The end of the world is not a wonderful place; there are almost no people. You've got your family & maybe some people on the next island--they're ok, The end of the world is not a wonderful place; there are almost no people. You've got your family & maybe some people on the next island--they're ok, but not family. There might be an occasional trader. And you might have a few animals. Survival takes a lot of work, a lot. And then there's the thief. The thief takes Griz's dog and Griz gives chase. And thus begins what turns into a complicated, time consuming, sometimes beautiful and sometimes dangerous quest. This is all pretty much in the inside cover flap, so no spoilers. To avoid introducing spoilers, I have to avoid telling you much, so here's what I can say safely. Read this book; you'll be glad you did!...more
I don't know what to say about this book. Obviously Charlie suffered for years, so much that he had two bouts in the psych ward. His feelings toward hI don't know what to say about this book. Obviously Charlie suffered for years, so much that he had two bouts in the psych ward. His feelings toward his Aunt Helen clearly were more comfused than they initially appeared to be, especially for him. Thank goodness he had friends, no matter that those friendships were complicated. I think he was especially fortunate to have found "friend" to write to. Obviously the writing of his letters to "friend" was very helpful to him, as, apparently, it was that he got replies, whether from "friend" or others.
I think the reason I am having difficulty writing about this book is that the revelation of his abuse by his Aunt Helen caused me to remember something unpleasant from my own childhood, something that really never was addressed, much less resolved. Well, it was resolved in a sense. My Uncle _ died a long, horrible protacted death from cancer. And I was glad and didn't even feel guilty about being glad. I remember that my middle sister and I once asked my mother why she and my aunt, the sister closest to her, not _'s wife, never did anything. She replied that they thought we didn't like to take naps with my uncle just because we didn't like to take naps. How could they not know? Not even suspect? Not ask us? I don't remember any of the particulars, though obviously whatever he did to us was not traumatizing, as Charlie's aunt's actions were. Perhaps it wasn't traumatizing because we experienced it, whatever it was, together. So I actually called my baby sister to ask what she remembered. She said she only remembered that there were rumors that he molested us. Huh. I told her that maybe she wasn't in his "prefered age range" and, thus, was spared. She laughed. Since my middle sister has died, and I haven't been in touch with my relevant cousin for decades, I guess I'll never know. Childhood can be a puzzle. In any event, when you read this book, don't be surprised if it opens up boxes long closed....more
This was a good read, not spectacular, but engaging. Shroff deals with multiple, intersectional inequalities--caste, religion, and, of course, gender-This was a good read, not spectacular, but engaging. Shroff deals with multiple, intersectional inequalities--caste, religion, and, of course, gender--and how the women of one village deal with these. The women's lifelong oppressions and their places in the intersectional mix make banding together, well, easier said than done; trust doesn't come naturally. But when they do band together, look out! A bit of a warning/preparation for readers--this book contains a fair amount of violence (beatings, rapes, murders)....more
I've enjoyed Erik Larson's work in the past, but not this time. This is not to say that the book isn't well-written--it absolutely is. For those interI've enjoyed Erik Larson's work in the past, but not this time. This is not to say that the book isn't well-written--it absolutely is. For those interested in this aspect, this back-story, of the blitz, I'm sure it's totally engaging. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I've been struggling to slog through this for the sake of a book club, but I just can't keep doing it. ...more
You know how sometimes by the time you've read the first page of a novel, you know you're going to love it? This is that novel. This story has it all-You know how sometimes by the time you've read the first page of a novel, you know you're going to love it? This is that novel. This story has it all--family drama, a person/being from far, far away (as in, not of this world or even galaxy), loss, a cabin in the woods, an evil military program, a cult, danger, manly romance (i.e. without writing one of the parties as a silly airhead, which makes straight romance a genre best avoided), a quest, and, yes, love, all sorts of love (romantic, family, friend) and even, at the end, a dog. Klune packs in a lot!
I don't know if this has been banned, but assume that if not, it will be. Yes, there is sex. I can't even try to summarize the plot, because it's so wild and wacky that I'd almost certainly drop in a spoiler or two, and I don't want to do that. What I can say is that I have to read more Klune. Meanwhile, you should read this one. You won't be sorry!...more
It's an old story, one we've seen before, no? A young woman, for one reason or another, goes to stay at a big, old house where some sort of bad thing It's an old story, one we've seen before, no? A young woman, for one reason or another, goes to stay at a big, old house where some sort of bad thing has happened. In this case, maybe two murders, maybe two disappearances, maybe one of each. The house, naturally, is inhabited by some strange people and creepy/frightening goings on are not unusual.
Obviously, this "old story" often works and can be a lot of scary fun. The cover and inside blurbs promised a great read, using all sorts of words that attracted me--Gothic, absorbing, "mystery lover's delight", compelling. In truth, I should have been warned by the "stylish" and "literary magic" sort of comments. Well, here, I did not find scary fun. It was hard to figure out the motivations of the characters, no one of whom I really liked very much at all. So why read it? Well, at first I kept going, hoping for some of that magic and delight. Latter, I figured I had paid good money for it and decided to keep at it; sometimes I am stubborn. I will say that the ending was totally unexpected (at least by me) and that alone brought my rating from 2 stars to 3. And now, it will find a new home at the local library.
Wow! Pick up this book when you have a day (or more) you can devote totally to reading, because you won't be able to put it down.
You can get the book Wow! Pick up this book when you have a day (or more) you can devote totally to reading, because you won't be able to put it down.
You can get the book description from goodreads or Amazon. Know that there are plenty of murders here, gruesome murders, with a lot of blood. There is also beauty and love (even if that doesn't necessarily end well). Carter does give us a very scary "monster", one created by man's evil.
Although the story itself is contemporary, circa 2000, it is rooted in the history, folklore, and pain of enslaved people. If there is a lesson here, it is that, try as those in power might, history cannot be cancelled; it matters today and always.
If you want to read a story about the struggle of two aristocractic sisters after the Bolshevik revolution, along with a haunting of their house, withIf you want to read a story about the struggle of two aristocractic sisters after the Bolshevik revolution, along with a haunting of their house, with no mention about why there was a Bolshevik revolution, this might be the book for you. You won't be troubled about the obscene wealth of the aristocrats, the opulent lifestyle that wealth afforded them, or how they maintained it. You'll even get some family drama and ghosts here. Not a single character gives even a thought to the pre-revolution lives of those who were not aristocrats, not one of the Russians or the Americans. Yes, Gilmore gives her readers a romantic bit of anti-Soviet propaganda. Why we need anti-Soviet propaganda these days is a mystery. As for me, I read it for a book club and am glad to be finished with it. The lack of any stars is not an accident....more
Last night I wanted a book that I could read in bed without having to deal with a book light, so, something on my Kindle. I found this, not rememberinLast night I wanted a book that I could read in bed without having to deal with a book light, so, something on my Kindle. I found this, not remembering when or why I had gotten it. I figured it would service my purpose.
I figured right! This is a marvelous story!
From goodreads' description:
"From the author of the Inspector Montalbano series comes the remarkable account of an exceptional woman who rises to power in 17th century Sicily and brings about sweeping changes that threaten the iron-fisted patriarchy, before being cast out in a coup after only 27 days. The Marquise implements measures that include lowering the price of bread, reducing taxes for large families, re-opening women's care facilities, [and more]. Based on a true story, Camilleri's gripping and richly imagined novel tells the story of a woman whose courage and political vision is tested at every step by misogyny and reactionary conservatism."...more
Some of my shelves are self-evident, while a couple might need explanation. The "political fiction" label refers to "political" in the larger sense, iSome of my shelves are self-evident, while a couple might need explanation. The "political fiction" label refers to "political" in the larger sense, issues larger than party politics. I was torn about the "thriller" label, but added it because of the ending of the book, where we wait to see whether Ishmael (the newspaper man) will do the right rhing, whether the jury and judge will do the right thing, and, most of all, whether Miyamoto will be found guilty of murder and, perhaps, hanged. I was so tense reading this part that it made me physically ill. So I went with the label. Similarly, this is not a "horror" story in the typical sense of the word. But with the the horror of the internment, the virulent racism after the war, yeah, it's a horror story; I might be more attuned to this in our current political climate. Also, the book gets at what we now think of as PTSD, though without naming it, and it is decidedly relevant to the story. I don't have a label for that, though.
I am not good at providing succinct summaries of books, so here is what Amazon and the back cover of the book said (with a wee bit of editing):
"San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, is a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. But in 1954 a local fisherman is found suspiciously drowned [contrary to this, the death first was seen as accidental], and a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder.
In the course of the ensuing trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than a man's guilt. For on San Pedro, memory grows as thickly as cedar trees and the fields of ripe strawberries—memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and the Japanese girl who grew up to become Kabuo's wife; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost [legally stolen]. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by . . . what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbors watched."
The back cover of the book refers to it as "densely atmospheric". Well, yes and no. Guterson uses a lot of space, detail, and repetition describing the setting and the lives of the people in it. I generally love a book that uses the location such that it almost becomes a character. To my eye, Guterson doesn't do that. He just loves description to the extent that it gets in the way of the story. That is my main criticism and reason for giving it 4, rather than 5, stars. It drove me to distraction!
This book immediately put me in mind of "Blood in the Water: A True Story of Revenge in the Maritimes" by Silver Donald Cameron. Though the books are quite different, both involve a death in the sea, one while fishing, one while lobstering, trials in which suggestion and inuendo pass for evidence, and small-town justice, including relationships between those living in the small town. Cameron's book is more explicitly political (again, large scale, not partisan politics) and gives a reader more of a sense, a feel, of the town, the difficulties and the positives, and the people in it. It led me, a life-long city girl, to think that maybe a small town could be a good place to live. It was, ultimately, much more satisfying than Guterson's.
Guterson does draw solid characters, people a reader cares about, for better or worse. It was heartbreaking to see the Miyamotos separated, dragged off to internment camps, and lose their land. It was sad to see the young love between Ishmael and Katsue fall apart prematurely. To watch the machinations of Etta Heine to keep land that, while legally hers, was not morally hers; she, in particular, is a nasty, racist, piece of work. Reading the courtroom scenes makes one hope for a good lawyer, should I ever need a lawyer and cringe over Kabuo's. It was impossible not to hope that Kabuo and Katsue, after their return to San Piedro Island and starting their family, would be able to regain the land that was rightfully, if not legally, his. The relationship betweens Ishmael and his mother was beautiful & it was good to him him "grow" into himself.
This is a strange one. It is a mystery--Did Jennet commit suicide? Was her death an accident or was she murdered? And if the latter, who did it? But tThis is a strange one. It is a mystery--Did Jennet commit suicide? Was her death an accident or was she murdered? And if the latter, who did it? But this is not a detective/crime-solving sort of mystery. Nope. Decades later, her friends gather for a reunion, which also isn't really so much a reunion, but an attempt by one of them to get to the facts of Jennet's death. Instead of investigative techniques, they use sog--a bizarre drink that helps you to reconnect to the past. This is where the fantasy-supernatural thing comes in. There are no supernatural beings or anything like that, but the effects of the drug go way beyond memory or hallucination. If young, you can experience bits of your future. If older, you reexperience your past. It is the past that is relevant here, and you really go back and reexperience the past, quite viscerally. This, of course, raises the question of whether you can change it in the process, which a couple try to do. Also, you can get lost in the past or in the going back and forth; this isn't explored all that deeply, though one character has been through this. The drug and its effects are sort of a sci-fi angle, as well as the "would you change the past if you could, a recuring sci-fi question. Naturally, this drink is distributed by unsavory drug dealers, not cooked up in a lab filled with beakers, computers, and other scientific apparatus. (The drug dealers aren't really so important to the story.)
This is an engaging story, one that might have you staying up reading later than perhaps you should. Enjoy!...more
Patty Bergen, a Jewish girl who lives in a small town in Arkansas, turns 12 during WWII, when a POW camp for German soldiers is opened nearby. Her fatPatty Bergen, a Jewish girl who lives in a small town in Arkansas, turns 12 during WWII, when a POW camp for German soldiers is opened nearby. Her father is violently abusive and her mother is, well, to say uncaring is an understatement. Her only friends are Ruth, the family's housekeeper (African American, of course, living with all the baggage that carries, esp. in the south and including in the Bergen home) and Freddy (a neighborhood boy she is forbidden to play with, because he's poor, because he's "slow" or both; she isn't sure which). And then she meets Anton, when some POWs are brought to her father's store to buy hats; Anton is the only one who can translate between German and English. They have an immediate connection, despite how fruitless it might be. Ok, this is the set-up. The drama begins when Anton escapes the camp. Also, Patty can hardly open her mouth without lying, sometimes effectively, but often not. (She does make up some rather wild tales.) If you don't know the story, you'll have to read it, because you'll get no spoilers from me.
I read this for my Banned Book Club and almost quit early on. I was underwhelmed by Greene's writing in the first person of a 12 year old girl; many of you know the issues of writing a child character who has more intellectual curiosity than adults, and more wisdom. But, it was "homework" and I'm a Virgo, so . . . I'm glad I finished it, despite the problems. For starters, I've lived for > 7 decades and never knew that there had been German POW camps in the U.S. So much for how history has been taught in this country, even long before Desantis attacked truth in our educational system. The book was difficult--Patty's loneliness, her abusive father, the casual racism, etc. The ending is sad but at the same time, hopeful.
Why was it banned? Since I was wondering, I Googled it. I found it was banned because of language (?), racism (well, yes, any portrayal of the South in those days would reflect this if it were not to be totally PollyAnna), and because the ending is too sad for young children (huh? How could any child who has access to any media--tv news, print news, film of any sort, social media--not be exposed to much sadder material than this book?!). I didn't notice complaints about child abuse, but might just have missed that....more
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