A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
Burroughs is every boy – just wants the love his father. Unfortunately we know this family from Running with Scissors and the love ain’t there kiddo. Besides a wacko Mother, he’s strapped to a philosophy professor father who has alcoholic rages, and stays in his downstairs bedroom most the time. Mooning for a Dad (any Dad) he crafts a ‘surrogate’ with pillows and discarded clothing. Sad-sad-sad.
This is another jaw-dropping Burroughs memoir – sans the signature humor – but it has way too much wining. One can only hope this book is a healing balm for Burroughs and he starts to explore his creativity and expand his repertoire. Enough of the family.
Earth: The Sequel by Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn
Finally -- a book that gives us a little hope! American entrepreneurs work best when unfettered and with a big pay-off looming, so why not give those smart folks some incentive?? Lot’s of people around the globe are working on innovative technologies that will help solve the energy/pollution/global warming crisis.
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.
Playing For Pizza by John Grisham
What does an NFL quarterback, aka “has-been,” who single-handedly loses the game that will take his team to the Super Bowl do? If you’re Rick Dockery, recently out of work and fodder for late-night jokes, you take the first job your agent finds. In this case that’s playing for the Parma Panthers in Italy. Definitely not the same standard as the NFL, but slowly Rick understands he’s not the same snob who left the good old USA either.
Great descriptions of Italian villages and trattorias. Fast read, and even though I’m not a huge football fan it was a decent read.
River God by Wilbur Smith
Oh, goodie – historical fiction. Set against the backdrop of the Hyksos invasion of Egypt, this is a story of war and love circa 1780 BC. Be prepared to fall in love with Taita -- inventor, artist and keeper of Lady Lostris, a beauty who becomes Queen of Egypt even though her true love (and the Father of he child) is NOT the Pharaoh.
This is an old-old book but I loved it years ago and loved it just as much this time around! Smith has written thirty novels, all extraordinarily researched, and he’s a master story-teller.
River of Heaven by Lee Martin
Sammy Brady's quiet life revolves around his basset hound, Stump. All that changes when the next door neighbor, becomes a widower and manages to weddle himself into Sammy's world. Soon they’re building a ship-shaped dog house, and attending cooking classes. Things are good until a reporter shows up to write a story about the dog-house. Alas! The reporter is related to Dewey Finn, Sammy's childhood friend who mysteriously died on a railroad track. Like any good reporter he dives into the un-solved mystery and things get complicated. Not enough? Enter the orphaned grandchild, wayward brother, and sleazy antique dealer.
I’m not a fan of this one. The characters are going in too many directions, people die off and/or disappear for no apparent reason. Maybe I’m getting cynical in my old reading age, but is there anything out there that’s great?? HELP!
The Man Who Fell In Love with the Moon by Tom Spanbauer
This tale of love and loss is told by Shed, a half-breed bisexual Indian, and son of a prostitute, who, at age 12 is raped at gunpoint by the man who then murders his mother. He’s raised by Ida Richilieu—proprietress of the local whorehouse and mayor of Excellent, Idaho.
I read this book when it was first published back in 1992 and it was bizarre. These many years later I find it’s still bizarre, but poetic in a weird sort of way and I can almost guarantee this book is unlike anything you’ve ever read before. Weird sex, strange family connections, weird racial interactions. It’s a captivating, and be warned, bizarre book, but one you won’t be able to put down.
The Last Cowgirl by Jana Richman
Dickie Sinfield is 52, and, well that’s the time you look back on your childhood and realize it was crappier than you care to remember. At age seven, Dickie’s family moves from the suburbs and she’s forced to become a cowgirl. At 18, she takes off, becomes a Salt Lake City newspaper reporter and hardly looks back. But when her brother is killed by poison gas at the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Grounds, she comes home for the funeral -- where she faces her father's anger, her mother's infidelity, her best friend's betrayal, and her long-lost love, Stumpy Nelson.
What should have been a great book was a huge disappointment. The story had so much potential but Richman delivered a whiny memoir contrasted with a hard look at the government’s handling of chemical accidents. Read The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle instead.
7.15.2008
6.03.2008
Books Read in May 2008
Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis
They've “found a lump,” is all it takes for Emily to leave her law career, her boyfriend, and move into her childhood bedroom to be with her Mom.So, you’re in your childhood bedroom, your Mother has cancer, and you’ve left your long-time lover so things can’t get any worse, right? Well, enter the absent Father. Yes, the man who left when she was five is at the door offering to help. She ends up taking a job as a receptionist in his law firm, and slowly gets to know him.
Although this sounds sad and heart-wrenching, let me assure you – it’s a funny, laugh-out-loud tale that confirms once and for all that you can grow up to be a functioning adult despite your parents, and questionable choices in men, yadda yadda..
Empty Nest…Full House by Andrea Van Steenhouse
This is an old-old release, and I have no idea why I picked it up -- except that I have been struggling with how soon my son will be off to college and starting his adult life. It’s a good thing I read it, because I was guilty of many mistakes Van Steenhouse says can make this difficult passage even more difficult. The tale begins with senior year in high school, and ends with the final departure for college and entire freshman year. It offers a humorous look at what can be a turbulent time for parents and children.
This is a must-read for any parent who doesn’t want to make the same mistakes their parents made, although after reading the book, you’ll understand why (and how easily) they made them! I highly recommend this simple, yet powerful, little book to help guide you in making the journey positive and happy. On both sides of the generation fence.
Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward
Nadine Morgan is a globe-trotting journalist, covering historic events, and placing herself in danger to get the “real” story. Once a resident of Cape Town, she left after a tragic event and hasn’t been back -- until she hears the story of American student, Jason Irving who was beaten to death by local youths at the height of the apartheid era. Now, years later, Jason’s killers have applied for amnesty. Nadine, who is recovering from a brutal attack, can’t stay away from a good story and leaves a would-be lover to follows Jason’s parents to South Africa for the trial.
To my surprise, I found feelings of sympathy for the victim’s parents and the killer’s parents -- both having “lost” children. Forgiveness is a powerful thing and Ward provides a haunting story to gently push us toward the process.
Girls Poker Night by Jill A. Davis
Another hilarious Jill A. Davis book! This is an older release, but after discovering “Ask Again Later” I simply had to read it.
Ruby Capote is tired of her boyfriend, Boston, and life in general, so she shoots a resume and a 6-pack of beer to an editor in New York City, landing herself a job. As soon as her Boston relationship is over she takes up with her editor boss Michael. She gets advice from friends during weekly poker nights and her life is played out before thousands of readers in her humor column. The book reads like a “Lifestyle-Humor” column, and although it’s definitely a chick-lit book it’s one of the more well-written ones. Nice balance of laugh-out-loud funny and I-wish-that-hadn’t-happened-sad.
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Children are being murdered in a medieval England town, and the Jewish community is being blamed. The citizens say this proves that Jews sacrifice Christian children in creepy, secret ceremonies. King Henry I is concerned about the Jew’s fate -- mainly because without their taxes he would be bankrupt. Henry calls on his cousin the King of Sicily to import the best medical expert in Europe. He’s sent a young doctor named Adelia -- a "mistress of the art of death," AKA early version of the medical examiner.
Truth be told, this book started out as a yawner. I kept with it and after the first chapter was rewarded with a novel I couldn’t put down. Yes, some parts are corny and unbelievable, but it’s a nice blend of historical fiction with a shot of medieval CSI.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
A new hardcover edition came out late 2007 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the novel first published in 1957. Fifty years later, I venture to say Kerouac’s book still has what it takes to inspire young people in America to hit the road in search of, well, whatever it is they think they need to find but don’t know until they find it. Kerouac's novel is a great window to the rhythms of 1950s underground America, including jazz, sex, illicit drugs, the lure of the open road, of being “beat,” and that elusive “something” that can set you free. Based on Kerouac's real-life adventures.
If I were young, single, and daring I’d take off today.
The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook
In the 1890s Hannah Bass began writing in her journals about her great Western adventure -- first as the survivor of a horrific train wreck, then as a Harvey Girl at the fancy Montezuma Resort, and finally as the wife of Elliott Bass, a railway engineer. Fast forward to Hannah's daughter, Claudia Bass, a renowned historian who edited and published the diaries and basically rode her Mother’s written word to fame. However the great grand-daughter, Meg Mabry –hasn’t bothered reading them. That is until an excavation on the old family property reveals a discovery that can underscore the diaries and the family’s history.
I loved how Crook spun the modern-day professional Meg who has a cushy life, around the 1890’s frontier woman Hannah whose life consisted of Indian ruins, grand desert hotels, and hardships. Before your eyes, the stories collide and you see how several generations of women deal with family secrets, death, and creating your own life.
The Zookeepers Wife by Diane Ackerman
O.K. by now you may realize I’m a sucker for a true story, and this is the true story about the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, during World War II. They also happened to be an incredible husband and wife team who helped save hundreds of people from the Nazi’s.
Antonina is the zookeeper's wife, and although her husband fights in the resistance, it is really Antonina who shows us what true heroism is all about. It’s not about killing and guns, but more about daring, attitude, and creating joy in the face of hardship. This is a solid book. My only complaint is that Ackerman interjects too heavy a dose of the Warsaw Holocaust with Antonina’s own poetic writing and it didn’t work for me.
They've “found a lump,” is all it takes for Emily to leave her law career, her boyfriend, and move into her childhood bedroom to be with her Mom.So, you’re in your childhood bedroom, your Mother has cancer, and you’ve left your long-time lover so things can’t get any worse, right? Well, enter the absent Father. Yes, the man who left when she was five is at the door offering to help. She ends up taking a job as a receptionist in his law firm, and slowly gets to know him.
Although this sounds sad and heart-wrenching, let me assure you – it’s a funny, laugh-out-loud tale that confirms once and for all that you can grow up to be a functioning adult despite your parents, and questionable choices in men, yadda yadda..
Empty Nest…Full House by Andrea Van Steenhouse
This is an old-old release, and I have no idea why I picked it up -- except that I have been struggling with how soon my son will be off to college and starting his adult life. It’s a good thing I read it, because I was guilty of many mistakes Van Steenhouse says can make this difficult passage even more difficult. The tale begins with senior year in high school, and ends with the final departure for college and entire freshman year. It offers a humorous look at what can be a turbulent time for parents and children.
This is a must-read for any parent who doesn’t want to make the same mistakes their parents made, although after reading the book, you’ll understand why (and how easily) they made them! I highly recommend this simple, yet powerful, little book to help guide you in making the journey positive and happy. On both sides of the generation fence.
Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward
Nadine Morgan is a globe-trotting journalist, covering historic events, and placing herself in danger to get the “real” story. Once a resident of Cape Town, she left after a tragic event and hasn’t been back -- until she hears the story of American student, Jason Irving who was beaten to death by local youths at the height of the apartheid era. Now, years later, Jason’s killers have applied for amnesty. Nadine, who is recovering from a brutal attack, can’t stay away from a good story and leaves a would-be lover to follows Jason’s parents to South Africa for the trial.
To my surprise, I found feelings of sympathy for the victim’s parents and the killer’s parents -- both having “lost” children. Forgiveness is a powerful thing and Ward provides a haunting story to gently push us toward the process.
Girls Poker Night by Jill A. Davis
Another hilarious Jill A. Davis book! This is an older release, but after discovering “Ask Again Later” I simply had to read it.
Ruby Capote is tired of her boyfriend, Boston, and life in general, so she shoots a resume and a 6-pack of beer to an editor in New York City, landing herself a job. As soon as her Boston relationship is over she takes up with her editor boss Michael. She gets advice from friends during weekly poker nights and her life is played out before thousands of readers in her humor column. The book reads like a “Lifestyle-Humor” column, and although it’s definitely a chick-lit book it’s one of the more well-written ones. Nice balance of laugh-out-loud funny and I-wish-that-hadn’t-happened-sad.
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Children are being murdered in a medieval England town, and the Jewish community is being blamed. The citizens say this proves that Jews sacrifice Christian children in creepy, secret ceremonies. King Henry I is concerned about the Jew’s fate -- mainly because without their taxes he would be bankrupt. Henry calls on his cousin the King of Sicily to import the best medical expert in Europe. He’s sent a young doctor named Adelia -- a "mistress of the art of death," AKA early version of the medical examiner.
Truth be told, this book started out as a yawner. I kept with it and after the first chapter was rewarded with a novel I couldn’t put down. Yes, some parts are corny and unbelievable, but it’s a nice blend of historical fiction with a shot of medieval CSI.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
A new hardcover edition came out late 2007 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the novel first published in 1957. Fifty years later, I venture to say Kerouac’s book still has what it takes to inspire young people in America to hit the road in search of, well, whatever it is they think they need to find but don’t know until they find it. Kerouac's novel is a great window to the rhythms of 1950s underground America, including jazz, sex, illicit drugs, the lure of the open road, of being “beat,” and that elusive “something” that can set you free. Based on Kerouac's real-life adventures.
If I were young, single, and daring I’d take off today.
The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook
In the 1890s Hannah Bass began writing in her journals about her great Western adventure -- first as the survivor of a horrific train wreck, then as a Harvey Girl at the fancy Montezuma Resort, and finally as the wife of Elliott Bass, a railway engineer. Fast forward to Hannah's daughter, Claudia Bass, a renowned historian who edited and published the diaries and basically rode her Mother’s written word to fame. However the great grand-daughter, Meg Mabry –hasn’t bothered reading them. That is until an excavation on the old family property reveals a discovery that can underscore the diaries and the family’s history.
I loved how Crook spun the modern-day professional Meg who has a cushy life, around the 1890’s frontier woman Hannah whose life consisted of Indian ruins, grand desert hotels, and hardships. Before your eyes, the stories collide and you see how several generations of women deal with family secrets, death, and creating your own life.
The Zookeepers Wife by Diane Ackerman
O.K. by now you may realize I’m a sucker for a true story, and this is the true story about the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, during World War II. They also happened to be an incredible husband and wife team who helped save hundreds of people from the Nazi’s.
Antonina is the zookeeper's wife, and although her husband fights in the resistance, it is really Antonina who shows us what true heroism is all about. It’s not about killing and guns, but more about daring, attitude, and creating joy in the face of hardship. This is a solid book. My only complaint is that Ackerman interjects too heavy a dose of the Warsaw Holocaust with Antonina’s own poetic writing and it didn’t work for me.
5.06.2008
Books Read April 2008
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
There are times, yea, verily, when life sucks and this is the true story of such a time. Sheff's son Nic was an athlete, honor student, and award-winning journalist – that is before meth. After meth, he lived on the streets and stole (even from his eight year old brother) to support his habit. As grievous as meth addiction is for the addict, it can also destroy the very thread that holds a family together. Meth is the most addictive and fastest-growing drug in the United States, as well as the most dangerous. And, as Sheff’s story clearly points out, it has invaded every nook, cranny and demographic in America.
Heart-breakingly good read.
Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
Cornelia Brown, seemingly happy city-dweller, up and decides to head for an idyllic suburb. Her husband Teo fits right in, but Cornelia struggles to find friends, and her neighbor Piper Truitt hates her. I actually know someone like Piper so I sympathize. Desperate for good pasta and a friend, Cornelia forms a friendship with a waitress named Lake and her son Dev. Add a few more couples – each facing life challenges and changes -- and you end up with a book filled with an unlikely group who most likely would never come together in the first place.
This book has a great cover which brings up the argument that you can’t judge the contents of a book by the design prowess of a graphic artist. Case in point.
Is The American Dream Killing You? by Paul Stiles
Stiles is a former Wall Street Trader that maintains that American capitalism "has become the driving force of American decline. The market is the heart that pumps the blood of America's ever more demanding cycle of work-buy-work and its social problems, from increased levels of stress to divorce, latchkey kids and the decline in spiritual and moral values. Stiles has a plethora of statistical data that document all that and more. He touches on many facets of how the market is killing us and also shows how advertisers use the media manipulates us to suit the market's needs.
Stiles illuminates the dark side of the free enterprise system and how many social ills can be traced back to one underlying principle. Some chapters were a bit difficult to get through, but I was mostly captivated – and mostly convinced.
Taft by Ann Patchett
John Nickel runs a bar called Muddy's on Memphis's Beale Street. Although is is/was a talented musician, he took the job to prove to his lover, Marion he could provide for her and their son. Marion and Franklin end up moving to Florida, but John stayed at the bar and let his passion for music die. Life is simple until Fay Taft shows up at Muddy's, lies about her age and asks for a job. What he gets is a needy girl, her drug-dealer brother Carl, and the sad story of their father’s death.
Parts of this book were brilliant, but for the most part it was draggingly slow.
The Magicians Assistant by Ann Patchett
And now ladies and gentlemen, watch closely as I pull an old book, circa 1998, out of my sleeve and reveal it for you today! It’s the story of Sabine, who, for many years, has been assistant and wanna-be lover to famous magician Parsifal. After his death she is lost and leaves sunny LA to discover the ‘real’ Parsifal with his grieving family in the snowy, windy mid-west.
Although I like Ann Patchett, this is not one of my fav’s. The magic is lost somewhere along the way, and even apparitions of the dead can’t help.
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
This is the story of Coelho’s journey across Spain along the legendary road of San Tiago -- which pilgrims have traveled since the Middle Ages -- and is the second most important pilgrimage for Catholics. In this contemporary quest, Coelho battles his own mind as well as real and present dangers from the dark side in an effort to retrieve his sword, and ultimately understand the nature of truth. His knowledge of Secret Society Initiation rites and actual experiences has you traveling along with him on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. I read somewhere that it is the first written account in the last 500 years. Regardless, Coelho once again blows our mind and reminds us there is a huge world waiting for us to discover, and I don’t mean vacation spots.
There are times, yea, verily, when life sucks and this is the true story of such a time. Sheff's son Nic was an athlete, honor student, and award-winning journalist – that is before meth. After meth, he lived on the streets and stole (even from his eight year old brother) to support his habit. As grievous as meth addiction is for the addict, it can also destroy the very thread that holds a family together. Meth is the most addictive and fastest-growing drug in the United States, as well as the most dangerous. And, as Sheff’s story clearly points out, it has invaded every nook, cranny and demographic in America.
Heart-breakingly good read.
Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
Cornelia Brown, seemingly happy city-dweller, up and decides to head for an idyllic suburb. Her husband Teo fits right in, but Cornelia struggles to find friends, and her neighbor Piper Truitt hates her. I actually know someone like Piper so I sympathize. Desperate for good pasta and a friend, Cornelia forms a friendship with a waitress named Lake and her son Dev. Add a few more couples – each facing life challenges and changes -- and you end up with a book filled with an unlikely group who most likely would never come together in the first place.
This book has a great cover which brings up the argument that you can’t judge the contents of a book by the design prowess of a graphic artist. Case in point.
Is The American Dream Killing You? by Paul Stiles
Stiles is a former Wall Street Trader that maintains that American capitalism "has become the driving force of American decline. The market is the heart that pumps the blood of America's ever more demanding cycle of work-buy-work and its social problems, from increased levels of stress to divorce, latchkey kids and the decline in spiritual and moral values. Stiles has a plethora of statistical data that document all that and more. He touches on many facets of how the market is killing us and also shows how advertisers use the media manipulates us to suit the market's needs.
Stiles illuminates the dark side of the free enterprise system and how many social ills can be traced back to one underlying principle. Some chapters were a bit difficult to get through, but I was mostly captivated – and mostly convinced.
Taft by Ann Patchett
John Nickel runs a bar called Muddy's on Memphis's Beale Street. Although is is/was a talented musician, he took the job to prove to his lover, Marion he could provide for her and their son. Marion and Franklin end up moving to Florida, but John stayed at the bar and let his passion for music die. Life is simple until Fay Taft shows up at Muddy's, lies about her age and asks for a job. What he gets is a needy girl, her drug-dealer brother Carl, and the sad story of their father’s death.
Parts of this book were brilliant, but for the most part it was draggingly slow.
The Magicians Assistant by Ann Patchett
And now ladies and gentlemen, watch closely as I pull an old book, circa 1998, out of my sleeve and reveal it for you today! It’s the story of Sabine, who, for many years, has been assistant and wanna-be lover to famous magician Parsifal. After his death she is lost and leaves sunny LA to discover the ‘real’ Parsifal with his grieving family in the snowy, windy mid-west.
Although I like Ann Patchett, this is not one of my fav’s. The magic is lost somewhere along the way, and even apparitions of the dead can’t help.
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
This is the story of Coelho’s journey across Spain along the legendary road of San Tiago -- which pilgrims have traveled since the Middle Ages -- and is the second most important pilgrimage for Catholics. In this contemporary quest, Coelho battles his own mind as well as real and present dangers from the dark side in an effort to retrieve his sword, and ultimately understand the nature of truth. His knowledge of Secret Society Initiation rites and actual experiences has you traveling along with him on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. I read somewhere that it is the first written account in the last 500 years. Regardless, Coelho once again blows our mind and reminds us there is a huge world waiting for us to discover, and I don’t mean vacation spots.
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