Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Sunday, November 08, 2015

From the Archives: Fiction 2006

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 are some of my reviews from 2006:

The People’s Republic of Desire by Annie Wang

Harper, 2006

Fiction; 445 pgs

I read somewhere that this book is like the popular American TV show, Sex in the City, but set in Bejing. I only saw the American TV show a couple of times. The main character was a columnist who explored being young and single in New York. The People’s Republic of Desire is much like that. Narrated by Niuniu, an American Chinese woman who returned to China after she has her heart broken in the United States, readers are introduced to contemporary Beijing and other major Chinese cities through the eyes of young women and men. The novel read like a series of vignettes and essays in many respects as Ms. Wang touches on various cultural topics regarding ethnicity, love, sex, money, and power. In exploring the lives and motivations of her friends and acquaintances, Niuniu also learns more about herself. I enjoyed The People’s Republic of Desire quite a bit. I found it entertaining and interesting. Because the copy I have is an uncorrected proof, I can forgive the multiple typographical errors. One thing I found particularly annoying in this novel, however, was that the author’s attempt to get information across through dialogue at times seemed more like a lecture and less like the conversation it was portrayed as being relayed through. This happened on at least two or three occasions. Fortunately, the book had many redeeming qualities.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Dial Press, 2002

Fiction; 291 pgs

As Kate's nephew's 18th birthday approaches, memories of her life in Crow Lake resurface and at times overwhelm her. Orphaned at a young age, the Morrisons were forced to pull together to survive. Kate's two older brothers made many sacrifices for their family in order for the four siblings to stay together. Kate's recollections also took readers into the lives of the Pyes, another family in Crow Lake, whose fate seemed far worse than the Morrisons. No one in the Morrison family or even the others in their community truly understood just how bad it was for the Pye children or how their lives would eventually be connected. Crow Lake is a novel that delves into the heart of family sacrifice, community, disappointments, and family love. The novel started off slow but eventually found its groove. Kate is not the type of character that a person easily warms to. Her personality is on the dry side and yet it is hard not to feel empathy toward her and her situation. She has a lot to learn, both about herself and her family, in particular her brother Matt. I was most taken by the sacrifices her brothers made in order so that Kate, her sister and the two brothers could stay together in Crow Lake. The way the community came together for the family was heartwarming.

© 2015, 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.

Wednesday, November 04, 2015

Beyond the Books: My Bad Habits (That I Refuse to Give Up)

Every Thursday Karen of KissinBlueKaren hosts Beyond the Books, at which time participants are given a topic and asked to write about it on their own blogs. They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Today Karen's Beyond the Books topic is about bad habits. Share yours and why you won't give it up. Ever.

1. I read too much. I know one or two of you are thinking this cannot possibly be a bad habit--but when it interferes with chores, sleep, encroaches on family time (ever hide in the bathroom to finish the last chapter of a book without interruption? I have.), or been late coming back from lunch because I can't stop reading in the middle of a paragraph (at least not if it's a tense scene), it can be a problem.

2. I watch more television than I should. I get cranky when I fall too behind on my television shows (The Walking Dead in particular), and there are times when I forgo the household chores to play catch up.

3. I talk to myself. I have tried to refrain, but it is difficult. I do not even like the sound of my own voice, so it makes no sense I would do this. But often, in my car, for example, I find myself practicing conversations or composing blog posts out loud.

4. I randomly burst out in song. At home. In the office. At the store. I do not necessarily have to be alone either. I just can't help myself. I am not that great of a singer either, so maybe I should feel bad about this habit of mine. But I don't. Now my daughter does it too. Oops.

5. I am obsessed with chocolate. Dark chocolate, especially, but milk chocolate will do. At least it is somewhat healthy. Maybe just not in the quantities I sometimes eat it.

6. Although it doesn't happen all the time, it happens often enough that I guess the whodunit or motive or what have you in movies I watch and the books I read long before the end. I do not purposely try to figure these things out--it's just the way my brain works. It drives my husband crazy--at least where movies are concerned.

7. I daydream. A lot. My husband thinks this is a bad habit, but I am not sure it is.

What are some of your bad habits you do not want to give up? Do we have any in common?

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Playing Catch Up: My Bookish Thoughts on Books by Backman, Tansley and Hawkins

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

Translated by Henning Koch

Atria, 2015

Fiction; 372 pgs

First Sentence: Every seven-year-old deserves a superhero.

A Man Called Ove knocked my socks off earlier this year, and I was curious to see what author Fredrik Backman would come up next. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell She's Sorry is a sweet and at times heart-wrenching story about a young girl and her grandmother. At age seven, Elsa has no friends and is often the object of bullying. Her world is her grandmother, an eccentric woman who will break into a zoo to make her granddaughter smile. Elsa often takes comfort in her grandmother's stories about the Land of Almost-Awake where anything can happen. Elsa lives with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, and there is a new baby on the way. When Elsa's grandmother passes away, she is asked to deliver a letter--and after that, others follow. With each letter she is tasked to deliver, Elsa learns a little more about her grandmother and the people's whose lives were in some way touched by her grandmother.

Written from the perspective of Elsa, this novel tells the story of a young innocent girl who is quite extraordinary in her own way. The cast of characters in the novel are quite colorful from the "monster" to the "wurse" to the drunk to the rather serious and critical neighbor, just to name a few. People are not always what they first appear, their backstories being a big part of who they are and who they become. I came to care for many of the characters just as I did for Elsa.

Elsa's stories about The Land of Almost-Awake play a big part in the novel, the lands and lives of the people in that world paralleling those in Elsa's grandmother's real world. I was not quite as taken with this thread in the novel, preferring to stick to the "real life" characters and their struggles and revelations.

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry is a heartwarming story: funny and sentimental, and at times heartbreaking. It is a story about family and friendship, and one about redemption. While I was not as enamored with this novel as I was with A Man Called Ove, I did enjoy this one.

Source: E-copy of novel provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts by K.C. Tansley

Beckett Publishing Group, 2015

Crime Fiction (Paranormal); 256 pgs

First Sentence: The two weeks leading up to finals were the perfect time to do research at Gilman Library--if you needed to be surrounded by people.

Ghosts do not exist. At least that is what Kat Preston keeps telling herself. After an incident in her childhood when a ghost she tried to help attempted to take possession of her body, Kat has tried to block out that part of her life ever since. A junior at the McTernan Academy, Kat and her best friend are chosen to take part in a research project investigating an 129 year old murder, which took place on a private island off the coast of Connecticut.

Kat is nervous about the project with good reason, especially when told she will be accompanying a team to the island to view the murder site in person. Being that close to such an old place will mean facing her old fears--and possibly facing the ghosts she's tried to keep at bay. Teaming up with Evan, a very scientific minded person, Kat feels a bit more confidant--even if she isn't too fond of the guy. Ghosts tend to avoid people who don't believe. And Evan is a non-believer. Things don't go exactly as planned while on the island. Suddenly Kat and Evan find themselves 129 years in the past, trapped in the bodies of a couple of the wedding guests. The only way to get back is to solve the murder, and hopefully break the curse tied to it.

K.C. Tansley has crammed quite a bit into The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts; murder, curses, betrayals, and family secrets abound. The novel got off to a slow start initially as the author set up the characters and the background for the story. Once Kat and the group were on their way to the island, I felt the novel really got under way and had a hard time putting it down after that. Kat and Evan, despite their initial animosity toward each other, make a good team as they work together to try and find out a way to solve the old murder.

I enjoyed the twists and turns in the story, the mystery of it all, but I do wish the characters had been more fully fleshed out. They seemed a bit two-dimensional. Still, all in all, it was a fun read, good for an escape.

To learn more about K.C. Tansley (psuedonym of author Kourtney Heintz) and her books, please visit the author's website and Goodreads.

Source: E-copy of novel provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins
Narrated by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, India Fisher
Penguin Audio, 2014
Crime Fiction; 10 hours, 59 seconds

First Sentence: There is a pile of clothing on the side of the train tracks.

The more I read about this book, the more I wanted to read it. Even the negative reviews couldn't deter me. I decided to listen to the audio version, and am glad I did. The three women narrating the book wore their roles well.

It is difficult to talk about this book at much length without giving something away. This really is a book in which the less known going in the better. I will say that it isn't just a thriller. There is quite a bit of drama--the story of three women, each with their own problems and struggles and a string of bad choices. There is Rachel, the woman on the train. Megan, the woman on the deck. And Anna, a mother and wife not as secure as she once was in her marriage.

On her regular commute every day, Rachel passes a house in which she often sees a couple having breakfast. She imagines their life is perfect. She even gives them names and creates a story around them. One day, however, things are not so perfect. Rachel sees something that not only raises doubts in her mind but puts her on a downward spiral.

With each chapter, layers are removed as the story unfolds. The who, the why, the what coming more into focus, and the reader becomes more acquainted with each of the players, the women and the men in their lives. I love books that provide such thorough character studies and this one did not disappoint in that regard.

Early on I had a good idea of who was behind the main mystery. And then after reading a spoiler in an online book group which confirmed it, I figured it was time to just hurry up and finish the book. I really liked the novel in the beginning, but it slowed down somewhat the middle, and when I set the audio book aside, I found it hard to pick back up again. Once I did dive back in though, I was hooked and it was hard not to keep listening even when I couldn't. I admit it did hurt my enjoyment knowing what would happen. Even though I had already figured it out even before coming across the spoiler, the anticipation of finding out if I'm right or not is always a rush for me in books like this. Knowing, took the fun out of it. I still really liked the book though. The audio version was very well done.

To learn more about Paula Hawkins and her books, please visit the author's website and Goodreads.

Source: I purchased the audio version of this novel for my own reading pleasure.

Monday, November 02, 2015

Where Is Your Bookmark? (11/03/2015)

Yesterday I began reading Jackie Copleton's A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding, and although I am still not too far into it, I am quite enjoying it. It's a nice change of pace from my recent reading.

From Amazon:

When Amaterasu Takahashi opens the door of her Philadelphia home to a badly scarred man claiming to be her grandson, she doesn’t believe him. Her grandson and her daughter, Yuko, perished nearly forty years ago during the bombing of Nagasaki. But the man carries with him a collection of sealed private letters that open a Pandora’s Box of family secrets Ama had sworn to leave behind when she fled Japan. She is forced to confront her memories of the years before the war: of the daughter she tried too hard to protect and the love affair that would drive them apart, and even further back, to the long, sake-pouring nights at a hostess bar where Ama first learned that a soft heart was a dangerous thing. Will Ama allow herself to believe in a miracle?

First Paragraph of A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding:

Even the kindness of the half-light could not hide his disfigurement. The man stood on my doorstep hunched against the chill of a winter morning. Despite the scarring, I could tell he was Japanese, in his forties or fifties. I had seen such burns before, blacker versions, in another life. He wore a suit, no coat, and held a briefcase on fingers fused together. he bowed his bald head low, cleared his throat and apologised for the intrusion. Years had passed since I last heard it but the southern Kyushu dialect was unmistakable. He asked if my name was Amaterasu Takahashi and, despite my apprehension, I nodded. The muscles of his face twitched, perhaps in a smile. 'Then I bring you good news.'

Teaser from page 6:

I convinced myself an edited version of my past was necessary for a bearable life. I told myself I must not think too long on the mistakes I had made that led Yuko to the city's death zone. How else could I get up in the morning and face another day? How else could I endure the years as they trickled by, one too slowly following the other?

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

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

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

I switched up this week's week's Top Ten Tuesday theme to make it easier for me. Especially given how busy work is right now and with all the Halloween craziness that thank goodness is now behind me. This week, I am featuring Top Ten Series I Have Only Read One Book Of But Am Eager to Dive Back Into over the past five years.

1.

I am anxious to see what Tessa Arlen will come up with after her cozy mystery, Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman, set in Edwardian England. The next novel in her series featuring Lady Montfort, Death Sits Down to Dinner, is due out in March of next year.

2. & 3.

I fell head over heels in love with Karen Marie Moning's writing when I read Darkfever, the first in her urban fantasy Fever series, and then Beyond the Highland Mist, the first in her paranormal romance Highlander series (to which no Highlander book has lived up to yet). I do not know why I have not yet read the second in either series. Maybe I am afraid Bloodfever and To Tame a Highland Warrior won't live up to my expectations, given how much I enjoyed the first books in their respective series. That's silly though! I should just read them.

4.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Robson's Somewhere in France, a historical fiction novel set during World War I, which tells the story of a woman who becomes an ambulance driver on the front lines. After the War is the sequel, featuring the friend of Lily from the first book--Charlotte who is a military nurse. These books do not exactly fall into the series category, but I figured I would bend the rules a little, given the two books are connected.

5.

I read Louise Penny's A Trick of the Light, which I think is book #7 in her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, when the opportunity presented itself. I loved every minute of reading that book, and keep meaning to go back and start from the beginning with Still Life.

6.

Another series I jumped into the middle of is Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series. I have read #14 in the series, No Mark Upon Her, which I just loved. One of these days I want to read A Share In Death and then the rest of the series--hopefully in order.

7.

I read A Game of Thrones, the first in the Song of Ice and Fire Saga by George R.R. Martin right after giving birth to my daughter and devoured it. I would really like to read the rest of the books eventually, and next up is A Clash of Kings.

8.

It took me a while to get to Kim Harrison's Dead Witch Walking, and once I did, I couldn't believe I waited so long. Still, I have only read the first book in the Hollows series to far. I need to get to The Good, The Bad, and the Undead.

9.

Gail Carriger's Soulless had come highly recommended, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I am anxious to read the second book in the The Parasol Protectorate Series called Changeless.

10. I only just recently read Karen E. Olson's Hidden, featuring her computer hacker protagonist. I hear she is working on book three in the series already, which is good news for me! I just wish I didn't have to wait so long for book #2: Shadowed.

Have you read any of these? If you read series, are there any series you have read just one book of but would like to continue with the rest?

Sunday, November 01, 2015

October 2015 In Review

The weather has been: It isn't unusual for summer to refuse to give in to autumn and wait until the beginning to middle of October to do so. Although, we have had a hotter fall so far than usual. We saw some rain, but not enough. The weather is quite beautiful right now. Temperatures in the 80's, the sun shining, sometimes with clouds in the sky. We are expecting a very wet winter--both with hope and dread--hope that the drought will end and dread that mudslides and floods will come. I am hoping the forecast for rain tomorrow will come true.

I am watching: I am enjoying this season's episode of The Walking Dead--I'm always an episode behind, which kind of stinks when others are talking about it everywhere. I am quite smitten with the new medical drama Code Black, and hooked on Quanitco--who is behind the terrorist attack? I saw the first episode of Supergirl the other night liked it better than I thought I would. I am finally all caught on Blacklist.

I saw the movie Bridge of Spies this month with Tom Hanks and really liked it. I was not familiar with James Donovan, Francis Gary Powers, Rudolf Abel, or Frederic Pryor before the movie, I'm ashamed to say.

What I have been reading: October was a good reading month, not only in numbers, but in quality as well. It was hard to choose a favorite read for the month. I read books by three of my favorite authors (Karen E. Olson, Rebecca Chastain, and Elizabeth Haynes), all of whose books I enjoyed quite a bit--and each very different from one another. Then there was Art Taylor's On the Road with Del & Louise: A Novel in Stories, which was as entertaining as it was beautifully written. The Uninvited by Cat Winters and Smoke by Catherine McKenzie were also good books, one a ghost story perfect for this time of year and the other a novel that stuck a personal chord with me that I had not been expecting.

I am between books at the moment. I finished two novellas this past weekend, one a paranormal romance about a dragon-shifter called Fury of a Highland Dragon by Coreene Callahan and then Stand Down by J.A. Jance, a mystery featuring one of my favorite fictional crime fiction characters. I am leaning towards starting Jackie Copleton's A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding, which promises to be heart-wrenching.

My life: I am in charge of the holiday schedules at work and ensuring my office, which is open 24/7 is staffed appropriately. This time of year can be especially challenging because of everyone wanting to take time off for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I basically need to find volunteers to work in place of those requesting time off, guessing when and where it might be okay to have fewer staff than usual. There's always the risk that someone will be denied vacation because there just isn't enough coverage. Working in an emergency response type setting means coverage is vital. This on top of my regular duties has kept me busy the past few weeks. There have been long days, including some I have come home so mentally exhausted.

On the home front, my brother and sister-in-law had a nice visit with us. We spent a day at Disneyland for my brother's birthday, which was fun. The last time we saw them was about two years ago. One of my aunts visited later in the month, and we had a nice visit as well. Mouse has a way of charming just about everyone she meets--not to mention she loves the attention. Sometimes I wish we lived closer to family than we do--it's really just my husband and I and Mouse. Everyone else is so far away.

The child this past month: A couple months ago, I made a comment that I would rather answer questions about the birds and the bees than have to answer questions about faith and God. Well, the other day Mouse pointed to a spot above my belly button and asked me if that was where the doctor cut me open to get her out. After a long pregnant pause while I considered whether I wanted to tell her the truth or some safe make believe story, I told her that no, she didn't come from there, but out of my vagina. Although I have used the word with her numerous times, she still prefers the word "privates". She asked me where her vagina was, and I told her. The look on her face when she asked, "You pooped me out?" I should probably have left it at that, but I didn't want her to have that image in her head, so I began to explain basic female anatomy to my 4 1/2 year old. Fortunately, she'd lost interest and was off to something else by then. I am sure I gave her way more information than she needs at that age, but my goodness! Relating the story to a coworker, I was told I should have made something up. My brother and sister-in-law who are both teachers thought I did the right thing, telling the truth. She will learn it from somewhere, might as well be her mother. I'm still not ready for those questions about faith and God, but I won't underestimate the difficulty of explaining the birds and the bees again either.

Mouse & Her Friend

I was able to take a couple hours off from work to attend and help out at Mouse's school Halloween Party. Everyone had a good time. The children got to go trick-or-treating to a few pre-selected houses in the neighborhood as they do every year. We went trick-or-treating again on Halloween. Mouse kept saying how nice everyone was and how she wishes she could go trick-or-treating every day.

Plans for November: It doesn't seem possible that it is November already. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I have not begun my Christmas shopping yet. Asking my daughter what she wants for Christmas is no help. She doesn't know. What 4 1/2 year old doesn't know what she wants for her birthday?! So, the Christmas shopping really needs to begin this month.

I extended invitations to all the grandparents for Christmas. Thanksgiving will be a small affair this year, just my husband, Mouse and I. I still can't believe the Winter Holidays are upon us already.

This month in reading I hope to sneak in some Christmas themed reading--admittedly my list so far only includes romances. Have no fear, that is not all I will be reading and talking about. I have never been one to stick to just one genre.

How did October turn out for you? Does anything in particular stand out?

What was your favorite October read?

October In Reading Mews:

Number of Books Completed in October: 11