Saturday, May 31, 2014

Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler

Do you still have friends that have been friends since childhood? Shotgun Lovesongs is about four friends who grew up together in a small Wisconsin town. Henry stayed to work on his family’s farm, Kip became a commodities trader, Lee traveled the world as a musician, and Ronny was a champion bull rider. No matter how far they strayed, they can’t stay away from home or each other. As they get older, they’re learning how to navigate adult friendship.

I couldn’t put this book down. It reminded me of the friendships I’ve had, and the struggles that friends sometimes go through. Butler brings each of his characters to life. I will be thinking about them for a long time to come.



If you like this book, try The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. 


Carrie

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

Free Food for Millionaires is the story of Casey Han, the daughter of Korean immigrants who live and work in Queens, New York. Casey's parents have given her everything they possibly could to help her succeed in life, including a Princeton education. But Casey wants more. Lots more.


This is a very long novel, (562 pages) made up mostly of Casey trying to find herself as a young woman living and (sometimes) working in the Financial District of New York City. We read about her friends (mostly rich), her culture (which she does not always follow), and her love life (lives).


The chapters about her family and the Korean culture are very interesting, but Casey herself is not. That being said, if you like stories about "making it on your own" in the big city, this certainly fits that criteria. If you can stand a lot of whining.


Karen



Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Heir Apparent by Jane Ridley

Ridley is a British history professor who has written other books about Victorian England.  The Heir Apparent is the definitive biography of King Edward VII -- for whom the Edwardian Era (1901 - 1910) was named.  It is exhausting in its detail, as Ridley seems to quote from every letter she found.  (Many of them didn't even survive!)  But the reader learns several things from the work.  Chief among them is the back story of Queen Victoria, who was disappointed in her first-born son and thought him unfit to rule.  Because "Bertie" (as he is affectionately known) had no official duties, he spent a lot of time entertaining women.  The reader learns all about Bertie's  mistresses, but Ridley also states that there is no evidence to confirm much of the gossip about him.  (So, was he a playboy or not?)  She also outlines Bertie's family tree and shows how most of European royalty was related by marriage.  (Those family ties, however, were not enough to prevent the outbreak of war in 1914).  Bertie himself married Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and his sisters married the Duke of Hesse and the Czarevich of Russia.  His nephew, William, was more commonly known as Kaiser Wilhelm!  (He and Bertie were not on the best of terms.)  As I read the book I couldn't help but compare Bertie's situation with that of Prince Charles.  Will he also have a short reign after waiting decades to assume the throne?

Dawn

Friday, May 23, 2014

Driving Lessons by Zoe Fishman

     The best way to describe Driving Lessons is this: it is a pleasant story.

Sarah and her husband Josh have had it with the hectic pace of New York City. When Josh is offered a teaching position in a small town in Virginia, they jump on it. Green Acres here we come! But as we all know, change can be very difficult. While Josh is off to his new job and meeting new people, Sarah is kind of stuck. Well, actually really stuck! You see, Sarah cannot drive. How can she find a job or have a life on her own when she can't get behind the wheel of a car?

On top of all this, Josh is starting to bring the whole baby thing up again. After all, she is no longer working at her high powered marketing job. So what's to stop them from starting a family, right? Sarah really has no answer for that logic.

Except that Sarah is afraid. Afraid of driving, afraid of becoming a mother, afraid she will not fit in her new surroundings.

But when news of a friend in trouble reaches her, Sarah must overcome her doubts and fears and put someone else's circumstances ahead of her own.

Can she do it?

Karen

Read-alike author: Elizabeth Berg, Joanna Trollope

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates


Cressida Mayfield, 19 years old and the “smart one” in her family, was last seen with her sister’s ex-fiancĂ©, Brett Kincaid. She is now missing, there are traces of blood in his car, and he is suffering from an alcohol-induced blackout. Kincaid is also an Iraq War veteran with severe injuries and PTSD.
Chronically an outsider, Cressida has grown up in the shadow of her sister Juliet’s persona: beautiful, well-behaved, and dedicated to Kincaid’s physical and emotional recovery. Her mother, Arlette, has always been frustrated by this child whose words and behavior were often incomprehensible to her. Zeno Mayfield is unable to accept his daughter’s death even after Kincaid confesses.


Oates has always been masterful at depicting the cracks that appear in individuals and families in times of great stress, loss, and suffering. The characters feel real and recognizable in their emotions and subsequent choices. I could only sit back and ache as I watched them grieve in solitude instead of coming together and sustaining each other.

The story takes some decidedly odd turns, but more can’t be said for fear of spoilers. Let it be said that in Carthage, Oates takes us down difficult paths that demand examination of our own values and ideas while trying to understand those of the characters in the story.

I have been a follower of Oates for 30+ years. She’s generally not easy, but she’s also not to be missed.      


CAS

Other Oates titles:
Because it is Bitter and Because it is My Heart
We Were the Mulvaneys
Do With Me What You Will


Friday, May 16, 2014

The Bookseller by Mark Pryor

Booksellers along the Seine, a transplanted Texan with a hidden vulnerable side, a beautiful, enigmatic reporter, murder(s), and, of course, Paris – what a tasty cassoulet! This debut novel gets Pryor’s Hugo Marston series off to a great start.

What appears to be the simple abduction of elderly bookstall owner, Max Koche, sets off fireworks as Marston tries to discover not only the why of Max’s kidnapping, but also why the Parisian authorities seem determined to treat it as unimportant. Even when Max’s body turns up and other booksellers are dying, no one seems interested in looking further. Marston teams up with reporter, Claudia de Roussillon, and his pal from their days at Quantico, Tom Green, to untangle the various threads on their own. As they pull out each strand it turns into a hydra-like monster sprouting more threads to explore. Pryor shows great skill in keeping all the seemingly disparate lines moving as he draws the story to its conclusion. What could have been an overly-complex, unbelievable plot is just messy enough to intrigue without having to take notes to follow.

Despite a few first novel rough edges, The Bookseller is a solid start to what has the potential to be a good series to follow.


CAS

This is also available as an audiobook.

Sequels:
The Crypt Thief
The Blood Promise

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Vintage by Susan Gloss

A cozy without a mystery. That is the best way to describe Vintage, the story of Violet Turner, a young woman who owns Hourglass Vintage, a clothing and accessories boutique in Madison Wisconsin.

The novel begins when Violet learns that the owner of her building (and home as well; she lives above the shop) has plans to sell. Violet has always believed that she had the right of first refusal, but it turns out this is not the case. Anyway, there is no way she could come up with the money to buy now, as this once up-and-coming neighborhood is now very trendy. And expensive.

Violet needs all the help she can get to figure her way out of this one. She so loves her shop, and her home, and her customers. Well, it turns out that these "customers" may end up being some of the best friends she could have ever hoped for.

Throw in some light romance, add some interesting facts about retro clothing, and you have this great read. So grab a cup of tea, curl up in a comfy chair, and enjoy!

Karen

Read-alike: The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Wild Tales by Graham Nash

If I could change one thing about Wild Tales,  Graham Nash’s autobiography, it would be to make it into a book focusing solely on Nash’s friendship with fellow Crosby, Stills, and Nash member David Crosby. The sections of the book featuring Crosby truly live up to the title Wild Tales. The most memorable Crosby tale that Nash recounts is when Crosby’s drug problem became so extreme that he freebased cocaine on a commercial airline flight, hiding under a blanket with his pipe so the stewardesses wouldn't see what he was up to. Nash also recounts the difficulties he and other celebrity musicians, such as Jackson Browne, had in trying to get Crosby into rehab.

Other sections of Wild Tales are enjoyable and surprising. While growing up in Manchester, England, Nash’s father was sent away to prison. It isn’t until years later that Nash learns the real reason why he was incarcerated. In addition to discussing the many ups and downs of Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and occasionally Neil Young), Nash discusses his time with the British pop group The Hollies.

Wild Tales is less successful when Nash moves away from his music career to talk about other pursuits, such as his love of art. While Wild Tales is a decent rock memoir, it left me hoping that David Crosby comes out with his own book soon.

John

Read-alikes: Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young;  Sweet Judy Blue Eyes : My Life in Music by  Judy Collins

Monday, May 5, 2014

The Booklover's Guide to New Orleans by Susan Larson

                                     New Orleans + Books = Fun!

The Booklover's Guide to New Orleans has something for everyone - really! Do you like biographies? Many, many literary figures are mentioned here. History buff? Fun facts and anecdotes as well as little known persons are prominent in this gem. Music lover? The jazz scene in New Orleans is like no other. Armchair traveler? You will have a good time reading about the festivals, homes, restaurants, and schools that are a big part of this book.

Even if you have never been to this colorful city, you will enjoy this. The writing is so well done (this is, after all, a second edition) and the information so straight forward that you immediately get the feeling of being in the heart of the French Quarter and all it offers.

New Orleans is nicknamed The Big Easy for a reason. Find out why.

Karen