Short on Shoes

Book Review: The Story Sisters

by Alice Hoffman

 

There are three Story sisters, living in North Point Harbor, Elv, Meg, and Claire.  The three sisters communicate in their own language, Arnish, and speak often of the faery world.  When Elv is 11, she thwarts a kidnapping attempt against her sister Claire, and sacrifices herself as the victim.  The trauma of this event, coupled with an absent and uninterested father, creates havoc in the lives of the Story sisters, resulting in a rebel, an introvert, and a lost soul eager to believe in the goodness of others, only to be proven wrong again and again.

 

This is a story of bravery, loss, redemption, and love.  Several times while reading it I thought, “Oh please God, don’t let that happen to my children.” 

 

I enjoyed the book, although near the end it felt as if there was a hurry up and wrap it up push to it.  But I would definitely recommend it.  You just have to be able to read through some disturbing images of drug use and addiction. 

 

I give this book:

 

 

 

Book Review: Strangers

by Anita Brookner

 

This will be short and sweet, as it was painful enough just to read it. 

Paul Sturgis is a retired man in his 70’s with nothing to do.  He’s never been married, lives alone, and has no friends.  He wanders the streets of London every day, and occasionally visits the widow of his cousin.  Nothing dynamic or exciting happens in this book, as there’s very little action (besides walking) and even less dialogue. 

I’ve not read any of Anita Brookner’s other 24 novels, but I sure hope they were better than this one and included less walking and thinking to oneself.  I appreciate that she took the time to write the story, but this book was not for me.

 

I give this book:

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet

by Reif Larsen

 

When I ordered this book, I couldn’t decide if it was a book meant for adults or for the teenage crowd.  It’s definitely for adults.  Don’t get me wrong, there is no sex, no horribly graphic violence, and no drug use.  I was just having difficulty figuring out what audience Larsen was writing for. 

T.S. Spivet is a 12 year-old boy living on a ranch in Montana.  Despite the fact that his father’s a true cowboy, T.S. has dedicated his life to becoming a cartographer.  His mother, whom he calls Dr. Clair, is an entomologist, driven by the relentless pursuit of the elusive tiger monk beetle.   When The Smithsonian calls to tell T.S. he’s won a prestigious award for work he’s submitted in the past, he sets out on his own for Washington D.C., traveling across the country in a Cowboy Condo RV that’s strapped on a flatbed train car. Along the journey, T.S. learns more about himself, his family, and life than he thought existed.

The book is filled with intricate drawings and notations in the sidebar, some serious topographical maps and silly observations.  My favorite side note is the drawing he did of how his father drinks whiskey and how the sips have a rhythm to them (looonng sip, short sip, short sip looong sip)  Also, the fact that there was such a thing as a Hobo Hotline just tickled me.

Although there are moments in the book that just seem too fantastical to jive with the story, it was expertly written and well thought out.  I finished the book with a smile on my face, thinking Reif Larsen must be a freaking genius to know about all of the stuff that’s in this book. 

 

I give this book:

 

 

Actually, I give it 3 1/2 strappy sandals, but I can't figure out how to make half a strappy sandal.  I need help from the Irishman.....

Book Review: The Angel's Game

by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

 

After reading The Shadow of the Wind, I fell in love with Carlos Ruiz Zafon.  What's not to love about a book about other books and writers?  The Angel's Game follows the same recipe, even revisiting some of the same old haunts that are included in The Shadow of the Wind (including The Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  Can you imagine something so delicious?).  When you read Zafon's books, his characters become tangible and are so richly written, you feel as if you've known them forever. 

 

The story opens in Barcelona,and follows the life of a promising young writer, David Martin. After a tragic childhood, including a father that hated the fact that his son could read (oh the horror!), David is compelled to write stories and transitions from a newspaper journalist to a bona fide author, writing serial novels under an assumed name.  After several years of pumping out the same drivel, he decides he's had enough and is ready to branch out into the real world of writing.  The only problem is, he's got a contract to write these small novels.  Enter "The Boss."   This is where things all start to go south for David, including his dream of ending up with the woman he's loved since he was a boy.  Danger, intrigue, romance, friendship, and moral dilemmas abound.

 

I love Zafon's writing, words that you can just sink into comfortably, like a well-worn chair that knows the contour of your butt already.  However, The Angel's Game was a little dark for me.  Or maybe I'm just such a big fan of The Shadow of the Wind.  Either way, this book is worth reading, if only to lose yourself once again in a world you know doesn't exist.  Or does it?

 

I give this book a rating of 3 strappy sandals:

 

 

Book List, 2008

I've had a lot of time to myself lately.  You might think that's a good thing, but this time has been spent not in my home, but patiently waiting.  Waiting for practice to be over, waiting for the doctor, waiting in the carpool line.  I am not a good waiter.  Unless I have a book.  Consequently, I've been reading more than usual these days.

I've mentioned before that reading is near the top of my list of favorite things to do, so these little snippets of down time can be seen as a fortuitous happenstance.  Until it gets dark.  Then it's just me in the car, listening to my ipod, belting out the tunes (the car's the only safe place for that).

I keep a list of the books I read, when I finished the book, etc. because frankly, I'm not getting any younger, and the memory doesn't serve as well as it used to.  On occasion, in the past, I've bought books that I've already read.  That doesn't happen anymore.  The only time I'm in a bookstore anymore is to scout out the books I want to order from the library. 

Yesterday, as I was perusing the on-line waiting list for my library account, The Irishman commented that the library has really changed what I read.  This is absolutely true.  The reason is guilt.  When I was buying books, I was afraid to take the risk of buying something that seemed out of my comfort zone and thus being disappointed, which in turn, would lead to guilt.  Guilt associated with spending money on a book I didn't like.  I have a lot of guilt in my life, it's a theme.  But not where books are concerned.  I feel liberated!

I thought I'd post my favorite books of 2008.  These books weren't necessarily written in 2008, just what I happened to read.  Keep in mind that the books I read run the gamut, all depending on the mood I'm in at the moment.  Some are written with weighty topics in mind, and others are quick chick-lit reads that don't require a lot of thought, while others are just plain well-written good stories.

So without further ado, my top picks for 2008 are:

Atonement, by Ian McEwan

Abundance, by Sena Jeter Naslund

The Lady Elizabeth, by Alison Weir

Blackberry Wine, by Joanne Harris

People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks

No One You Know, by Michelle Richmond

The Little Book, by Selden Edwards

 Off Season, by Anne Rivers Siddons

The Guersney Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mar Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows 

And there you have it.  The 2009 reading season has begun, and so far, I'm 2 for 4 in terms of liking what I read.  That's not a bad percentage just 18 days into the year.

If you have suggestions or want to share your top picks, leave a comment or e-mail me.  Although I'm painfully shy around people I don't know, if they have a book, I always muster up enough courage to ask what they're reading.  I can never have too many books on my list.....

If you want to see the full list of all of the books I read in 2008, read below.

So Many Books, So Little Time

 

These are the books I'm desperately trying to read before NovAth ember.  Four of them are due on Halloween, and I've decided that there's almost no way I can get them read by then.  At least not if I want to actually absorb what is written (this goes back to my rule about reading a book through to the end - someone took the time to write it, I should at least try to give them my attention).

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski

I've had this book on order at the library for months, long before Oprah announced it as her latest book club pick.  At the time, I was number three hundred or so.  All I really know is that there's a dog involved and it's supposed to be a great book.

The Garden of Last Days, by Andre Dubus III

I saw this book at Barnes and Noble while trolling the aisles for books I could order from the library.  Andre Dubus III is the author of House of Sand and Fog.  This was another Oprah book club pick, and I loved it.  The Irishman even read it.  Haunting is the word the springs to my mind.  I am about a third of the way through with this book, and the same word can be used to describe it.  Strippers, terrorists, and odd-ball people.

A Summer Affair, by Elin Hilderbrand

I've read a couple other books by Elin Hilderbrand, Summer People and The Love Season.  Her books are easy to read on a rainy afternoon and are always set in Nantucket, which I love.

Whacked, by Jules Asner

I really don't have any idea what this book's about, but I've heard it's supposed to be funny.  I'll let you know.

Skeletons at the Feast, by Chris Bohjalian

I don't know what this book's about either.  It's by the same guy who wrote Midwives, and I thought it looked interesting.  We'll see.

Stand a Storm, by Breena Clarke

No idea what this one's about.  This one was another Barnes and Noble find, and I read the jacket when I saw it, but can't remember what the blurb said.  That means I need to take more B-12 to boost my memory.  The problem is, you guessed it, I can't remember to take it.  It's a vicious circle.

Sleeping Arrangements, by Madeleine Wickham

Madeleine Wickham wrote The Gatecrasher.  Chick Lit, easy read.  That's what I'm hoping for, because I think several of the above books are going to contain some heavy content.

I'm going to be busy.  

     

Yes, I'm A Card Carrying Member

I love books. 

I love everything about books.  I like the heft of the book itself, the weight of the pages, the texture of the paper, the font that's used.  I particularly love the smell of books.  Yes, I know.  It's odd.

When I go to the local Barnes and Noble, The Irishman knows I won't be coming home with just one book.  It's simply not an option.

We have books in almost every room in our house, the kitchen and the bathrooms excepted.  There's not a bookshelf in this house that's not filled.

So now that I've established just how much I love books, I have a confession to make:  I no longer buy books.

I can hear the collective gasp through the airwaves.

When Bubba was accepted into his school of choice and consequently began his high school career, I knew I had to make some sacrifices.  I made the monumental decision (for me, at least) to end all book-buying immediately.  I was more than a little nervous and there were plenty of deep-breathing exercises going on. 

I visited my local library and applied for my card the afternoon that I came to this conclusion.  It was quick, painless, and after 10 minutes, I had books!  Plural!

I thought it was going to be a rough transition.  Our nearest library is certainly not the largest, and with our crazy schedule, it wasn't likely I was going to be able to venture out to larger libraries to find the books I wanted.

But I've found that many things have changed since I last visited the library, sometime in the early '80s.

The library is now accessible via the Internet.  I can search for books I'm interested in and have them put on hold for me.  I can have books transferred to my local library. 

I've found that the library has become a somewhat liberating experience for me.  Now, if I read a book that I find to be, well, crap, I don't feel guilty.  All I have to do is return it after I've finished (and I do finish ALL books - some author took the time to write the book, the least I can do is read it to the end).  No money wasted on something that doesn't quite fit the bill.

My problem, these days, is that I have so many books I'm waiting in line for that I can't read them quickly enough.

That's a problem I can learn to live with - a source of never-ending books at my fingertips.