows from the beginning and I thought I had the mystery figured out two or three times before Baart finally brings all the threads of the story together perfectly. While trying to figure out the puzzle will leave readers flipping through the pages, Ms. Baart doesn't skimp on character or description. Her characters often make poor decisions, but you can always understand their motives. She depicts the small town of Blackhawk beautifully, noting those little details that bring a location to life for a reader. Sleeping in Eden is a twisty mystery entwined with a story about love - first love, love for family, and the love that we will fight to keep.


To the ladies and gents of the FTC: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Giveaway Time!
I am thrilled to be able to offer a copy of Sleeping in Eden to one reader who lives in the US or Canada. To enter, just leave me a comment.
The contest will run until Friday, May 21. 

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Review: Life After Life

Life After Life
By Kate Atkinson
Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown, and Co. April 2013
525 pages
From the library


Life After Life


This book has been the darling of critics and readers since it came out. Does it deserve all the hype? Check out my review at the Atlantic Highlands Herald here

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Review: Blink

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
By Malcolm Gladwell
296 pages
Back Bay Books April 2007
Borrowed from a friend

Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell opens the book with the story of a statue acquired by the J Paul Getty Museum in the 1980s. The statue, a kouros or nude male, was verified as authentic by a vast amount of data. But when experts looked at the piece, they could immediately tell that it was a fake. They couldn't say why exactly, but they were sure. Blink is about the two ways that we make decisions. In the first, we gather up as much information as possible in an attempt to make the best choice. When we use the second method, we make snap judgments about people, products, and even books. 

Gladwell writes about our adaptive unconscious, "You may have done the same thing, whether you realized it or not, when you first picked up this book. How long did you hold it in your hands? Two seconds? And yet in that short space of time, the design of the cover, whatever associations you may have had with my name, and the first few sentences about the kouros all generated an impression - a flurry of thoughts and images and preconceptions - that has fundamentally shaped the way you have read this introduction so far. Aren't you curious about what happened in those two seconds?" 

Mr. Gladwell previously worked as a science reporter at a newspaper and it's evident in the way that he writes. He has a thorough understanding of scientific concepts, but he presents them in ways that makes the non-scientific reader feel quite intelligent. The examples he uses throughout this book are extremely varied. He writes about couples counseling, war games, improv groups, sports, and fighting fires. Each of these people make decisions based on less or incomplete information and often have difficulty explaining why they did what they did. He excels at bringing these people and circumstances to vivid life and making you feel like these things are important to your life too. 

As I read, I really appreciated that Gladwell recognized that our subconscious can make bad decisions as well as good ones. At its crux, it comes down to our experience and training as well as the situation at hand. There are times when our gut reactions serve us well, but there are other moments when it is better for us to make the well-informed decision. The important part is learning which is which. 

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is a fascinating look into the way our minds work. Malcolm Gladwell is a very accessible writer who will make you re-evaluate the way our culture views choice and decisions. It's a great science read even for those of us who don't feel very confident in our scientific knowledge. 

Monday, May 13, 2013

It's Monday and baby is here!

Hi everybody! How are you?

I'm thrilled to introduce the newest member of the literary family, Miss Rebecca Grace:


She was born Friday night and we came home Sunday around noon. So now we are slowly easing into life with an infant and a five year old and...well, the rest of life! I do have some review pre-written for this week, so I won't be falling off the map quite yet. Actually I'm going to do my best to still find the time to read and tell you all about those books. We will have to see!

Read This Week:
Sleeping in Eden: A Novel
Sleeping in Eden
By Nicole Baart

Seating Arrangements
Seating Arrangements
By Maggie Shipstead


Posts from this Past Week:
It's Monday
Wednesdays with David: The World According to Humphrey
Reviews of Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? and Fever


Reading Now:
A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True
A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True
By Brigid Pasulka

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
By Cheryl Strayed

What are you reading this week?

Friday, May 10, 2013

Review: Fever

Fever
By Mary Beth Keane
Scribner March 2013
306 pages
From the library

Fever

In 1907, a cook is dragged away from her place of employment. She is a young Irish immigrant working in the kitchen of a wealthy family. A doctor has determined that she may be the cause of an outbreak of typhoid fever that has claimed the lives of several of her employers. Mary Mallon can't believe that she can be the cause - she has never had typhoid fever. But Mary is forcibly removed and made to live in quarantine on an island of tuberculosis patients. She finally finds a lawyer who will fight her case. Can she be cut off from society forever because of a disease that has never made her sick?

While Keane's book is a novelization, Typhoid Mary was a real person who lived in New York City in the early part of the twentieth century. She was isolated for years by the Department of Health who identified her as the first healthy carrier of typhoid fever. Historically, she has been remembered as a crazy woman who fought the health officials every step of the way. When she was finally released, it was with the condition that she never cook again....an edict which she flagrantly ignored. Keane imagines what Mary might have been like, creating a woman who doesn't understand the way disease is spread and can't imagine a life where she does not pursue her passion to cook. 

The story jumps around a bit in order to give us a really full picture of Mary's life. While moving around in time can sometimes be confusing, it works very well in this case. The first chapter begins with Mary being removed from the house where she works and quarantined. We observe her anguish in quarantine as she misses her boyfriend and wonders when she will be released. When she begins working with her lawyer, she recalls the events that brought her to this point. It is here that we learn of her long journey from Ireland to America and the way in which she worked her way up to become a cook, as she had always dreamed of doing.

Fever is an engaging read. Keane has provided a new angle to the story of a woman who had no power over her own life. In our modern age, this type of treatment would create huge outrage. But because Mallon was an immigrant, an unmarried woman, and a servant, few people were willing to fight for her. Mary is a fascinating character, in part because of her stubborn nature and fierce temper. Reading this book will give you new insight into New York of long ago, the history and evolution of medicine, and one woman who was vilified for all of time. 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Wednesdays with David: The World According to Humphrey

The World According to Humphrey
By Betty G Birney 
Puffin Books 2004
124 pages
A present from Grammy 

The World According to Humphrey


The story: Humphrey the hamster is despondent. It seems like no one will ever come to take him away from the Pet-O-Rama until one wonderful day, a woman buys him and takes him home. He soon discovers that his owner is Ms. Mac and he will be the class pet for Room 26. Humphrey loves learning, loves the students in his class, and loves Ms. Mac most of all. But what will happen to our beloved hamster when he discovers that Ms. Mac is only a substitute teacher and Mrs. Brisbane doesn't like animals? 

Mama opines: We're back! Hi there, everyone. Wednesdays with David has been on a bit of a hiatus because David didn't want to talk about his reading for a while and I didn't want to push it. I also had realistic expectations about the number of times you wanted to read about The Magic Treehouse series or the Boxcar Children.

In the interest of full disclosure, I read about 1/3 of this book with David and he read the rest on his own. Humphrey is a charming hamster. He makes friends with the students. Once he starts going home with them on the weekends, he is able to help them with their problems at home. Humphrey is smart and fun. We are looking forward to reading more of Humphrey's adventures! 

Thoughts from David: I like it because it has a hamster in it. I also like it because the teacher and children love Humphrey and that's funny.
Favorite part: When Ms. Mac comes back and she'll come back again too! 

                                                                   Happy Reading!
                                   

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Review: Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?

Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?
By Lorrie Moore
Alfred A Knopf 1994
148 pages
From the library

Who Will Run The Frog Hospital?

Berie Carr is visiting Paris with her husband. The trip reminds her of a pivotal summer of her youth. Berie worked as a ticket collector at an amusement park called Storyland. The repetition of working at a cheesy summer attraction is tempered by working alongside her best friend Silsby. While Berie is the plain Jane, Sils is the beautiful girl who attracts all of the boys and portrays Cinderella at work. The events of this single summer will forever change the lives of both girls and their friendship.

Lorrie Moore is a beautiful writer. I read her novel A Gate At the Stairs a few years ago and thought it was lovely. She unfortunately became one of those writers you read once but forget to follow up on the backlist. I happened to glimpse Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? on a library shelf and decided to read it for the 24 Hour Readathon.

The framing of this story through the eyes of adult Berie didn't really work. It felt somewhat haphazard and I was never sure what in the present caused Berie to think back to her youth. But that aside, the story of Berie and Sils was engaging. It's a seemingly traditional tale of the summer when two friends grow up. Sils is the beautiful and popular one. She has a boyfriend with a motorcycle and when the two friends sneak out to bars, Sils is the recipient of drinks and dances while Berie sits and waits. Berie adores Sils though. When she has the chance to help her friend, she takes it without hesitation or thought for the consequences it will have on her own life.

This novel is a sort of quiet, sincere look at coming of age. Because Berie is looking back through the lens of time and perhaps wisdom, the story lacks an immediacy but gains a great deal of poignancy.There is no doubt  that Lorrie Moore knows how to write a gorgeous sentence:
"Were we just waiting to leave Horsehearts, our friends, enemies, our airless family lives? I often think that at the center of me is a voice that at last did split, a house in my heart so invaded with other people and their speech, friends I believed I was devoted to, people whose lives I can only guess at now, that it gives me the impression I am simply a collection of them, that they all existed for themselves, but had inadvertently formed me, then vanished. But, what: Should I have been expected to create my own self, out of nothing, out of thin, thin air and alone?"

Who Will Run The Frog Hospital? is a quiet story about growing up in a small town. While it is sometimes disconnected, Moore's exquisite voice and her understanding of the impact that our first and greatest friends have on our lives create a quick read that will resonate with readers. 

Monday, May 6, 2013

It's Monday and Baby Girl is not here yet


Hey there, ladies and gentlemen! I know I'm posting this later than usual. We took a trip to the hospital last night, thinking that baby girl might be about ready to come meet the world. But it seems she is going to take advantage of the free room and board for a few more days. I'll let you know when the little bookworm makes her big debut. 

Read This Week:
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
By Malcolm Gladwell

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)
By Patrick Ness


Posts from this Past Week:
Reviews of Gilead and Stardust


Reading Now: 
Sleeping in Eden: A Novel
By Nicole Baart


Up Next:
Seating Arrangements
Seating Arrangements
By Maggie Shipstead

What are you reading this week? 

Friday, May 3, 2013

Review: Stardust

Stardust
By Neil Gaiman
Avon Books 1999
336 pages
Borrowed from a friend

Stardust

Tristran Thorn is desperately in love with the beautiful Victoria Forester. He attempts to prove his love for her by promising her impossible things - diamonds from Africa, pearls from India, and the star that falls outside of their village. Impulsive Victoria agrees that she will kiss him if he brings her back the shooting star. Tristran sets out on a journey, determined to find the star and win Victoria's hand. But it will not be easy - the lands outside their village are inhabited by witches, dueling lords, and enchanted creatures. And the star Tristran set out to find? Instead of a shining orb of light, she is a beautiful young woman with some secrets of her own. 

This is my first time reading Neil Gaiman and while I found it a good read, I'm not convinced that I want to read the remainder of his work as a result. The characters never really seemed fully developed to me. We spend most of the novel with Tristran and Yvaine, the star. Their characters and ultimately, their story, were utterly predictable. I was very interested in the ancillary stories and characters, though. I wanted to know more about them, but Gaiman sort of rushes us through these sections. We only get glimpses of pirate ships that sail above the clouds and the mountain peaks of Stormhold, but those were the things that were most compelling for me as a reader. 

This book is often touted as an adult fairy tale. That seems to mean that our characters can have sex and curse, but there is little else to indicate that this is a book for adults. It would appear that Gaiman thinks there is nothing different about the way a grown-up would approach a world of magic. I was reminded of reading The Magicians, in which the author takes a familiar tale but adds whole new layers because his target readership is adults. I wish Gaiman had done something similar because this book stays safely in the territory of a story for kids or teens with the exception of a few brief moments.

Stardust is quick read and it certainly has moments of magic and charm, but unfortunately it did not convince me to join the Neil Gaiman fan club.What do you think, guys and gals? Am I the only one missing out on the Stardust love or is there another Gaiman novel I should have read instead? 

Thursday, May 2, 2013

April Wrap-up

Well, April had some great books and some real duds. I took part in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon, which helped me catch up with my Goodreads goal. 

In May, I am looking forward to reading some great books and meeting our family's newest bookworm! 

Books reviewed in April: 9
Pages Read: 2823
Fiction/Non-fiction: 7/2
Female authors/male authors: 4/5
My books/library books: 5/4
Lindsey's favorite books in April: Carry On, Warrior and The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards 

Books reviewed with David: None?

It would appear that since someone is becoming an independent reader, he is less thrilled about sharing his thoughts. We will see what we can do about this...




What was your favorite book in the month of April?