Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

Sherlock Holmes is back and better than ever with the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate's authorization of the novel. London, 1890. 221B Baker Street. Dr. John Watson narrates as he and Sherlock Holmes submerge into a new world in this action packed adventure. An art dealer visits the famous duo — he is being terrorized by a wanted criminal in a flat cap. Sure enough, his family is attacked and the first murder occurs…
From London to the streets of Boston, this newly discovered international criminal conspiracy holds Watson and Holmes captive. They find themselves being drawn ever deeper into a plot where they hear "the House of Silk" What is it? Who is it?


I greatly enjoyed reading The House ofSilk and thought Anthony Horowitz did a very creditable job of bringing Holmes and Watson back to life! When I finished reading, I just wanted more. Since it had been quite a while since I had read any of the original Holmes stories, I downloaded several public domain eBooks and after re-reading "The Redheaded League," "The Copper Beeches" and other stories, was even more convinced that the portrayal of Holmes and Watson in The House of Silk was well done, the plotting intriguing and the detection convincing. It also held true to the “double mystery” that so many Sherlock Holmes novels contain. The crime they uncover put me in mind of one of contemporary writer Anne Perry's dark Victorian mysteries set in a London rife with hypocrisy and exploitation.

CAS

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson


Bryan Stevenson is the director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. EJI’s mission is to help people on death row, incarcerated children, and those without a voice. Just Mercy tells the stories of the people who have been wrongly accused, those who can’t speak for themselves, and those who are affected by our broken justice system.

This is the best book I read all year. Bryan Stevenson is a wonderful storyteller, and I often forgot that this is nonfiction. He is obviously passionate about what he does and is trying to make a difference. Just Mercy was an inspiring read.

If you like this book, you might also like The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. 
 



Carrie

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Consumed by David Cronenberg

Have you ever watched one of filmmaker David Cronenberg’s newer movies, such as A Dangerous Method or Eastern Promises, and wished he would go back to making movies more like his older, weirder films? Okay, while you probably haven’t, I definitely have. But while I don’t necessarily dislike his newer stuff, I do prefer his earlier, weirder titles such as eXistenZ, The Brood, and Scanners. So I was anxious to see what Cronenberg would come up with when he made his debut as a novelist with Consumed.

This book leans heavily toward the strange. Consumed’s plot revolves around the radical French philosophers Celestine and Aristide Arosteguy. Celestine was recently found murdered and the French police believe Aristide, her husband, murdered and then ate some of her before disappearing. One of Consumed’s main characters, freelance reporter Naomi, tries to locate Aristide in hopes of scoring a big article on the murder. It might actually get weirder from there, but I won’t give any more away.

Consumed is an impressive debut for Cronenberg. The bizarre plots come together in a surprisingly neat manner, and it’s definitely not a book where you spend much time thinking, “Well, I knew that was coming.” I do think it would have made for a better movie, but it’s definitely a novel that will appeal to Cronenberg fans, fans of weird horror, and readers who just want something weird.


John

Friday, December 12, 2014

Love and Summer by William Trevor


Ellie, a convent-raised orphan, was sent to serve as housekeeper to Dillahan, a widower who tragically lost his wife and child. She ultimately married him and has a routine-driven life with him on their farm. She rides her bicycle from their farmhouse to the fictitious Irish town of Rathmoye once a week to deliver eggs and pick up necessities, and connect with the town’s locals. When a young photographer, Florian Kilderry, makes her acquaintance, love arrives quietly but inevitably. “…it was silly, all she had to do was to think of something else when he came into her mind. But now, when she tried to, she couldn’t.” (pg. 52) In prose as lyric as his native tongue, Trevor guides the reader through familiar emotions such as passion and disappointment. He creates verbal portraits with minute details - the old bowl for gathering eggs and the decaying wall where messages could be hidden - during one delicately evoked summer.



The other characters are gently but clearly defined and their stories not only move the main plot along, but add a depth and richness that is part of Trevor’s great talent. Strangely, I found myself harking back to a similar plot line: a decent but dull husband, an unconsciously discontented wife, an intriguing wayfaring stranger, and the heat of summer. But believe me, Love and Summer is as far from The Bridges of Madison County as the Mona Lisa is from my old refrigerator art. 

CAS


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Servants by Michael Marshall Smith


Mark is an unhappy 11-year old who has just moved from London to Brighton with his sick mother and hated stepfather. Missing his father and sad over the destruction of their family, he gets to know the old lady who lives in the basement apartment of the house. She shows Mark the servant’s quarters that remain under the house where the servants are seemingly going about their usual duties as if it’s still the early 1900’s. At first this order is reassuring to Mark with all the chaos of his real world above, but he comes to see that things are going wrong below stairs as well.

This book was easy to read and follow, and I loved the way Michael Marshall Smith captured Mark’s rage. I was able to sympathize with his character while still understanding that the situation was not quite the way it seemed. As the book progressed I became aware that Mark’s interactions with the old woman and servant’s quarters helped him to grow from a young child with selfish needs to one who could step outside of his comfort zone and understand that people and events from the past are always part of the present. The Servants is both a coming of age novel and a ghost story all wrapped together. I am not a science fiction reader, generally speaking, but this was more about believable interactions and characters and was a truly enjoyable experience.

CAS

Friday, December 5, 2014

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

    It's all in the details! And it has been a long time since I have read a novel that could have turned out to be a boring Dickensian novel instead of a creepy, gothic, historical, mysterious, OUTSTANDING read.

The first thing you need to know is the meaning of the title Fingersmith. According to Wikipedia (because I could not find the definition in The American Heritage College Dictionary or The Oxford English Dictionary) a fingersmith is a petty thief.

Set in Victorian London, this is the story of Sue, who is seventeen years old and was orphaned as a baby. She is growing up in a home that is not only owned by a baby seller but is frequented by the absolute bottom feeders of society. There is always a new scam, a new deal, a new forgery. This is Sue's world and all she knows.

And that is really all I can say without spoiling this unbelievably engrossing book. Oh, except that it is really, really long (511 pages) but so worth it!

Karen

Read-alike: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Same feel and pace, although very different storylines.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Things have been going downhill for A.J. Fikry ever since his wife died unexpectedly in a car accident. They ran Island Books together, the sole bookstore on Alice Island. Since her death, A.J. has taken to drinking too much (though he insists he’s not an alcoholic) and not being particularly nice to Island Books’ customers or his friends and family.

Things change when A.J. returns to the bookstore one night to find that someone has left a baby in the children’s book section. Much to the surprise of everyone on Alice Island, and somewhat to A.J.’s surprise as well, he ends up adopting the baby and embarking on a crash course in parenting.

I’ll admit that I considered returning The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry when the baby mysteriously showed up. It seemed a little too cute for my tastes. But I enjoyed previous books by Gabrielle Zevin enough that I stuck with it. I definitely made the right choice.  The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a heartwarming and clever read, and consistently strong characters save the book from Hallmark Movie territory.

John

Monday, November 24, 2014

Mister Wonderful by Daniel Clowes


This is my very first adult graphic novel, and I must admit that much of it I enjoyed. I do not think I would regularly read graphic novels just because they really are not my thing, but I can certainly understand the appeal.

Mister Wonderful is a story about a very lonely man named Marshall, who has been set up on a blind date by one of his friends. When the date, Natalie, finally shows up after being over an hour late, Marshall has already had enough dialogue with himself to fill many, many pages. After that, with Natalie in the picture, an already awkward situation has poor Marshall in quite a state. And damaged Natalie has her own issues as well.

The way the author/illustrator tells this story is by putting squares of character thoughts directly over dialogue, creating an inner monologue that overshadows what is actually being said. Interesting but at the same time a bit confusing to someone who has not read graphic novels in the past, or even a comic book for ages!

That being said, the layout was quite nice and fairly easy to follow. The story line was plausible, and the characters believable. Overall, a pretty good first impression of this format.

Karen




Friday, November 14, 2014

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw

    On the dust jacket of Carry the One, this is the first thing you read: "in the hours following Carmen’s wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidentally hits and kills a girl on a dark, country road. For the next twenty-five years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, connect and disconnect and reconnect with each other and their victim. As one character says, ‘“When you add us up, you always have to carry the one."

What a perfect summary! The novel is set around twenty-five years of Carmen, Nick and Alice's ups, downs, highs, lows, etc. as well as the others that were in the car that fateful night. And every time something bad happens, well, they deserve it because of what they did on that fateful night. And if something good happens - well, that cannot possibly be enjoyed because of the all-consuming guilt about what happened on on that fateful night.

Interesting premise. Great writing. But overall, you quickly begin to not really care about what happened to them on that fateful night.

Karen

Read alike: Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos

Monday, November 3, 2014

Words Will Break Cement by Masha Gessen

On February 21, 2012 the band Pussy Riot performed what they called a “punk prayer” at a church in Moscow. This performance caused three members of the band to be arrested and footage of the incident, which consisted of members of the group performing in ski masks and brightly colored dresses, to be shown around the world. Many news outlets have also shown footage of the subsequent trial that sent members of the group to Russian penal colonies.

Pussy Riot remains an oddity to most people. The group has a memorable name and, particularly with their “punk prayer,” memorable, headline-making performances. In Words Will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy Riot, author Masha Gessen explores what motivated the group in the first place and why they received such harsh sentences for what would probably be nothing more than a trespassing charge in the United States.

The members of Pussy Riot were inspired by movements such as the American riot grrrl bands of the early nineties. While presenting a seminar on radical feminist art, several future members of Pussy Riot were unable to find a Russian equivalent to the riot grrrl movement for the presentation. Undeterred, they simply recorded and used their own song. Not long after, Pussy Riot was formed.

Gessen does a good job helping readers get to know the members of the group. She also delves into recent and not-so-recent Russian/Soviet history to show the importance and controversy of Pussy Riot, including why their sentences remained so harsh despite international outcry. (When members of the group were finally released, most suspected it was due to the forthcoming Winter Olympics and a possible public relations issue for Russia.) The book gets bogged down a little when it gets to the group’s trial. However, this is a minor complaint about a book that has a lot to say about artistic expression and the state of things in Russia.

John

Thursday, October 30, 2014

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica



In The Good Girl, Mia Dennett is a beloved art teacher who suddenly goes missing. Her egotistical, obstinate father refuses to believe she’s in danger and thinks Mia’s just done something impulsive. Her mother and the detective assigned to her case will stop at nothing to find her. Is Mia really a good girl, or is there more than meets the eye?

Mary Kubica’s debut novel is a suspenseful, emotional roller coaster. The story is told from the points of view of Mia’s mother, the detective trying to find her, and Mia’s abductor. I really liked that readers hear from her abductor, and are able to see his point of view. You find out early on that Mia returns home, but the in-between is a mystery.When the truth of what happened is revealed, you won't believe it.


If you’re looking for a book like Gone Girl, you just found your next read.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Bartlett Reads: What Would Erudite Read?



Welcome to the fifth post in the Bartlett Reads 2014 blog series! This year, our community-reads selection is Divergent by Veronica Roth. Each week in September, we'll feature the factions from Divergent and books that they might read. Next up is Erudite. They are known for intelligence and wisdom. What books might they like to read?

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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho


The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist. The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.

  Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

A mysterious outbreak of typhoid fever is sweeping New York. Could the city's future rest with its most unlikely scientist? If Prudence Galewski is ever going to get out of Mrs. Browning's esteemed School for Girls, she must demonstrate her refinement and charm by securing a job appropriate for a young lady. But Prudence isn't like the other girls. She is fascinated by how the human body works and why it fails. With a stroke of luck, she lands a position in a laboratory, where she is swept into an investigation of the fever bound to change medical history. Prudence quickly learns that an inquiry of this proportion is not confined to the lab. From ritzy mansions to shady bars and rundown tenements, she explores every potential cause of the disease. But there's no answer in sight-until the volatile Mary Mallon emerges. Dubbed "Typhoid Mary" by the press, Mary is an Irish immigrant who has worked as a cook in every home the fever has ravaged. Strangely, though, she hasn't been sick a day in her life. Is the accusation against her an act of discrimination? Or is she the first clue in a new scientific discovery? Prudence is determined to find out. In a time when science is for men, she'll have to prove to the city, and to herself, that she can help solve one of the greatest medical mysteries of the twentieth century.


 A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
 

 Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch


On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery. Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn's mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on the mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape. But when her father's work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run---with only one place to go.


 The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.




If you're looking for books that explore secrets, try these. 

Monday, September 22, 2014

Bartlett Reads: What Would Dauntless Read?




Welcome to the fourth post in the Bartlett Reads 2014 blog series! This year, our community-reads selection is Divergent by Veronica Roth. Each week in September, we'll feature the factions from Divergent and books that they might read. Next up is Dauntless. They are known for bravery. What books might they like to read?

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Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun. When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?



In a gripping, moment-by-moment narrative based on a wealth of recently declassified documents and indepth interviews, Bob Drury and Tom Clavin focus on the story of the eleven young Marines who were the last men to leave, rescued from the Embassy roof just moments before capture, having voted to make an Alamo-like last stand. As politicians in Washington struggled to put the best face on disaster and the American ambassador refused to acknowledge that the end had come and to evacuate, these courageous men held their ground and helped save thousands of lives. They and their fellow troops on the ground and in the air had no room for error as frenzy broke out in the streets and lashing rains and enemy fire began to pelt the city. A riveting true story finally told, in full, by those who lived it.



Narrator Jack and his mother, who was kidnapped seven years earlier when she was a 19-year-old college student, celebrate his fifth birthday. They live in a tiny, 11-foot-square soundproofed cell in a converted shed in the kidnapper's yard. The sociopath, whom Jack has dubbed Old Nick, visits at night, grudgingly doling out food and supplies. But Ma, as Jack calls her, proves to be resilient and resourceful--and attempts a nail-biting escape.  





Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that? Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.



 When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated mountain village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes, we follow the story of the plague year, 1666, as her fellow villagers make an extraordinary choice. Convinced by a visionary young minister, they elect to quarantine themselves within the village boundaries to arrest the spread of the disease. But as death reaches into every household, faith frays. When villagers turn from prayers and herbal cures to sorcery and murderous witch-hunting, Anna must confront the deaths of family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. As she struggles to survive, a year of plague becomes, instead, annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders.' Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged mountain spine of England.


Stay tuned next week for more faction-based reads!