Margot: A Novel
by Wendell Steavenson
Circus of emptiness (12/24/2022)
If you enjoy books about girls attempting to overcome horrible childhoods and basically failing at every attempt, then this is the book for you. Characters come and go inadvertently and there is an unnecessary abundance of "icky" sex and extremely unlikable characters. Throw in drug trips, possible rape, and a totally confusing, open-ended conclusion, and there you have Margot. Granted she does achieve some success at Radcliffe in biochemistry but this reader found the overly long scientific descriptions confusing and out of balance with the rest of the book. I suggest that if Steavenson writes a sequel, she hire a new editor. The writing fluctuates from choppy, verbless sentences to flowery, melodramatic sentences that seem neverending.
The Bell in the Lake: Sister Bells Trilogy #1
by Lars Mytting
Historical fiction at its best (10/10/2022)
I absolutely loved this epic tale of three people—a fierce young woman, her local Protestant pastor, and a young German artist and architect student. Set in frigid central Norway, the novel centers around the magical powers of the stave church’s “sister bells‘’ which were donated in the early 1800s in memory of two conjoined twin girls who died at a young age. The plot is rich with detail and imagery. The love triangle is fascinating as is the artistic descriptions and history of the Norwegian stave churches. The first in a trilogy, I cannot wait to get the next one. Definitely needed Kleenex at the end!
The Family Izquierdo: A Novel
by Rubén Degollado
Strangely flat (8/6/2022)
I often gravitate towards multigenerational family tales and enjoy the linked short story format. This story of a Mexican family trying to live their lives in south Texas while under the evil curse of a neighbor, had all the makings of an exciting, emotional experience. While Degollado, is a skilled writer, and there were a few sentences that caused a lump in my throat, not enough detail was revealed to emotionally move the reader. And the closing chapter takes place in Oregon???
See that the book is going to be released as a novel and not stories. Think this is a bad move and will change reader expectations in a negative way.
Dirt Creek: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor
Small Town Tragedy (3/1/2022)
I have read quite a few novels about how the death or disappearance of a child affects a community but this one is a cut above. It takes place in a small Australian town where everyone is connected to each other creating a claustrophobic atmosphere of doubt and suspicion. Past crimes surface to pollute the waters and the collective narrative voices make it abundantly clear that there will be no escape from the tragedies. Certainly dark and depressing but there are some glimpses of redemption for a select few. Interesting female detective that perhaps will appear in future novels as her story is left open ended.
Fencing with the King: A Novel
by Diana Abu-Jaber
A crowded jigsaw puzzle (12/3/2021)
I have enjoyed some of of Diana Abu-Jabar's other novels but this one is terribly disappointing. She tosses out lots of modern Jordanian and Middle East political info but much of it is lost on the reader. The "mystery" is about as obvious as it can get. The only truly interesting storyline is the conflict between the two brothers and it never really comes to a satisfying conclusion. I suppose the main character is Amani (a struggling poet) yet she is completely underdeveloped and I felt I did not know her any better at novel's end than I did at the start. To avoid a spoiler, I will just say that the romance element in the book felt childish and unrealistic. And don't think you are going to learn much about the ancient art of fencing.
Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel
by Anthony Doerr
Journey to home (11/13/2021)
I think one would be hard pressed to find a librarian (as I am) who would not love this book. While it’s packed with characters, sci fi/futuristic elements, and a complex plot—at heart, it’s about the power of books and the strength of the human spirit. Totally appropriate for strong teen readers as well.
The Lincoln Highway: A Novel
by Amor Towles
Experiment that fails (11/2/2021)
Three stars for clever dialog and some heartwarming characters. However the novel rambles on, contains lots of repetition and far too many preposterous situations. Even if I was not subconsciously comparing this to his other two great novels, it would still be a novel that does not feel fresh or particularly original. The heroes and mythology references felt overdone and forced.
This Is Happiness
by Niall Williams
Just misses the mark (10/6/2021)
Don’t know why I can’t give a beautifully written, heartfelt, VERY IRISH, novel more than three stars. The story has so many profound moments and great characters, but in between those moments and people, there are so many words and descriptions that my mind kept wandering. Maybe this is just the wrong time for me to have read this.
Honor
by Thrity Umrigar
Tragic Tale of Religious Persecution (with a romance) (9/8/2021)
Umrigar's latest novel of India tackles a lot of big topics in a fairly short book: religious persecution, childhood trauma, poverty, government corruption, misogyny, violence and murder. The main character Smita, a journalist, returns to Mumbai, for the first time since leaving for America at the age of 14. Lots of past secrets are slowly revealed as Smita attempts to bring justice for a Hindu woman who was horribly burned during the "honor killing" of her Muslim husband. The story is fascinating, but there are quite a few two-dimensional characters and at times I felt the writing did not elicit the emotional response that the horrible events should have. Won't comment on the ending to avoid spoilers other than to say that the last minute airport drama felt completely unoriginal and utterly predictable.
Once There Were Wolves
by Charlotte McConaghy
Rich tale of our basic humanity (8/19/2021)
Incredible story! The parallels between the wolves and humans in this short, lush novel set in the Scottish highlands are presented so poetically it almost takes your breath away. Our powers to love, hurt, destroy are laid out brilliantly through the various characters including the wolves. This seems to be a much more accessible novel than her first, Migrations.
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
by Marianne Cronin
A gem (8/11/2021)
The combined 100 years of living by Lennie (age 17) and Margot (age 83) is something to celebrate! Have not enjoyed a read this much in ages. The timeless themes of love and friendship are fresh and heartwarming. And get this-a priest who is a positive and beloved character! You will cry but will feel so good doing it. Highly recommended for adults and mature teens alike.
All the Water I've Seen Is Running: A Novel
by Elias Rodriques
Message lost in the journey. (6/14/2021)
Maybe I spent too many years working in a southern high school to appreciate the immature conversations and actions of young people but Rodrigues' characters never seem to develop or mature. As an older adult, I found the conversations ulta tedious and boring. I think he basically took on way too many important topics-racism, poverty, homosexuality, addiction, and speckled them with a touch of global warming and Jamaican history and folklore, all in a novel of only 250 pages. I think an older Daniel with more life experiences returning to Palm Coast to confront his demons would have made for a much stronger story, especially since there is very little plot. I was thinking I would rate the book a 3 for Rodrigues' beautiful and symbolic descriptions of the environment but constant derogatory name calling, drunken conversations and fist fights got in the way. The last chapter was particularly perplexing as he suddenly shifts narrators for no apparent reason.
Whereabouts
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Slices of life (6/10/2021)
While Whereabouts is a novel in the technical sense, it’s really just slices of life in a year of a floundering 40ish Italian woman in an unnamed city. The writing is gorgeous, especially considering it was translated from Italian to English by Lahiri. The intimate portrayal of the protagonist is very similar to those of Ferrante’s characters in her last two novels: solitary, capable women who are unable to make lasting human connections largely in part as results from damages inflicted upon them by their parents. I especially enjoyed the chapter where she visits her mother and the final one on the train where her life is symbolically contrasted with those of a group of happy foreign travelers.
Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin
Common tale feels new (4/3/2021)
The story about the effects of Alzheimer's on marriage, family, and career has been fictionalized countless times, but somehow Henkin makes it feel fresh and original. Everyday, flawed characters revolve around Spence, a Columbia professor stricken with early onset Alzheimer's. It's a read in just few sittings tale, and other than some jumps back and forth time periods, the story is straightforward and does not require a lot from the reader. A real strength of the novel is how it really is a story of New York City as well . As a southerner I felt as though I could be living there with the characters, not just visiting as a tourist.
What kept me from giving it five stars was the fact that I did not emotionally connect powerfully with any of the characters. I am dealing with a family member with this awful disease so perhaps the detachment I have to have to face it, extended into the novel.
All in all, a very satisfying read that would be a fantastic book club choice.
Palace of the Drowned
by Christine Mangan
Mysterious Venice Captivates (3/8/2021)
I was excited to read this book primarily since most of it takes place in 1960s Venice and Mangane did such a great job making Tangier come alive in Tangerine. Fortunately, unlike Tangerine, this novel has an intriguing plot and some fairly interesting characters. I enjoyed the story from the perspective of a mentally unbalanced novelist who forms a love/hate friendship with a very perplexing younger woman who not surprisingly, is an aspiring writer herself. I found the ending to be a bit unsatisfactory but it was consistent with the tone of the book. All in all a well written mysterious tale with interesting dark psychological undertones.
Of Women and Salt
by Gabriela Garcia
We Are Force (12/22/2020)
These words, written in the margin of a page in a Spanish first edition of Les Miserables, define the nine characters of this short, rich novel. Each chapter is more like a self contained short story with just enough links to add power and meaning to the next. So much is covered in 200 pages: civil wars in Cuba, Salvadoran emigration, addiction, molestation, and very complex mother daughter relationships. Yet, the novel never feels crowded or overwhelming. It's sad, violent, but dotted with glimmers of hope. I actually liked Of Women and Salt better than American Dirt which was one of my favorites of the year.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
by Olga Tokarczuk
Original and Engrossing (11/4/2020)
I went back and forth between 4 or 5 stars but decided on 5 as I have never quite read anything like this. It is comedic, tragic, mysterious, weird but very engrossing and beautifully written. I totally did not see the ending coming as I was so caught up in the magical and astronomical aspects of the book. Janina is a truly memorable character.
The Blind Light: A Novel
by Stuart Evers
Too Many Distractions (10/26/2020)
What could have been a great family saga, Blind Light is crowded with so many writing techniques, (repetition, steam of consciousness) that the plot becomes hijacked. I really enjoyed learning about the fear the post war generation experienced in regards to nuclear destruction and Evers did a good job with his characters in that regard. The complex male friendship between Drum and Carter is the best part of the book. The novel felt overworked and Evers consistently sticks in rather distasteful short scenes that are totally unnecessary to the story. All in all, if the book was not over 500 pages, I might have rated it higher, but by the end I was exhausted and glad it was over. I don't think Blind Light would have enough overall appeal to make it a good book club choice and I suspect this one will get higher marks from professional reviews than from average readers.
Fifty Words for Rain
by Asha Lemmie
Class structure in post war Japan (10/13/2020)
Only thing that kept it from 5 stars was the amount of unresolved plot lines especially in regards to Nori’s mother, and I am not a reader who requires everything tied up at a book’s end. I suspect a sequel might be in the works. The rich historical and cultural aspects of Japanese life, especially in regards to class structure and racism was fascinating. I did find Nori’s self-injuring tendency a bit overplayed. There are a lot of adult topics here but nothing that would keep it from being a great recommendation for mature teen readers.
My Dark Vanessa: A Novel
by Kate Russell
Emotional ride (4/3/2020)
This is a book that I had to read in spurts as it is as dark as dark can be. I much preferred the second half of the book which in a non-linear fashion fully illustrates the psychological damage sexual abuse causes. Vanessa is not a particularly likable character. Her denial is deeply rooted in self-hatred, and therein lies the brilliance of the story—that the reader feels such empathy for a girl, child, who is unable to break away from her abuser even after his death. Would have given 5 stars but the ending seemed abrupt.
