Books Read - Week in Review - W/E 1/7/2017

In 2016 I struggled to review every book that I read and, as a result I felt like I didn't give my reviews my best effort. After seeing Kathy's new format for 2017, I decided to give this weekly update, with mini reviews, idea a try.  I'll still be posting my weekly, First Chapter link up every Tuesday as well.

The first week of the new year found us eating out plenty thanks to several wonderful and appreciated gift cards from family.  We also received movie gift cards and got to see (2) newly released movies (both wonderful).

"Some people build fences to keep people out, and other people build fences to keep people in."

This movie was powerful and emotional and sure to win awards.  The story tales place in the 50's and early 60's and deals with prejudice, the wounds inflicted by those who raised us and the sacrifices people make on behalf of others. It's obvious that this movie was meant to be a play as there are very few scene changes: One house, front porch, back yard and kitchen and dining room scenes for the most part and, there is a small cast of characters.  Denzel Washington's performance was outstanding. (BE SURE TO SEE IT)

A wonderful, feel good movie about three brilliant African American women who were instrumental in helping to launch our space program. 1961, Jim Crow era, it wasn't easy for them but, these feisty women persevered and showed the white men just what they were capable of.  One of the best movies I have seen, rated PG. Be sure to take your young daughters to see this movie. You don't often see a movie where the audience cheers several times throughout the movie.  It's a movie that demonstrates that girls/women, regardless or their skin color can do anything they set their mind to. (BE SURE TO SEE IT)

Books I've Been Reading

The Seventh Day; Yu Hua

Pantheon Books - 2013

First Paragraph ---

"The fog was thick when I left my bedsit and ventured out alone into the barren and murky city.  I was heading for what used to be called a crematorium and these days is known as a funeral parlor.  I had received notice instructing me to arrive by 9:00 a.m., because my cremation was scheduled for 9:30."

(My Thoughts) I actually started this book the end of 2016 but just finished it this past week.  I had some trouble with this book which I'm assuming was due to the translation (Chinese to English). The story begins at the end and goes back over a seven day period. A middle aged man, Yang Fei dies and receives a notice instructing him to show up for his own cremation. He washes, dresses and shows up for the event but, he fears no one will show up for his funereal because he's divorced and has no children.   When it's his turn for the cremation, he leaves and decides to search for his adoptive father who he assumes has died as well.  ver the next seven days he meets the ghosts of others who have passed away, eventually circling back and meeting his father.  This story wasn't all that long and at times had a feel of the way H. Murakami writes. This took me longer than normal to read and, I'm glad I gave it a try but, it was challenging and is just not a book that will appeal to every reader. (3.5 stars) 

Chocky, John Wyndham 

NYRB Classics - 2015

First Paragraph --

"It was the spring of the last year that Matthew reached twelve that I first became aware of Chocky.  Late April, I think, or possibly early May; anyway I am sure it was the spring because on that Saturday afternoon I was out in the garden shed unenthusiastically oiling the mower for labours to come when I heard Matthew's voice speaking close outside the window.  It surprised me; I had had no idea he was anywhere about until I heard him say, on a note of distinct irritation and apropos, apparently, of nothing:

         'I don't know why. It's just the way things are.'

(My thoughts) -- When I saw that the intro for this book was written by Margaret Atwood, I had to try this book. Fewer than 200 pages, Chocky,  is a story about an adopted, twelve year old boy named Matthew Gore who lives in London and has an imaginary friend. When his parents become concerned they seek help and we learn that Chocky is an alien who has come to explore earth to see whether it's habitable.  Matthew and Chocky have a unique relationship and, the questions posed by Chocky are deep, interesting and worth pondering.  The story made me think about the environment and why we do some of the things we do. Narrated from the POV of Matthew's concerned father, it's an original and optimistic story that was very different from what I tend to generally read. It made me curious enough to take a peek at other books by this author. (4.5 stars)

New Books

(sent to me by publishers)

• The Echo Twilight; Judith Kinghorn (Berkeley)
• No Man's Land; Simon Tolkien (Nan Talese)
• The Last Night at Tremore Beach; Mikel Santiago (Atria)
• Traveling Light; Lynne Branard (Berkeley)

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Seventh Day; Yu Hua

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph or two of a book that I'm reading or will be reading soon. This one has been on my Kindle since 2013.

The Seventh Day; Yu Hua

Pantheon Books - 2013

The First Day

"The fog was thick when I left my bedsit and ventured out alone into the barren and murky city.  I was heading for what used to be called a crematorium and these days is known as a funeral parlor.  I had received notice instructing me to arrive by 9:00 a.m., because my cremation was scheduled for 9:30."

Based on this intro, would you read more or pass on this book?

Feel free to join in by posting your own First Chapter First Paragraph Intro and linking below.

Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You

On my TBR List for summer - what do you think?

Don't Believe a Word; Patricia MacDonald

Severn House - June-2016

(Description)

A daughter sets out to discover the truth about her mother’s death in this absorbing novel of psychological suspense.

Eden Radley had a strained relationship with her mother ever since Tara deserted the family nine years before to run off with her much younger lover. But when she’s told that her mother has killed herself and her severely disabled young son, Eden’s half-brother, Eden is ridden with guilt. For her mother had tried to get in touch with her on the night she died, and Eden had ignored her text. Was Tara calling for help?

Heading to Cleveland, Ohio, for the funeral, Eden discovers there was so much she didn’t know about her mother, nor about her enigmatic, troubled stepfather Flynn Darby. And the more she learns, the more convinced she becomes that Tara’s death was no suicide. Could Flynn really be guilty of murder …?

I'm Thinking of Ending Things; Iain Reid

Gallery - June 2016

(Description)

You will be scared. But you won’t know why…

I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.

Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”

And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here.

In this smart, suspenseful, and intense literary thriller, debut novelist Iain Reid explores the depths of the human psyche, questioning consciousness, free will, the value of relationships, fear, and the limitations of solitude. Reminiscent of Jose Saramago’s early work, Michel Faber’s cult classic Under the Skin, and Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an edgy, haunting debut. Tense, gripping, and atmospheric, this novel pulls you in from the very first page…and never lets you go.

The Captive Condition - Kevin Keating

July - Pantheon

(Description)

From a thrilling new voice in fiction comes a chilling and deliciously dark novel about an idyllic Midwestern college town that turns out to be a panorama of depravity and a nexus of horror.

For years Normandy Falls has been haunted by its strange history and the aggrieved spirits said to roam its graveyards. Despite warnings, Edmund Campion is determined to go there and pursue an advanced degree in literature. At first things proceed wonderfully, but Edmund soon learns he isn't immune to the impersonal trappings of fate: his girlfriend Morgan Fey smashes his heart, his advisor Professor Martin Kingsley crushes him with frivolous assignments, and his dead end job begins to take a toll on his physical and mental health.

One night he stumbles upon the body of Emily Ryan, a proud and unapologetic "townie," drowned in her family pool. Was it suicide, Edmund wonders, or murder? In the days following the tragedy, Emily's husband Charlie, crippled by self-loathing and ultimately frozen with fear, attempts to flee his disastrous life and sends their twin daughters to stay with the Kingsleys. Possessed with an unnamed, preternatural power, the twins know the professor seduced their mother and may have had a hand in her death. With their piercing stares, the girls fill Martin with the remorse and dread he so desperately tries to hide from his wife.

Elsewhere, a low-level criminal named The Gonk takes over a remote cottage, complete with a burial ground and moonshine still, and devises plans for both; Xavier D'Avignon, the eccentric chef of a failing French restaurant, supplies customers with a hallucinogenic cocktail he makes in his kitchen; and Colette Collins, an elderly local artist of the surreal and psychedelic, attends a New Year's Eve retrospective that is destined to set the whole town on fire.

Delving into the deepest recesses of the human capacity for evil, Kevin P. Keating's masterful novel will hold readers captive from first to last.

Week in Review and New Books

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day and (-8 degrees) with the wind chill factor this morning. Needless to say, we won't be venturing outdoors this Sunday.  The good news is this is the last cold day and it might be 50 on Wednesday. Talk about crazy weather.  This week flew by and I am pleased to report my cold is pretty much gone (passed it on to my husband).

This week we went to the movies to see The Finest Hours which was very enjoyable.  It's based on a true story, a Coast Guard rescue movie, set on Cape Cod during a hurricane in 1951.

I stayed indoors most of the week and that resulted in a busy reading, reviewing and blogging week.  Here is a recap of books read and/or reviewed.

• Love in Lowercase; Francesc Miralles 
• River Road; Carol Goodman 
• French Leave; Anna Gavalda 
• The Madwoman Upstairs; Catherine Lowell
• American Housewife: Stories; Helen Ellis

    
    I'm in the process of rereading, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath for my book group meeting at the end of the month. It's a great read and I am enjoying it since it's been over 15 years since I last read it.  I'm also reading, Eleanor by Jason Gurley and, I also finished reading a quick debut novel called, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (no review yet).

New Book Arrivals by Mail

•  Why We Came to the City; Kristopher Jansma (sent by Viking)
•  Version Control; Dexter Palmer (sent by Pantheon)
•  Fool Me Once; Harlen Coben - (sent by Dutton)
•  Small Mercies; Eddie Joyce (sent by Penguin)
•  The Life of Elves; Muriel Barbery (Europa purchase)
•  Everyone Brave is Forgiven; Chris Cleave (sent by Simon & Schuster)
•  Britt-Marie Was Here; Fredrik Backman (Atria - sent by Simon & Schuster)

    Nothing special for today except planning a shrimp dish for dinner and making some warm soup as well.  I also think I'll reorganize a closet that was bugging me a bit yesterday:)

Hope Your Day is Special!

The Mare; Mary Gaitskill

The Mare; Mary Gaitskill
Pantheon - Nov 2015

The Mare was a heart rendering story about a young girl from the Dominican Republic now living in poverty in Crown Heights, New York.

Velveteen (Velvet) Vargas is the 11-year old girl at the heart of the story. Velvet lives with her mother and her 6 year-old brother.  Her mother, Silvia,  speaks no English and works long hours to put a roof over their head and food on the table, but still the family lives in poverty.  She is short on patience, favors her son Dante, and is sometimes verbally and physically abusive to Velvet. Deep down she cares for her daughter but does not know how to express her feelings.

When Velvet and her brother get a chance to leave the city for a few weeks in the  country over the summer, thanks to the Fresh Air Fund, their mother reluctantly agrees to let them go.  Velvet's host family is Ginger, an artist and recovering alcoholic and her husband, Paul, a professor.  Ginger is 47,  and Paul 57, and  Ginger longs to see what mothierng a child would be like. 

Velvet finds solace staying with the couple and is able to make inroads  with an abused, ornery, "mare" others at the stable call Fugly Girl.  Velvet renames her Fiery Girl which she feels better describes her spirit.  When Velvet first sees the scars on the mare's face, she describes the scars as, "the thorns on Jesus' heart." And, when Velvet cried in the presence of the horse, the anxious "mare" quieted as if she understood Velvet's personal pain.

The chapters alternate between the POV of mostly Velvet and Ginger, although there are occasional short chapters from the POV of Paul and Velvet's mother as well.  The story is tender, but never depressing or preachy.  It's a very readable story about the importance of finding a living, breathing connection to make the sad past feel less sad, and not losing hope.  The characters felt genuine, and although I really enjoyed the novel, I thought it was a bit too long, but definitely worth reading.

4.5/5 stars

(review copy)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Mare; Mary Gaitskill

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two from a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon.

The Mare; Mary Gaitskill
Pantheon - Nov 2015

Velvet

"That day I woke up from a dream the way I always woke up; pressed against my mom's back, my face against her and her turned away.  She holding Dante and he holding her, his head in her breasts wrapped around each other like they're falling down a hole.  It was okay.  I was an eleven-year-old girl and I didn't need to have my face in my mom's titty no more, that is if I ever did.  Dante, my little brother, was only six.

It was summer, the air-conditioner was up too high, dripping dirty water on the floor, outside the pan I put there to catch it.  Too loud too, but still I heard a shot from outside or maybe a shout from my dream; I was dreaming about my grandfather from DR, he was lost in a dark place, like a castle with a lot of rooms and rich white people doing scary things in all of them, and my grandfather somewhere shouting my name.  Or maybe it was a shot.  I sat up and listened, but there wasn't anything."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 

(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?

Sunday Blatherings - the books, the movies, the cats

The Movie

I've had a huge love for Apple beginning with it's iPod, around 2002. Love its stock, the iPhone, the MAC, the iPad and although I no longer use an iPod, it was the first Apple product I ever owned.  After reading and loving Isaacson's fantastic bio on  Steve Jobs, I couldn't wait to see the movie which was released here on Friday.

The movie portrays jobs as an innovator, a genius and an asshole. Does a genius get a pass from treating others with respect?  We liked the movie, but felt it did not cover enough, I would have liked to see more. It basically covers the years (1984-19980, pivotal times when Jobs introduced new technology to the world, and was dealing with personal issues as well.  Michael Fassbender, although he looked nothing like Jobs, did a terrific job portraying him.  Kate Winslet, as always, played a fantastic role: the head of marketing, ever at his side and his conscience -- yep, I think there was one scene when a flicker of a conscience came through.  Probably the most touching part of the movie was his relationship with his daughter who he refused to acknowledge for a number of years despite paternity tests proving she was his daughter.  A movie heavy in dialogue, not in action or set changes, it's one of those movies some may love and others might hate.  My opinion - definitely worth seeing.

The Books

I'm extremely late jumping on the bandwagon here, but my audio download just came through this week from the library. I'm about 1/2 way through and really enjoying this one, which I last read about 35 years ago and remember nothing!!!

Not sure how many people are reading this one this month, but thanks go to Melissa’s blog, Trish and Care for hosting.

I finished, Kate Morton's The Lake House this week (500p). I enjoyed it, a lot but it wasn't my favorite - still need to work on a review.Listening to Salem's Lot and Reading - It's. Nice. Outside; Jim Kokoris (this one is so good)

New Books

• The Improbability of Love; Hannah Rothschild (Knopf)
• The Tears of Dark Water; Corban Addison (Thomas Nelson)
• Along an Infinite Sea; Beatriz Williams(G.P. Putnam & Sons)
• The Mare; Mary Gaitskill (Pantheon)
• Hour of the Bees; Lindsay Eagar (Candlewick)
• Tenacity; J.S. Law(Henry Holt & Co)

The Cats

Some of you who follow me on Instagram have probably seen my "cats" lately, but for those who haven't, please "indulge" me. At our house you can always tell when the temps get cooler as we have fireplace cats, and lap cats - we love all (3).

Freckles - age 12 - Loves my husband,

views me as his food source.

 Lily - age 12

Loves me and my husband's laps equally

extremely vocal

Buddy - age 13

His heart belongs to me

Enjoy your week Everyone!

Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You - A Cure for Suicide; Jesse Ball

This book looked different from anything I've read recently. It will hit bookstores in July

Would you try it?

A Cure for Suicide; Jesse Ball

Pantheon - July 2015

(DESCRIPTION) - From the author of Silence Once Begun—one of our most audacious and original writers—a beguiling new novel about a man starting over at the most basic level, and the strange woman who insinuates herself into his life and memory. 
A man and a woman have moved into a small house in a small village. The woman is an "examiner," the man, her "claimant." The examiner is both doctor and guide, charged with teaching the claimant a series of simple functions: this is a chair, this is a fork, this is how you meet people. She makes notes in her journal about his progress: he is showing improvement, yet his dreams are troubling. One day, the examiner brings him to a party, and here he meets Hilda, a charismatic but volatile woman whose surprising assertions throw everything the claimant has learned into question. What is this village? Why is he here? And who is Hilda? A fascinating novel of love, illness, despair, and betrayal, A Cure for Suicideis the most captivating novel yet from one of our most exciting young writers.

Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You - Act of God; Jill Ciment

Here's my "Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You" pick for today.  What do you think? (I love the cover, and the potential for lots of laughs.)

Act of God; Jill Ciment

Pantheon - March 2015

(DESCRIPTION)

It’s the summer of 2015, Brooklyn. The city is sweltering from another record-breaking heat wave, this one accompanied by biblical rains. Edith, a recently retired legal librarian, and her identical twin sister, Kat, a feckless romantic who’s mistaken her own eccentricity for originality, discover something ominous in their hall closet: it seems to be phosphorescent, it’s a mushroom . . . and it’s sprouting from their wall.

Upstairs, their landlady, Vida Cebu, a Shakespearian actress far more famous for her TV commercials for Ziberax (the first female sexual enhancement pill) than for her stage work, discovers that a petite Russian girl, a runaway au pair, has been secretly living in her guest room closet. When the police arrest the intruder, they find a second mushroom, also glowing, under the intruder’s bedding. Soon the HAZMAT squad arrives, and the four women are forced to evacuate the contaminated row house with only the clothes on their backs.

As the mold infestation spreads from row house to high-rise, and frightened, bewildered New Yorkers wait out this plague (is it an act of God?) on their city and property, the four women become caught up in a centrifugal nightmare.

Part horror story, part screwball comedy, Jill Ciment’s brilliant suspense novel looks at what happens when our lives—so seemingly set and ordered yet so precariously balanced—break down in the wake of calamity. It is, as well, a novel about love (familial and profound) and how it can appear from the most unlikely circumstances.