Thursday, May 29, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: The Good House by Ann Leary

I can walk through a house once and know more about its occupants than a psychiatrist could after a year of sessions. ~ First Sentence of The Good House


The Good House by Ann Leary
St. Martin's Press, 2013
Fiction; 292 pgs
From the Publisher:
Ann Leary's The Good House tells the story of Hildy Good, who lives in a small town on Boston’s North Shore. Hildy is a successful real-estate broker, good neighbor, mother, and grandmother. She’s also a raging alcoholic. Hildy’s family held an intervention for her about a year before this story takes place—“if they invite you over for dinner, and it’s not a major holiday,” she advises “run for your life” — and now she feels lonely and unjustly persecuted. She has also fooled herself into thinking that moderation is the key to her drinking problem.
Where to begin?  Should I tell you how much I liked this book?  I thought the author, Ann Leary, did an amazing job in capturing Hildy's voice and letting the reader experience exactly what Hildy was going through as the novel went on--without having to tell the reader directly.  For the writing alone, I give this book an A+.

On a more personal note, I found an eerie similarity between Hildy's character and my father, both in attitude, rationalizations, and drinking problem.  As a result, this book touched close to home.  Instead of dredging up old memories and feeling overly emotional, however, I found myself laughing out loud (and wondering if I was a bad person for doing so) and at the same time feeling sad for Hildy.  Sad at how alone she was.  Sad she was unable to recognize the seriousness of her drinking problem.  And sad for how out of control her life was even despite her attempts at trying to control it.  I admit I sat on the edge of my seat for most of this book, knowing, just knowing, something bad was going to happen.  While this book isn't one I would label a thriller, it certainly has some of the elements of a thriller in terms of suspense.  Or maybe that was just me.

The reader learns more about Hildy and why she turned to alcohol to numb her troubles over the course of the novel, from the death of her mother to her divorce to recent events.  Hildy is a private business woman, a realtor, competing in a corporate world, where even the business of real estate has become a big box store kind of business.  I was glad the author addressed that issue, as I think it is a reality many face today.  It's yet another stressor in her life that Hildy tries hard to fight against and cope with.

Hildy is an unreliable narrator to be sure. Written in first person, the reader is inside Hildy's head, only able to see and hear her own thoughts about those around her.  Hildy shows great insight at times, but at others a total lack there of. I think, however, we get a good feel for the town and the people in Hildy's life in what Hildy shares with us--and what she doesn't.  Hildy is the gatekeeper of secrets, it would seem, and boy, does she know some juicy ones!

Some of the major players in the novel, other than Hildy, is her newest friend Rebecca, an unhappy wife and mother, who is fairly new to town.  Rebecca is the first person Hildy feels she can be real with, even when it comes to her continued drinking, which everyone thinks she's given up.  Rebecca has her own problems, of course, including having fallen in love with the local psychiatrist.  Then there is Peter, the psychiatrist, who I never quite got a good handle on.  Oh, and Frank.  I really liked Frank.  And I hated the way Hildy treated him at times.  He and she had been an item in her late teen years, before Hildy went off to college and got married.

As with Hildy and her struggle to stay afloat business wise, the author delves into life in a small rather wealthy town, in which old and new money mix, where life time residents and newbies find a way to co-exist.  There are interesting dynamics at play as a result.  I was especially drawn to Cassie's family, and her son Jake who had special needs.  They are clearly not a family of means, but they have long been in their home, and now need to find a way out in order for Jake to attend a better school in a different town.  I confess I was not a big Hildy fan, but I did have a lot of respect for the efforts she made to help Cassie's family.  Even if she told herself she was doing it for the sale, it showed a more compassionate side of Hildy that was too often lacking in her character.

The Good House was an interesting read on many levels.  I went into the novel not really knowing what to expect, and what I found was an entertaining and thought provoking novel.  There is an air of mystery about it, a building of tension that rivals the best thrillers, and psychological insights into the impact of secrets and alcohol abuse has on oneself and those around us.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Rating: * (Very Good +)

You can learn more about Ann Leary and her books on the author's website.

Source: I purchased the e-copy version of this book for my own reading pleasure.  

© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (05/27/2014)

An interesting thing happened to me the other day. A couple weeks ago, I had purposefully picked up a romance novel with every intention of enjoying its predictability, including the guaranteed happy ending. I needed something to take my mind off my worries. And, for the most part, it did. Until I got to this one part where the female protagonist had a certain feeling, a thought even, and I not only burst into tears, but I found myself in an emotional place I hadn't expected to be. It was not the book's fault. It actually was the most innocent--and happy--of moments. That particular scene proved to be a completely unexpected trigger, right at the heart of what I was dealing with.  Any other time in my life, that scene would not have had the same effect on me, I guarantee it.  It was just in that moment, at that time.

Has that ever happened to you?

I admit I cry often when I read. I get teary-eyed watching certain commercials. This isn't new to anyone who knows me. It can be a sad or happy moment. It doesn't matter. I'm just the kind of gal who takes full advantage of my tear ducts. Rarely though does a book make me feel like I've been punched in the gut like that romance novel. Nonfiction books about dogs that die in the end do. I hate those types of books. It's why I have avoided reading Marley and Me.  At least with those types of books though, I usually know what is to come, and I can prepare myself a little.

Now that I am a parent, I find books that touch on parent/child death to be triggers for me as well. I don't completely avoid such books, but I think twice about reading them--or at least make sure I am in the right mood for them. I know I am likely to feel more deeply than I might have before. I don't think there is anything wrong with this.  It just is.

I am not sure really what I am trying to say, only that a book can touch us one way at a certain moment in our lives, and yet touch us differently in another--or even to a lesser degree.

Anyway, since I was unable to find total escape in a romance novel, I figured I might as well dive right into a book that was guaranteed to make me cry. I am in the middle of reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it something you would recommend?




Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts 
First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where  
participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a 
book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.


I am currently spending time with Hazel and Augustus in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:
Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.  
 Would you continue reading?



© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Mouse's Corner: Cloth Books

My mother asked early on in Mouse's life if I thought she would like a few cloth books.  My mother likes to sew and found patterns at her local fabric store for books for young children.  Of course, I said yes.  Books that are easy to wash and that you can't rip?  Perfect!  

Mouse has loved those books, whether it's to use them as pillows or flip through the pages.  Two of her current favorites include The Three Little Pigs and The Rainbow Zebra.  Both of the books are colorful and playful in their illustrations and fit with the story perfectly.


The Three Little Pigs is a familiar story: three pigs build houses, each one out of different materials.  A hungry wolf threatens to blow each house down unless the resident pig lets him in.   Knowing they'll likely get eaten if they do, they refuse.  It's a story children love, and many adults too.  Mouse really likes to retell this story, changing it up as she goes. 


I especially like how the illustrator captured the wolf peeking in the window.  


When Mouse took The Rainbow Zebra to school for show and tell, I received nothing but praise about the book.  The story is not only one that appeals to children, one full of various types of animals, but it is also a book about trying to fit in and valuing the differences of others, including oneself.  I confess it's one of my favorites too.


What do you think of cloth books?  Have you ever had one?  Did/Do you have a favorite?



To share your children's book related posts stop by Booking Mama’s feature,
Kid Konnection and leave a comment as well as a link to your posts!

 © 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: The Book of You by Claire Kindal

It is you. ~ First Sentence of The Book of You



The Book of You by Claire Kindal
Harper, 2014
Crime Fiction; 368 pgs
A snippet from the publisher's synopsis: 
His name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns. At the university where she works. Her favorite sewing shop. The train station. Outside her apartment. His messages choke her voice mail; his gifts litter her mailbox. Since that one regrettable night, his obsession with her has grown, becoming more terrifying with each passing day. And as Rafe has made clear, he will never let her go.
Clarissa is only trying to find her own way after her break-up.  She does not know why Rafe is so fixated on her.  His attentions are unwanted, but he will not listen when she tries to tell him to stay away.  When called to serve as a juror on a seven week trial, she looks forward to a chance to get out from under his prying eyes for awhile.  What she doesn't expect is to find a friend and possible romantic interest in a fellow juror.  Is he too good to be true?

The Book of You is taut with suspense, and a book that had me holding my breath more than once as I read. Rafe is truly a disturbing man, and the author, Claire Kindal, does a good job of putting me right into Clarissa's shoes.  The terror Clarissa feels, the doubts and the helplessness, all felt so real, so raw.  I could completely understand Clarissa's attraction to her fellow juror, the need for normalcy and the need to feel protected.  

The narrative of the story is broken into both first person journal entries and third person. Clarissa has started keeping a journal in order to document Rafe's behavior, hoping to collect enough evidence in order to make the authorities believe she really is being stalked and is in danger.  It took me a moment to adjust to the shifts in narrative, but once I did, I was quite taken with the story and found it difficult to put down.

While the jury trial itself runs independent of Clarissa's own story, Clarissa cannot help but identify with the rape victim.  Clarissa sees her own situation through the lens of the trial and doubts anyone will believe her, knowing Rafe will have a rational explanation for everything, however untrue it may be.  Her desire to build up the evidence intensifies as the trial goes on.  There were moments when I worried that her distraction from the trial at hand was unfair to the entire trial process.  It reminded me a bit of my own jury experience and the self-admitted alcoholic who often came to court reeking of alcohol and whose personal life influenced his feelings of sympathy for the defendant who had committed murder after having too much to drink.  While Clarissa felt anything but sympathy for the perpetrators on trial for rape and kidnapping (I felt the same), it was clear she over-identified with the victim, however rightly or wrongly.

I was both relieved and saddened by the ending.  Much was resolved for both Clarissa and in terms of the trial.  There was also a part that was left open, in which the reader can drawn his or her own conclusions.  It's one of those endings that will satisfy some and drive others crazy.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Book of You.  It was an intense and emotional read.  I haven't found myself looking over my shoulder or double checking my locks like I did after reading Elizabeth Haynes' Into the Darkest Corner, but I am not sure I would read The Book of You before falling asleep at night if you are prone to dreaming about what you've just read.

Rating:  * (Very Good)


To learn more about  Claire Kendal, and her book, please visit the author's Facebook Page.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about Casebook on the TLC Book Tours route!




Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. E-copy of Casebook provided by publisher.


© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Where Is My Bookmark? (05/20/2014)

My recent reading has taken me to New York's Grand Central Station where I spent time with my old friends deputy district attorney Alexandra Cooper and Detectives Mercer and Chapman in Terminal City by Linda Fairstein.  Before that I was glued to Claire Kendal's The Book of You, which had me wondering if I would survive the attentions of a stalker.  I confess I haven't made much more progress in Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, and, after beginning The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, I realized my attention span, which is that of a gnat right now, is much more in line with something of the brain candy variety.  And so the romantic The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon it is.  

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it something you would recommend?



Why is my brain so addled, you ask? May has proven to be a good month for stress. Some of it good, some not so good. A little of what has been going on in my life lately:

The good is that we have a new (used) car. Well, my husband does. His car served us well for 15 years, but its time had finally come. Car researching and shopping is not a favorite past-time, let me tell you. We're not looking forward to having to make car payments again, but such is the way of the world.

On a mixed note, I have had ongoing health issues the last several months, and finally there seems to be some resolution in sight, although it may involve major surgery. There by again the internet and I have been spending a lot of research time together as I try to parse the good information from the bad, as I figure out the best questions to ask the doctor.

On a much sadder side, my cousin lost her husband to cancer this past weekend. My cousin has been a rock through it all.  She has to be as they have two daughters.  My heart is breaking for her and the girls.  My complaints and stressors seem so small in comparison.

My hope is that you all are having a good week so far, and are finding yourself lost in a good book.


Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts 
First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where  
participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a 
book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.


I adored Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, and so am excited to finally be reading The Moonstone.  Here's a taste of the first paragraph:
THE STORMING OF SERINGAPATAM (1799)
Extracted from a Family Paper
I address these lines--written in India--to my relatives in England.
My object is to explain the motive which has induced me to refuse the right hand of friendship to my cousin, John Herncastle.  The reserve which I have hitherto maintained in theis matter has been misinterpreted by members of my family whose good opinion I cannot consent to forfeit.  I request them to suspend their decision until they have read my narrative.  And I declare, on my word of honour, that what I am not about to write is strictly, and literally, the truth. 


A now a sample from the beginning of my other current read, The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon:
Landon Downey clutched the baby name book From Abba to Zed to his chest and knocked on his girlfriend's dorm room door.  While he was certain he didn't want to name their child Abba or Zed, he was also certain he couldn't show up empty-handed.  Not after the ugly way they'd parted last week.  He should have shown up with something nicer than a book with a bent corner and a bouquet of half-dead flowers, but the twenty-four-hour convenience store on campus hadn't offered many options. 
 Would you continue reading?


© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

From the Archives: The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

I began keeping a reading journal several years before I began blogging. I find it interesting to sift through my thoughts of books that I read back then. My reviews were often brief and contained little substance, but I thought it'd be fun to document them here on my blog as well as share them with you. Here is one from September of 2005: 



The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
Viking, 2005
Fiction;  335 pgs
From the Publisher:
Telling the story of Jessie Sullivan-a love story between a woman and a monk, a woman and her husband, and ultimately a woman and her own soul-Kidd charts a journey of awakening and self-discovery illuminated with a brilliance that only a writer of her ability could conjure.

Sue Monk Kidd’s first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, is one of my favorites. The prose and the story touched me in a way that so few books can. As a result, I was eager to try something else by Ms. Kidd. 

Fellow reader friends gave mixed reviews of the novel, some liking it and others being disappointed. I wasn’t sure what to expect. From the very first page I was taken in, wanting to read more. From the very first chapter, I felt a spark of recognition with the main character, perhaps not her experience exactly, but a sense of understanding with her inner struggle to discover—or rediscover—who she is. I imagine we all go through it at least once throughout our lives, some people several times. The Mermaid Chair is a story of love, self-discovery, forgiveness, and truth. It is a story about revisiting the past, questioning the present and stepping into the future. The author’s imagination for creating the history of the places she writes about is fascinating, and I found myself enamored with the stories about the mermaid, Senara, and her rise to sainthood as well as the fictional Egret Island. There was not one character that I did not like. I finished this novel with tears in my eyes and an urge to give my husband a great big hug and remind him of just how much I love him.


© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

"Our daughter looks like a South China peasant with those red cheeks," my father complains, pointedly ignoring the soup before him. ~ Opening of Shanghai Girls



Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Random House, 2009
Fiction (Historical); 309 pgs

It has been years since I read my first Lisa See novel.  Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is one of my all time favorite books.  I was excited when the online book group I participate in selected Shanghai Girls to read as the April selection.  I enjoy reading historical fiction and learning about and experiencing other cultures, even if for just a short while.  The novel begins in 1937, but spans decades as it tells the story of Pearl and her sister, May, and their family.

The two young women were used to the good life: parties, beautiful clothes, and late nights.  They worked as models and had much freedom.  That completely changed, however, when their father lost his wealth and, as part of his debt payment, arranged marriage for his daughters.  This, followed on its heels by the Japanese invasion of Shanghai which led to thousands of people trying to flee the city in order to find safety.  Suddenly they found themselves on the run, forced to live like the peasants they looked down on most of their lives.  The sisters, Pearl and May, find their way to the United States, but not without enduring great hardship and sacrifice along the way.  The life they find in their new country is not at all what they expected.  From grueling immigration interviews on Angel Island in San Francisco and the birth of a baby to working their fingers to the bones in Los Angeles and the fear of being sent back to a home that is no longer recognizable, they wonder if they will ever be free again.

The author put a lot of research into the novel and collected personal stories which she used throughout the book in various ways.  Lisa See covers so much history in the novel, much more than I will mention here.  I have to give props to the author for bringing the history of the times even more the forefront of the story by creating such a strong sense of place.

Lisa See did a good job building up to the attack of Shanghai by the Japanese, in addition to describing life in Shanghai up to that point.  The class differences were quite significant.

I remember studying about Angel Island in school.  It was a popular field trip spot, being not so far from where I was living when I was in elementary school. There was much I did not know though, and it was an eye opener to see just how difficult and frustrating the immigration process was for the Chinese.  My memory of my lessons about Angel Island center mostly around the island's use during the Second World War and the internment of the Japanese.

I was really drawn to the later portion of the book and the impact of McCarthy-ism on the Chinese. I can't even imagine how difficult it was to have to live through that, the constant fear of having to watch what one said and who one talked to, especially given the circumstances in China at that time in history.  Just seeing the shifts in how the Chinese were viewed and treated across the years based on the political climate changes was interesting.  I am always angered when I hear or read about discrimination and unfair treatment of any group of people.

Lisa See has a way with creating characters that I really come to care about, and in Shanghai Girls it was no different.  Each of her characters is well developed, deep in back story, even the more minor characters. Each one of the characters found a place in my heart.  They felt so real.

I most related to Pearl. It could be because she was the narrator, I suppose, but I honestly felt like she was more how I would be in her situation--the responsible one. The thinker. The reliable one. She did not think much of herself, but she always stepped up when something needed to be done.

Her sister, May, by contrast, is more of a risk taker and often puts her own needs and desires ahead of others.  I occasionally found myself getting exasperated with May, just as her sister did, but I saw an underlying strength in May.  She always came through when she had to and had her own share of burdens and obstacles to overcome.

I especially liked the relationship between the two sisters, how they played off each other.  Lisa See captured the way two people grow not only with each other, but also against each other, bumping into each other, and grow apart.  The two sisters did not always agree, had much conflict in some areas and saw life very differently, but their bond as sisters and friends helped them survive in their darkest of moments.  How the two sisters related to the world around them and each other was a good reminder of how differently each of us perceives our lives, even when experiencing the same moments.  Ultimately, I think the two sisters complimented each other.

Of the other characters, I most loved Sam, Pearl's husband.  His back story touched me, and was a good example of class struggles among the Chinese during that time period.  It was also through his story that I learned about Paper Sons and Paper Wives, and how tenuous their place was in the United States.

I felt sorry for Vern, May's husband--it was obvious something was wrong with him from the start. He seemed to have a good heart though, but he definitely had developmental and health issues that contributed to his inability to take on more adult responsibilities.  There was also Father Louie, Vern's father whose character I did not like too much at first but grew to like as time went on as his story became more clear.  He could be gruff and condescending, but in the end he showed a different side to him and it was easier to see where he was coming from. His wife, Yen-Yen grew on me as the story went as well. I wasn't sure what to think of her at first, but the more I got to know her, the more I liked and respected her.

Then there is Joy, the daughter.  There really isn't much to her character throughout the novel.  The focus is more on Pearl and May, and how they parent her.  Towards the end of the book, when Joy is grown enough to go off to college, the reader gets to see more of her, especially in terms of her interactions with her family. Here again, the author does an excellent job of examining relationships between her character, this time between parent and child, including generational issues, the impact secrets can have, and just about finding one's one path.

There were some shocking and heart wrenching scenes in Shanghai Girls, one of which had me in tears (why did I have to be in a public place when reading that scene?!  I'm going to cry just thinking about it again).  All of these scenes made this mother's heart ache.  

As for the ending, when I got there, I suddenly understood why everyone had been complaining about it when the book first came out. It wasn't much of an ending at all, I thought, but rather a huge cliffhanger leading into the next book, Dreams of Joy. Maybe I don't mind so much because I know there is a next book. I don't mind cliffhangers in that case. As an ending by itself though, I would have been disappointed had I not known that. I don't mind ambiguous endings to some degree, but I do like some closure. So much was left unresolved in Shanghai Girls. But, oh, what a great book!

Rating:  * (Very Good)

You can learn more about Lisa See and her books on the author's website.

Source: I purchased an e-copy of Shanghai Girls for my own reading pleasure.
  

© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (05/13/2014)

I am being featured over at the Book Blogger's International today, for those interested in learning a little more about me.  I do so little self-promotion anymore, admittedly, but I thought it would be fun to answer the survey questions.  I have enjoyed getting to know other blogger's via the website, and the featured articles are always entertaining.  I am not brave enough to write one of those.

Last week I finished reading Ann Leary's The Good House.  I had originally planned to listen to the audio version, but I wanted to finish the book for my book discussion.  It takes me awhile to get through an audio book, so print--or rather e-copy--was my best option.  I am excited about the discussion and hope my review will do justice to my thoughts about the book.  



I am now reading Claire Kendal's The Book of You, which is described as an intense suspense novel about a woman believes she is being stalked.  Perhaps it is not the best book to read before falling asleep at night, but when have I ever listened to that piece of advice?  

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it something you would recommend?




Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts 
First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where  
participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a 
book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.



I confess I wasn't immediately smitten with The Book of You as I began reading, but the more I read . . . Well, let's just say it's a hard book to put down.  Nearly impossible.  Here is the opening of The Book of You by Claire Kendal:
It is you.  Of course it is you.  Always it is you.  Someone is catching up to me, and I turn and see you.  I'd known it would be you, but I still lose my footing on the frozen snow.  I stagger up.  There are patches of wet on the knees of my stockings.  My mittens are soaked through.
 Would you continue reading?


© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Mouse's Corner: Mother's Day

My daughter made me a beautiful painting of a flower for Mother's Day this year.  The painting is on one side and, on the other, is are two sets of her hand prints (green with paint) meant to be grass with a flower coming up and a photo of her in the center.  It is truly a treasure I will keep forever.  When Mouse presented it to me, it was wrapped in pink tissue paper.  She blurted out a quick, "Happy Mother's Day!" and then proceeded to tell me she would open my present for me--which she did before she'd finished talking.

I know Mother's Day is not a happy day for everyone--and for those who are feeling sad today, know that I am thinking of you.  For those of you who are celebrating the day, may you have a wonderful Mother's Day full of happy memories.


When we visited the library a couple weeks ago, Mouse went straight for the round bookshelf display and pulled a book off the top.  It was That is NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems, which is about a fox and a duck.  The fox asks the duck to go on a walk with him and they proceed to the fox's house.  It's an adorable book with a twist at the end, which my daughter quite enjoyed. We read the book five times in one sitting before I finally convinced her we might want to try another book.  We ending up checking out That is NOT a Good Idea! and bringing it home.  I actually thought we wouldn't make it out of the library yesterday without renewing it, but, after two more readings while at the library, she handed it over to the librarian.  The illustrations are bold in color and rather simple in design.  They fit very well with the story and I think young children will enjoy this book.



On the music front, Mouse is obsessed with the CD Blue Moo, and I have to say I'm quite taken with it too. She received the CD from my 1950's music loving mother who could not resist some of her old favorites (B.B. King, Davy Jones, Brian Wilson, and the Pacemakers just to name a few) recording these fun songs. Sandra Boynton wrote the songs and Michael Ford composed them.  The songs all have that '50's rock sound to them.  Mouse has a few favorites including Singing in the Shower, The Nose, The Gorilla Song (called The Banana Song in our house), and The Uninvited Band.  Whereas my favorites are Speed Turtle and Big Band Sound.  Not a car ride goes by these days without Mouse asking us to play Singing in the Shower.  She tolerated it when her father switched to a different CD one day, but a few days later when I popped Blue Moo in, Mouse was over the moon with glee. 

I'm embedding the making of the book related to the CD.  It is nearly 10 minutes long and has an ad in front. Check it out if you are interested and have the time.  You'll get an idea of what some of the songs sound like.



 © 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Thursday, May 08, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
Katherine Tegen Books
Science Fiction (YA)

From the Publisher:  
Divergent: One choice can transform you. Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."
 Insurgent: One choice can destroy you. Veronica Roth's second #1 New York Times bestseller continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. 
Allegiant: The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent. 
A part of me was reluctant to start the Divergent series, but I also really wanted to read it before seeing the first movie.  Young Adult novels are hit and miss with me, and, while I often enjoy them, I find them lacking more often than not.  It's more a matter of taste, I think, on my part. Still, I have read enough that I enjoy to keep reading the genre.

I am keeping my thoughts about Insurgent and Allegiant brief and down to just general impressions in order to avoid any major spoilers.


Divergent by Veronica Roth (2012; 487 pgs)

There is one mirror in my house. ~ First Sentence of Divergent

Everyone in society is divided into factions.  Each of the factions are based on a particular value and has its place in society.  The idea is to maintain peace and order among the people.  There are the Erudite who seek knowledge; the Candor faction in which everyone values honesty above all else; the Dauntless who guard and protect the city; and Abnegation, which is made up of people who value selflessness and the only ones trusted to run the government as a result.  

Beatrice Prior was born in the Abnegation faction and has tried all her life to be selfless.  That is what she is supposed to be after all.  When the results of her faction test come back as inconclusive, Beatrice is put in a very difficult position.  She has just discovered she is Divergent which marks her as different and not of one faction like everyone else.  It is something she needs to keep a secret or else it could mean her life.  Someone is trying to kill the Divergent population, and soon Beatrice realizes she is not alone.

What follows is a story about identity and finding one's own path.  It is a coming of age story at its most basic level.  Beatrice, aka Tris, is just beginning to really define herself and she comes up against some very real obstacles that even young people of our world face--questioning authority, reality versus the ideal, discovering who she is, bullying, and finding first love.

The novel itself is quite entertaining, and I really grew to like Tris.  She is a strong female character with a good head on her shoulders.  I also really liked her friends, including Four, who I found mysterious and charming at first.  The more I got to know him, the less of a mystery he became, but I grew to have a lot of respect for him.  I found myself wishing I could be in the pages of the novel, a part of the world Veronica Roth created, if only for an instant.

I absolutely loved Divergent.  I found the world created by Veronica Roth interesting in all its complexity, the story intense, and the characters endearing--well, some of them anyway.  The novel is action packed and heartbreaking, while, at the same time, an interesting study on society.  Despite its size, the novel is a fast read, and I raced through it.  I enjoyed it so much that I rushed right into Insurgent and then followed that up with Allegiant. I also read a couple of the short stories related to the trilogy in between, which were just okay.  I think it was more a case of my not being a big fan of re-tellings of the same story or scene from another perspective (in this case Four's).

I thoroughly enjoyed the Divergent movie when I saw it in the theater after having finished reading the trilogy.  It was action packed and the actors fit into their character roles so well.  There were minor changes made in translation from the book to the movie, but nothing that I felt hurt the story.  If anything, I loved seeing Roth's world come to life as well as her characters.  After being disappointed in several movie adaptions of books recently, this was quite refreshing.  I would have liked the movie even having not read the book, I am sure.  It's my kind of movie.


Insurgent by Veronica Roth (2012; 544 pgs)

I wake with his name in my mouth. ~ First Sentence of Insurgent

Insurgent picks up at the very spot Divergent left off.  The world Tris knew has been torn apart.  Tris is feeling desperate and her grief is beyond measure.  Insurgent tackles the difficult subject of loss and guilt, and how heavily both can weigh on a person.

I enjoyed Insurgent, but not quite as much as the first book the series.  I still found the world Veronica Roth had created fascinating and was engrossed in the story and the characters.  I still raced through the book like there was no tomorrow.  I found myself annoyed with Tris, however, even as I tried to keep in mind all she was going through.  Her and her love interest's back and forth got to me though and there were a few times I wanted to shake them both and tell them to get over themselves.  I could blame it on the fact that they are teenagers, but adults act like that in literature all too often.  Probably in real life too.

What I liked most about Insurgent was the continued in depth look at society and human nature.  It is a dark take on human nature, mind you, but all too realistic under the circumstances as people lust for power and control over their own lives.  I also appreciated the way the author dealt with Tris's grief and guilt, and her continued struggle to define herself through it all.


Allegiant by Veronica Roth (2013; 544 pgs)

I pace in our cell in Erudite headquarters, her words echoing in my mind:  My name will be Edith Prior, and there is much I am happy to forget. ~ ~ First Sentence of Allegiant

This is the book where the secrets of the world created by Veronica Roth are revealed.  While not all surprising given the direction the trilogy had taken at the end of the first book, it was still an eye opener.  I swear I felt just as lost and insignificant as the continuing characters must have felt once they entered the compound.  I cannot help but wonder too if that is another reference to how teenagers feel entering the "real world" after leaving school and entering adulthood.

In Allegiant, the characters continue to grapple with issues of guilt and grief.  Their view of the world has been completely altered and now new issues are coming to light, not all of which are good.

It is impossible to talk about this book without giving something/anything away, especially because I had several problems with it as I read.  I liked Allegiant okay, but I did not love it the way I did the first two books.  I ran into logic problems with Allegiant and there were choices made, particularly toward the end, that did not make much sense to me.  I had a harder time buying into this book than I did the others.  Maybe it was too ambitious.  It felt that way.

Even so, there were aspects I liked about the novel, so it wasn't a total loss.  Overall, I would recommend this series to those who enjoy the genre.  


You can learn more about Veronica Roth and her books on the author's website.

Source: I purchased the e-copies versions of these books for my own reading pleasure.  I also paid for my own movie ticket, in case anyone is wondering.


© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (05/06/2014)

I arrived at the doctor's office an hour early, expecting to get in some decent reading time, only to be called in right away on Friday.  As a result, I barely got in a page or two of reading all weekend.  I am trying to make up for it this week.

I am still reading Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, but have also picked up The Good House by Ann Leary.  I need to have that read for next week's book discussion.  I am already full of thoughts I cannot wait to share.  Right from the start the novel struck a personal cord with me.  The female lead reminds me so much of my dad, it's kind of eerie.  

We did not make it to the library this past Saturday.  Mouse was up late Friday night, not feeling well, and so we skipped soccer class and our usual visit to the park and library.  She seems to be doing better now, fortunately.  

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it something you would recommend?



Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts 
First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where  
participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a 
book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.



The opening to Ann Leary's The Good House, which I am reading for my online book group:
I can walk through a house once and know more about its occupants than a psychiatrist could after a year of sessions.  I remember joking about this one evening with Peter Newbold, the shrink who rents the office upstairs from me.
"The next time you get a new patient," I offered, "I'll sneak to their house for a walk-through.  While you jot down notes about their history, dreams, whatever, I'll shine a flashlight into the attic, open a few cupboards, and have a peek at the bedrooms.  Later, when we compare notes, I'll have the clearer picture of the person's mental health, guaranteed."  I was teasing the doctor, of course, but I've been selling houses since he was in primary school, and I stand by my theory. 

 Would you continue reading?



Mouse's Corner

Our visit to Disneyland was quite a hit. My husband and I ended up surprising Mouse, letting her think we were taking her to school the morning of our trip.  She made up her own Disneyland song on the spot when she learned where we were really going.  She paid the parking attendant and got a button in return, and was greeted at the gate by Ariel, one of her favorite princesses.  The first ride she wanted to go on was the Tea Cups, since she didn't get to go on the ride last time.

The wait to see the Frozen princesses, Elsa and Anna, was two and a half hours long.  I joined the long line and waited while Mouse and her dad went on a couple of rides together.  Then we switched off, and Mouse and I went on another couple of rides while my husband waited in the horrendously long line.  It really was two and a half hours.  In the hot sun, on a 90+F day (I cannot tell you the number of water bottles we went through to stay hydrated).  It was worth it though.  Mouse may not care for any of the princess movies at all, but she does like the princesses and enjoyed meeting Elsa and Anna.

Mouse braved the Rocket ride in Tomorrowland (which she loved) and had the most fun at  Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island, along with going on many other rides throughout the day.  The parade was her favorite activity of the day (second only to lunch she insists, which she barely touched).  Most of all, we built a few memories and had a good time.



  


 © 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Thursday, May 01, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: Casebook by Mona Simpson

The book you now hold in your hands is our first venture into the old long-form technology that our pay-to-print machine in the back room has made possible. ~ Opening from Casebook



Casebook by Mona Simpson
Knopf, 2014
Fiction; 336 pgs

From the Publisher:
From the acclaimed and award-winning author: a beguiling new novel about an eavesdropping boy working to discover the obscure mysteries of his unraveling family. He uncovers instead what he least wants to know: the workings of his parents' private lives. And even then he can't stop snooping.  
Miles Adler-Rich, helped by his friend Hector, spies and listens in on his separating parents. Both boys are in thrall to Miles's unsuspecting mother, Irene, who is "pretty for a mathematician." They rifle through her dresser drawers and strip-mine her computer diary, finding that all leads pull them straight into her bedroom, and into questions about a stranger from Washington, D.C., who weaves in and out of their lives. Their amateur detective work starts innocently but soon takes them to the far reaches of adult privacy as they acquire knowledge that will affect the family's well-being, prosperity, and sanity. Once burdened with this powerful information, the boys struggle to deal with the existence of evil, and proceed to concoct hilarious modes of revenge on their villains and eventually, haltingly, learn to offer animal comfort to those harmed and to create an imaginative path to their own salvation.
I did not know what to expect going into Mona Simpson's Casebook.  The synopsis made it sound more like a mystery--two boys acting as sleuths to uncover their parents' secrets.  But at its heart, this is really a tender coming of age story about a boy finding his way after his parents divorce and their new relationships. It's the story of how Miles struggles with his conflicting emotions, faces life's challenges and searches for answers about love and betrayal.  Casebook is funny and charming. It is also sad and thoughtful.  

I loved the way Mona Simpson sets the story up.  In the introduction, the reader learns that the narrator and his friend are the "authors", telling the story behind the graphic novel they wrote about their espionage efforts. Names have been changed or nicknames used (like for Miles' two sisters, Boop One and Boop Two), descriptions even, in order to avoid identification of the people involved. Written in the first person perspective, this is Miles' story, with added footnotes by his friend Hector. (For those not liking footnotes--there are not very many, but the ones that exist are brief and funny in their own right.)

I liked that the story is a quiet one.  It is not action packed, although it is a fairly fast read.  If you are expecting big climaxes and life shattering revelations, you won't get them here.  The mystery behind Miles and Hector's search for the truth about Eli, Irene's boyfriend, is not at all surprising.  It is easy to guess early on, the markers being quite clear.  For me, what was more important was how Miles dealt with the truth once he found it, how it changed him and impacted his choices there after.  

I adored Miles.  He is so innocent and naive on one hand and yet extremely resourceful and wise beyond his years in others.  Even when he was exacting revenge on his enemies, he demonstrated he had heart and cared about others.  I also really liked Miles' friend, Hector, who was the kind of best friend I wish I could have had growing up.  His loyalty and taking matters into his own hands for his friend's sake say much about him.  At the same time, I wish Miles' had paid more attention to what his friend was going through.  Miles noticed Hector's troubles, but, to me, it felt like he was too caught up in his own life to really see his friend and the trouble that might be brewing in Hector's life, behind the scenes.  I don't completely blame Miles though. Hector used Miles' life to avoid his own.  

I am glad the author told the story from the point of view of Miles.  I think back to my childhood, my curiosity about what was going on around me, including about my parents' relationship.  I never resorted to tapping their phone, or rifling through their things, but I caught snatches of conversation here and there.  And sometimes, perhaps, I snooped a little more than I should have.  I do understand the desire to want to know more about a parent, to understand why he or she is depressed or angry, and wanting to find a way to fix it, hurting alongside them, and wanting them only to be happy.  Miles loved his mother dearly and wanted so much for her to be happy.  Miles learned some difficult lessons through the course of his story, but the fact that he came away from it all with hope . . . . Well, that warmed my heart.

Rating:  * (Very Good)


To learn more about  Mona Simpson, and her books, please visit the author's website.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about Casebook on the TLC Book Tours route!




Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. E-copy of Casebook provided by publisher.

© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.