December 23rd, 2010
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand : A Novel / by Helen Simonson. Random House, 2010.
Here is a book I found from reading new book reviews in Bookmarks Magazine. I am not always convinced that I need to read the latest novels but prefer to have them time-tested by others. I once read a ‘rule for reading’ by one of those old curmudgeons who write very funny essays (his name escapes me) – but he said ‘never read a book until it is at least a year old’. I kind of liked that since I see lots of books that come out with fanfare hiding what really is pretty shallow prose. However, the book reviews for this title struck my fancy. I liked the idea of reading a romance involving older adults. I also simply fell in love with the dust jacket (talk about shallow). I had almost finished the book before I realized that the front cover actually is an illustration of a coat stand.
The story involves a ‘stiff upper lip’ gentleman who lives in a small village somewhere in England. The only thing I can think of is ‘some place modern Masterpiece Theatre-ish’. He is struggling with age, the loss of close family members and trying to understand the ways of the modern world, most particularly those of his modern day yuppie son. Amidst all this he befriends a lovely Pakistani neighbor who is able to help him through his grief and loneliness. As their friendship grows the subtleties of English society, race and family relationships all come to the fore. Some reviews describe this book as a modern day Jane Austen tale. I suspect anything that is ever written about British society will get that handle – I didn’t think of Jane Austen or Mr. Darcy as I read this. I did, however, enjoy the setting in the English countryside as well as the tone of the book. It definitely gets my thumbs up for the ‘British Cozy’ genre. Watch out for the ending – after 2/3rds of the book humming along at a leisurely pace, the ending is a bit of a page turner.
About the Author:
A former advertising executive, Helen Simonson was born in Sussex, England, but has lived in the United States for the last 20 years. This is her debut novel.
Posted in Book Discussions, British Cozy, Family, Literary Fiction | 1 Comment »
December 23rd, 2010
Home of the Brave / by Kate Applegate. Square Fish, 2008.
Sometimes I just like how a book gets to your bedside table. This one came to me via niece Kari through sister-in-law Nancy and I have left it with Mom who is staying at Jane’s … and the path of this little book goes on and on. Like the main character Kek, our book has traveled – although not all the way from Africa.
Home of the Brave tells the story of a boy who escapes the horrors of war torn Sudan and ends up in the frigid temperatures of Minnesota. It is written in a kind of verse that almost reminds you of speaking to someone who is just learning English. The words are simple and sentences short, but the story has a gentle voice that helps you understand what it must be like to lose everything and then be transported into a completely different world. The setting could remind you of a science fiction-like other world if you view it from the eyes of Kek. Who could imagine how a young boy would view this new world when he has only known the warm sun of rural Africa and is then placed on a ‘flying boat’ that sets down in the middle of a Minnesotan winter.
“When the flying boat
Returns to earth at last,
I open my eyes
And gaze out the round window.
What is all the white? I whisper.
Where is all the world?
This is what I might call a ‘soft’ story. It has lovely turns of phrase and a rhythmic style that makes you skip over the pages. The story is kind and I think we need lots of kindness these days. Thank you Kari for passing this one on.
Posted in Africa, Children's books | 1 Comment »
November 12th, 2010
Yup, I finally finished the two follow up books to Hunger Games. I am glad I waited so could blast through the two together. If I had to read this last line of book 2 ‘But Gale is not one to keep secrets from me. “Katniss, there is no District Twelve.”‘, I would have had to commit bodily harm to someone. Overall thoughts – fab read. I haven’t read anything in a long time that pulled me into the story so much that I did not want to stop for dinner or sleep. The strength is definitely in the story telling. I don’t think I paused anywhere and thought ‘wow, what a beautiful phrase’ but that could have been that I was reading too fast. Had to, just to keep pace with the characters. The dystopian world is pretty interesting. There was nothing unique in the geographic setting, but the politics were very plausible. You just keep thinking how could anyone let it get to that state, until you look around in our own world and wonder what lies in our future. I thought the characters were another strength in the books. I loved the names the author invented, they gave you a sense that this really was a world apart from our own. I gather from reading the blogs that many were upset with how the relationships ended between the three main characters Kat, Gale and Peeta. After thinking about it for a bit, I see the author led us directly to the outcome, particularly in the last book. I am satisfied (although I am totally bummed about Finnick).
Many thanks to Markus for lending me his books. I will have to see what else he has on his bookshelf as we head into the holidays.
Posted in Book Discussions, Children's books | 1 Comment »
November 1st, 2010
Yup, I finally read this book and what can I say … if there was ever an example of a unique voice, I think it must be Libba Bray. I haven’t read an angsty teenage novel for a while, and if the author wasn’t so absolutely funny, she would have lost me in the first 50 pages. However, she is very funny and I kept reading. Once Cameron found out he was ill and could possibly find a cure and save the world with his friends Gonzo the Mexican dwarf, Dulcie the punk rock angel and a garden gnome, I was hooked. It took me a while to get the whole Don Quixote thing, but the book stands on its own even without the connection. I wonder if authors use tools like that (following classic plot lines) to give themselves a structure to boldly go forth with? I have been reading reviews of the book and learn first, that Nancy Pearl doesn’t like the cover. I think the cover works well for the whacky story held between the boards. The more interesting discussions seem to be about whether some or all of the story was ‘real’ or if Cameron was hallucinating. I actually don’t think it matters – the story pulls you along on these crazy adventures where the main characters learn and grow. I think it is best to just enjoy the ride and see how well said dwarf, fairy, garden gnome and teenage boy do under these very weird circumstances. To be honest, I think I liked the writing the most about this book. It was smart and funny and dang creative. It made me feel I have read my first youth book from a new generation of writers – the MTV set or the millenial set or whatever they are called these days. I would read more of Bray’s books in a heartbeat – so Naomi, you will have to recommend some. Just for the record, I spoke to Markus about it and he read the book last year. He told me he liked it and thought the writing very funny. A good recommendation from a 13 year old.
… So now I move on to Catching Fire …
Posted in Book Discussions, Children's books | 1 Comment »
October 8th, 2010
Here is another one from Persephone Books that caught my eye simply from the title. It is a novella by Julia Strachey who was a hanger on of the Bloomsbury group. I think Lytton was her uncle. I didn’t know anything about her outside of recognizing the last name. Well, after reading the short bio of Julia in the introduction (yup, I read introductions) I got the sense that she was a bit of an outsider or ‘slight odd duck’. The book would confirm that, it is an absolute odd duck book. I spent the first chapters in absolute hilarious bewilderment. From the title you understand that it is someone’s wedding day and the book opens up with a variety of characters who are obviously waiting for the event. They discuss everything from a distasteful pair of socks to the pipes and the mother of the bride flits in and out of the scene worrying about a series of eccentric wedding details. The overall plot concerns the age old question of bride’s on their wedding day: “are they doing the right thing?” As you tip toe through the story you eventually get the sense that there is an ex-boyfriend who might be the one the bride should marry while the groom shows up in doorways to observe his bride – he seems a little at arms length. So, what to do but pick up a bottle of rum and contemplate it all.
Of course the real delight of this book is the language. The dialogue is particularly good and it makes you think that it would be perfect Masterpiece Theater story. How about this for a sample: “‘How are your lectures going?’ asked Kitty of Joseph. ‘Very well, thank you,’ he said. ‘We heard about the practices of the Minoan Islanders upon reaching the age of puberty at the last one.’ He started snapping up his cutlet. ‘How terribly interesting!’. ‘Yes, very. Like to hear about them?’ offered Joseph. ‘Kitty, dear child! Kitty! Kitty! Open the window a trifle at the top, will you! The air gets so terribly stuffy in here always!’ cried out Mrs. Thatcham very loudly.
So, if you want to enjoy a pleasant afternoon by the fireside, pick up this book and you will have it finished by dinner time. And it looks as though this may also be on film. Just checked IMDB and see that a made for tv movie came out in 2005 in the UK called ‘Perfect Day’ which looks like a loose adaptation from this story.
About the author: Julia Strachey (1901-1979) was born in India, where her father, a brother of Lynon Strachey, was in the Civil Service. After her parents’ divorce she lived with relations in England and went to Bedales and the Slade and then worked as a model, as a photographer and in publishing. She first married the sculptor Stephen Tomlin and then the art critic Lawrence Gowing; her two novels appeared in 1932 and 1951.
Posted in British Cozy | No Comments »
September 9th, 2010
Howard’s End Is On The Landing / by Susan Hill. Profile Books, 2009.
I finally did read this book and rather than go slow and savor it all, I just blasted through the darn thing. Although I would say the book is very British-centric, it can be expected for someone who has lived there are her life, teaches and writes British literature and lives with what she calls something like ‘The Professor’ and calls his study something like (I can’t find the section right now) the PD – Professor’s Den – a place where she rarely takes the books of the shelf. There is lots in the book to argue with – like the statement ‘I don’t really care for Canadian or Australian writers’ – that’s a bit limiting if you ask me. She doesn’t really care for Dorothy Sayers or Jane Austen — hmmm – and she really likes Henry James, who I just get really tired of. But, aside from all that there is lots to glean from the book and it has about a year’s worth of ideas to discuss in a book blog. I loved the idea of simply walking through the house for a year and pulling books off the shelf to read the first time or re-read again. I like her descriptions of where the books live and who lives next door to each other – like the books in the dark den or the books with all the women writers mixed up together. I have thought of the same things she has – like, how much credence do you give to an author who has written wonderful novels, essays or poetry, but does not live up to the standard in his/her own life. Does that taint the book? How about thinking of the 40-50 books you would keep if the house burned down or you had to move away and live in a trailer. Does it matter that a book is written by a women or man – do you like short reads or prefer books that go on and on and you live with for a significant period of time – Dicken’s and Trollope come to mind. You can’t just skim through those fat rascals. The book is also littered with name dropping, most of it is pretty fun. Her description of meeting Ian Fleming while she was a student is an example. Hill has done quite a bit of work with the BBC apparently, and so she has interviewed scads of writers. All in all it was a great book for me to read during my first week of retirement – gave me lots of food for thought.
Anne, I think this would be a great book for you. It will give you lots of ideas of what to pick out next. As a result of reading this one I did go out and pick up some Virginia Woolf. I haven’t read any of her works since university and it just seems like I would get a lot more out of her books now.
Posted in Books and Reading | No Comments »
September 9th, 2010
Last week we were in Vancouver and I had a chance to head to the bookstore again. After reading ‘Howards End is on the Landing’ I was fresh with ideas for books to buy. We discovered MacLeod’s Books on our last visit and I found a gorgeous bunch of Dickens’ books then. It occurred to me that we could talk about our favorite bookstores on this site. I love MacLeod’s because it is an absolute tip. If you don’t believe me take a look at this photo:
If you can’t find a treasure in this place, you are hardly trying!! So, with time to spend I began searching and found a lovely little leather bound book of Mrs. Gaskell short stories, a book of adult short stories by Alison Uttley called ‘John Barleycorn’ it has a real nice book jacket, and then, as a direct result of reading the Susan Hill book, I bought a copy of Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Writer’s Diary’. Hill says that she has read from that book for years and every time she opens it up she learns something new. You can’t argue with a testimony like that. Not sure I will ever be a writer, but I do like the idea of learning something new everytime I open up a book. This is one that I am sure will be a re-read in short snippets rather than just plowing through from cover to cover.
So friends, if you have a favorite bookstore, just let us know about it. Hey Naomi, tell us what makes Bolen Books stand apart. It is a pretty big store.
Posted in Bookstores | No Comments »
August 26th, 2010
So it has been a while, the blog, we can say, has been on hiatus. I hope that we can bring it back to life with a vengeance. I am finished work now and we are calling it ‘semi-retirement’. If anyone is interested in a slightly used librarian with interesting short term tasks, I am possibly interested. In the meantime I hope the book reading time grows and can be managed guilt free.
I was listening to Nancy Pearl this summer on the radio and she was challenging listeners to tell her what characters from novels we would want to meet, possibly bring home for dinner. It was great fun to think about it. Imagine inviting a character to a barbecue without including the novelist. It makes you wonder what you would learn.
The day I heard the program I was just finishing off Ivan Doig’s new novel ‘Work Song’. Of course it was a wonderful read. One of the many things I like about Doig’s work is that he sometimes brings back characters you have met in previous books and when you see them again it is like having a long lost friend come home. In this book the lovable Morrie comes back and I definitely would ask him for dinner. We might be able to persuade him to bring the library director from Butte Public Library with him, Sandison. I wouldn’t want to have ‘Sandy’ for dinner without Morrie there to carry the conversation – I am afraid Sandy would have little to say about the books I have on my shelf. Besides, I would just like to have Morrie sit across the table from me and listen to him talk. His language is music to my ears. This was a perfect book to read over the summer (actually I blasted through it in a day and a half – but you can still call it summer). After I read the last few paragraphs I closed the book slowly and sighed. Yup – I am a sucker for a happy ending – and that is all I will say. It was the feeling of contentment you get only from finishing a book that you love. Movies just don’t give you the same satisfaction.
Good to be back Bridges Book Blog – I will try to do better in the coming months.
Posted in Book Discussions, Historical, Literary Fiction | No Comments »
April 18th, 2010
First up my apologies for the lack of any writing for quite some time, but I just didn’t have anything to write about. Now, thanks to Philip Pullman, I have something.
So Pullman’s Golden Compass Trilogy was amazing and also very controversial. His not so subtle reference to organized religion, particularly the Church, caused all sorts of outrage and attacks. Pullman was called and accused of many things by all sorts of people. But for the most part his writing was fantasy. Well, I guess all those criticisms finally got his goat. His newest novel is an outright, unabashed story that shows his true feelings about the Church. It is called The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.
Whoa Nelly! Apart from the fact that it is, of course, well written, it will throw so much gasoline on that fire. At the same time, I admire Pullman. He had tried subtlety to express himself and his views and was told he would burn in hell eternally. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, right?
Pullman’s story (which he emphasizes on the dust jacket is only a story) is the life of Jesus and Christ. That’s right, they aren’t one person, but twins. Both characters have qualities of the standard Jesus Christ, but both are also flawed. Jesus is the one with the magic touch, the sermons, and the apostles. Christ is the one who believes that such miracles should be known to all in order to bring people to the side of god. I don’t want to give too much away, as it isn’t a particularly long book, but throughout it Pullman preaches about the golden rule and trying to move past sin, while at the same time pointing out all the flaws in the idea of a church or any other large organization that works in the name of a higher power.
Regardless of how you feel about Pullman or Christianity, this is certainly a book that will make you think. I foresee many a heated bookclub debate. Looks like the critics poked the bear, and now he’s awake.
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April 8th, 2010
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Okay, so I haven’t read this yet, but when you see a perfect book on the store shelves, you simply have to buy it then put it on the landing and then … pick it up to read it. I mean, the cover is perfect, Susan Hill kept me completely contented on the couch last Christmas, so this must be a shoe-in. I will report once I get a chance to pick this one up off the landing and let you know …
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Howards End Is On The Landing : A Year Of Reading From Home / by Susan Hill, Profile Books, 2009.
Book Description
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This is a year of reading from home, by one of Britain’s most distinguished authors. Early one autumn afternoon in pursuit of an elusive book on her shelves, Susan Hill encountered dozens of others that she had never read, or forgotten she owned, or wanted to read for a second time. The discovery inspired her to embark on a year-long voyage through her books, forsaking new purchases in order to get to know her own collection again. A book which is left on a shelf for a decade is a dead thing, but it is also a chrysalis, packed with the potential to burst into new life. Wandering through her house that day, Hill’s eyes were opened to how much of that life was stored in her home, neglected for years. “Howard’s End is on the Landing” charts the journey of one of the nation’s most accomplished authors as she revisits the conversations, libraries and bookshelves of the past that have informed a lifetime of reading and writing.
About the Author
Susan Hill is the winner of numerous prestigious literary awards. The Man in the Picture was published by Profile in 2007, and she is the author of a highly successful crime series (Chatto & Windus). The Woman in Black has been running in the West End for 20 years. |
Posted in Book Discussions, Books and Reading, British Cozy | 1 Comment »
