Ruthie_Arnold

Mothers of Sparta is a series of essays that form a memoir. Dawn Davies offers glimpses into her life at various crucial moments. Some funny incidents are included, but overall the tone is of despair, anger, loneliness and frustration. Davies writes in both the first and second person, and for me this was a problem. Many times while reading I felt like I was listening to a very long "voice-over", the type offered on T.V shows such as Grey's Anatomy – and it became tiresome. Often Davies went off on tangents, some so long that I forgot what she had originally been writing about.

Some of the essays, most specifically the title story were brilliant; sharp, pointed and searing. Others seem to be composed of meandering thoughts going nowhere. I wish I had read them in intervals, reading more than one or two at a sitting diluted the whole. I also found that the cover blurb misrepresented the content – quotes like "Davies…couldn't care less about anyone's potty-training programs…" made it sound like a non-fiction version of "Where Did You Go Bernadette" or some other snarky mom writing – and it most definitely is not! Davies has dealt with many hardships while raising her children and none of it sounded like fun. Powerful essays, but best taken in small doses and with forewarning!

At once reminiscent and referencing of the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal, Young Jane Young is the story of an intern who has an affair with a Congressman and what happens when the affair becomes public knowledge. The story is told from differing viewpoints, most hilariously that of Jane's mother Rachel. The narratives are from differing points in time– before, during and after the affair, and they are not linear, and yet this telling works surprisingly well.

The tone of the novel is fairly light, reminiscent of "Bridget's Jones' Diary" and "The Rosie Effect", and the fourth wall is breached when the reader is asked "What Would You Do"- type questions, with multiple answers provided. The answer that is the one that the characters choose is, of course, never the correct one, the one that we, the all-knowing reader would have chosen. Choices are a big theme in this novel, and some readers may find themselves exasperated by the poor choices made in the story, but without poor choices/mistakes, there would be no learning, no consequences and definitely, no story! So if you have always made the right choice, never led with your heart instead of your head, never taken a risk, well this novel may frustrate and annoy you. For the rest of us, this is a fun, easy, read with memorable characters, a few surprises, some insights and many laughs.

Cara Brookins grew up in poverty, had some brutal experiences in school (bullying directed at both herself and her brother) and went on to marry 3 times, twice to men who for very different reasons, abused her. Once free of these men she took stock of her situation, saw how shell-shocked her children were, assessed her finances and decided to build her own "Dream Home" with the help of YouTube and her kids!

The book alternates chapters from the past and the near past -the build. We get glimpses of her life with her abusers, and descriptions of how she was inspired to build her own home, and then, the actual building of the house. Along the way we meet her wonderful parents and watch her children change from frightened victims to strong, resilient individuals.

For me the chapters that dealt with the abuse were the most effective. She does a great job conveying the fear and hopelessness she felt. She tries to explain why she "stayed" with her abusers, and how she attempted to protect her children from the abuse, if not the damage of what they witnessed. Others can judge her choices, but not unless they have walked in her shoes.

The chapters that deal with the building of the house start well, with the source of her inspiration for the house. After that I found myself frustrated/bored by the details. She was in over her head. This caused her to waste so much time and money, not to mention incur serious injury, and still she did not seem to learn her lesson. On the other hand, the amount of actual work they completed, guided by YouTube videos, is impressive.

There are descriptions of how Brookins used a personal form of meditation to calm herself, and although I found her "visions" odd, but if they helped her survive and move forward then good for her! I would have loved some pictures but understand how she would want to guard her privacy. There were also times when she was so clear on details I could only assume she had been keeping a journal. Many details were unnecessary.

All in all this was an interesting read. I found some portions dragged and felt that Brookins left out a great deal of info, her choice, but it made my sense of her experience feel incomplete.

Army Captain J.K. Kidd is a man in the waning years of his life. Having joined the Army at age 16, he fought in 2 wars, and later lost everything; his home, his wife and his beloved printing press. Now, in 1870, he travels the northern towns of Texas, holding "Readings" where he shares news of the world with those who do not have access to newspapers or the ability to read.

Kidd is approached to deliver a rescued orphan to her remaining family. The young girl was abducted by a Kiowa tribe after they killed the rest of her family. Raised by a Kiowa family, she has forgotten her past life, speaks no English and only wants to escape. The trip is treacherous as Texas is now a lawless domain. Kidd must use his skills and knowledge to keep his charge safe. Along the the way he starts to teach her English and some "civilized ways". A touching, trusting relationship builds.

This is a beautiful and spare novel. The landscape comes alive, as does the almost constant sense of danger and the desperation of being on the road in during such dangerous times. The author has a true gift for description, we see, smell and feel the conditions the pair experience.

What really shines is the characters and their relationships. With few words, none superfluous, Jiles manages to capture the full essence of each person the pair meet on their journey. Some are nasty, some are surprisingly good hearted. None are stereotypical. Captain Kidd himself, is that reserved, moral, loving character we all need in our lives.

This is a rather short novel. I could not put it down so it was a quick read as well. I was sorry when it ended and look forward to delving into Paulette Jiles' past works. This is well researched historical fiction at it's best!

I have mixed feelings about this book; the descriptions in the novel, of places, art, personalities, etc were compelling. I felt, like Lucy, like a newcomer, frightened, thrilled and in awe of the portrayal of the city. The mood and tone were perfectly conveyed, this author can write! On the other hand, the actual characters did not feel fully realized. The novel introduces us to characters, telling (vs showing) us that they are handsome, gawky, breathtakingly beautiful etc, but often she gives us the behavior way before the explanation. Why does a man-whore fall head over heels in love with THIS woman, I did not see what made her so special, so irresistible, until some tiny hints were dropped much later in the novel. Some events were so "coincidental" as to be unbelievable (how Lucy finds an apartment etc).

We meet interesting characters who drop out of the story and I found that frustrating.
It took me a while to get into this book, I never felt that I couldn't put it down, but it was still interesting as it brought me into the art world in NYC in the 1980s, an era I am a bit obsessed with. I see a lot of potential here, just wish the editor had addressed some issues.
Still well worth reading!

Two orphaned teens and a noble horse flee bounty hunters, renegades, the desperate, the displaced, the hungry, and a terrible prophecy. I love historical fiction, especially when I learn something new. This is a time/era/story I knew very little about, told in such a totally engrossing novel. Brilliant writing, not a single wasted word. The writing is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy, and yet in many ways this is a more powerful read. The writing is more poetic and the characters are more engaging, fleshed out. It was very hard to put this book down as I fell in love with the three (yes, 3 - I loved Reiver!) characters on the run.

In the bleak landscape of this war ravished part country there is danger and horror at every stop and yet there is kindness and dignity as well. It is the first time I have read such a moving and devastating accounting of what this part of the South was like during this brutal war. It was hard not to imagine and cast the amazing movie this could be - but definitely read the book first!

This is a fast paced debut novel that grabs the reader and takes them on a wild ride. A mystery, told with dual narratives alternating between Simon - a librarian in the present day, and Amos, a mute born in 1780, the story literally starts on the edge of a cliff. An antique book may hold the key to a family mystery and we follow along as secrets are revealed.

If reading about a traveling circus, a family curse, mermaids, an epic love story (or two), biblical storms, tattooed jugglers, antique books, libraries, tarot cards, family ancestry, the ocean, the 1700's - if any of this intrigues, then you will love this book. I could not put it down!

Swyler is a debut author and she has woven an intriguing tale with rich, quirky characters and brilliant descriptions. Her research shows and enhances the story. A magical read!

The premise of this novel, a young teacher being asked to join a writer's secret society, piqued my interest, and I settled down eagerly to read this book. I became nervous when I started to read about goblins, gnomes and elves, and things just got worse.

Our main character, Ella, is a recent grad, working as substitute teacher. She confiscates an altered edition of Crime and Punishment from a student, submits a short story to a local paper and finds herself simultaneously invited to join a select group of famous writers and drawn into a mystery.

For me the plot never held together, the characters were all unlikeable and the writing was oddly stilted. There were writing quirks that distracted - everyone was called by their full name, Ella's beautiful lips, nipples and defective ovaries were mentioned repeatedly, etc. There were so many questions that were raised and never answered, all of them relevant to the plot. There were jumps in time that were jolting. Ella's father, whom she seems to love and who we meet in what seems to be the late stages of Alzheimer's disease, injures himself and there is a lot of info, then suddenly we find out he is dead, and Ella seems to find this all rather annoying...?

Central to the novel is The Game, which members of The Society play in order to come up with new material for their novels. The rules and implementation are bizarre and cruel, and it would seem that a decent writer could find material so many other ways. There is a great deal a random violence in the book, lack of normal emotions of loved ones/friends toward one another, and it all just felt ugly.

There was one satisfying plot twist at the end of the novel that I really liked, but there were so many unanswered questions and unresolved issues that I found this to be a very annoying read. To me, this seemed like a great idea for novel that went very, very wrong!

I loved The Crimson, The Petal and the White, but this book is as different as two books could be! This is also a book I might not have picked up had I known what it was about - not a Sci-Fi fan, nor would the religion heavy theme have attracted me. Would have been my loss!

This insightful novel is the story of Peter, a minister with a past, who has been chosen to head to Oasis, and bring Christianity to the "Aliens". He leaves behind his beloved wife Bea.
This could have been a very predictable story - humans colonizing another planet, trying to force our values and religion on the inhabitants, wife left behind, big Corp monetizing the future etc, but in Faber's deft hands it is anything but cookie-cutter.
The reader experiences everything through Peter's eyes, and our impressions and judgements evolve as Peter's knowledge grows and his insight expands. Faber has statements to make in this novel, about religion, about what we are doing to our planet, about how we treat one another, etc, but he uses a subtle hand. The near-future Earth Faber gives us feels realistic, if not inevitable. It is the relationships that resonate the strongest in this book, there are many and they all feel very realistic rather than stereotypic.

Small quibble; I often felt the descriptions went on a bit too long and were sometimes too repetitious; the rain, the humidity, I get it! Apart from that, this was a brilliant, thought-provoking, creative novel that will stay with me for a while!

It is best to read this book with no foreknowledge so try not to read reviews as they may spoil the "surprise"! I will not reveal it here, so proceed!

The books begins with young Charlotte and James, living in the family mansion, their mother dead, father away. Fairly neglected by the help, young Charlotte raises James until father dies and James is sent to boarding school and later Oxford, and Charlotte moves to a smaller cottage on the property to live with and later take care of, an aunt. Fast forward to James, graduated, living in London, attempting to write poetry. He rooms with a college friend and experiences London's high society lifestyle. And then he disappears. Cue the ominous music.
While I enjoyed this novel, I found it a bit frustrating. We get to know characters, and then they are gone. Pivotal characters are not always sufficiently realized, others that seem like they should be very important fizzle out. Characters make decisions that are out of character, again without explanation. The author seemed to spend a lot of time on certain set-ups that were never resolved - perhaps there is a sequel in the works?

Despite the issues I had with the book I found much to enjoy. The new author can really write. Her descriptions; of the sights, sounds and smells of London in the 1860s, of her cast of characters and their thoughts, fears and loves, are impressive. She is definitely a talent worth watching. The book often reads as if it was written in the 1860's; the language and tone are very accurate, giving the reader a true Gothic experience.

Fans of historical fiction and gothic novels will enjoy this book. There is an entire other genre of readers this book will appeal to... but that would spoil the "surprise"!!