Food for thought

Comfort food is a term of art, used to refer to homey, satisfying fare that brings back good memories, soothes wounded souls, and undoubtedly makes your clothes tighter the next day. We all have our particular dishes that work for us: for me, it is ice cream and warm pudding (not necessarily together, but it is a thought worth trying out).

When it comes to reading, what are your ”comfort foods?“ Do you reach for a locked room mystery, a bodice-ripper, a sports biography, an historical period piece, or none of the above? For me, a generational saga, preferably spread out over several volumes, does it every time. Losing myself in this type of work is the literary equivalent of putting on the softest pair of flannel pajamas. In recent years, I have read two such trilogies: The Lytton Trilogy, authored by Penny Vincenzi, and The Cazelet Chronicles, by Elizabeth Jane Howard, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This year, in addition to the books I dive into without a second thought, I am deliberately trying to read 12 classics and 12 “out of the box” books, which for me loosely translates to horror, sci fi, fantasy, memoir or humor. I think it is good to stray out of my comfort zone from time to time in other areas of my life. We’ll see how that plays out in my reading life. Will I revel in a newly discovered appreciation for ghosts and humorists or will I dip into the Forsyte Saga the first time the dog decides to eat whatever irreplaceable thing he has grabbed off my nightstand? How about you? Will you explore a new literary world this year, or do you prefer to stay in your flannel pajamas?

New day, new look

No, there's nothing wrong with your eyes -- I decided to change up the look of the blog. Hope you like!

Be careful what you say

Listen by Rene Gutteridge


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The premise of this book is one that raises some interesting questions. When a website starts reporting the private conversations of people in a small town, the locals start to turn on one another as hurt feelings give way to anger and paranoia. The reaction of the community members in turn causes the reader to reflect on the power of words: does what we say in private matter. . .do our private words inform the way we live or are they insignificant as long as they remain within our own four walls? The reason I did not rate the book higher is that I thought it went on a little too long; it could easily have been 50 pages shorter and would then have better kept my interest. I would, however, definitely recommend this one for book clubs because it is sure to spark some interesting discussions.

Reading through the years

Reading has always been a part of my life; it has sustained me through personal losses; provided a refuge when the world just seemed too loud and fast; and has proved to be a source of enduring connection with my husband (also an avid reader). Now that my only child is headed off to college next fall, I find myself considering how much reading informed our relationship as well.
One of the things that brings a tear to my eyes these days (and there isn’t much that does not these days), is when I go in her room and look at her bookshelves. We used to love to read together; when she was very little, she loved for me to read to her, and when she was old enough to read, we would spend hours at the library or our local Barnes and Noble picking out books. When I wasn’t chasing down the latest Beanie Baby or Pokemon card that she had to have, I could often be found tracking down a new Amelia Bedelia, Arthur, or Berenstain Bear book; when we graduated to series chapter books it was Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, and the Tamora Pierce books. I left Harry Potter to her father; I never liked those books and after the first two, he gladly took over those reading duties.
Maybe this is just the wish of a soon-to-be empty nester, but I like to think that she remembers those times as well. Sitting on her bed when it was snowing outside, and we were safe and warm, immersed in a world where mostly good things happened, and it all came right in the end. Driving home from middle school talking about To Kill a Mockingbird and what courage is, and how good people can often be misunderstood because of the way that they appear. And just last year, discussing Elie Wiesel’s Night, read for her Ethics class, and the world’s response to the genocides of today. As an 18-year-old, she is consumed with her music, AP exams, sports and academic commitments, prom dates and the various forms of technology-connectedness (i.e. Facebook, texting and BBMing). I like to think that her love of reading is still in her DNA, even if right now, she would say “Mom….I don’t have time to read for fun!” As for me, I will keep the copy of our favorite picture book, The Big Green Pocketbook, in a prominent place on her bookshelf. Unless of course she wants to take it with her to college….

Review of Sequel to Presumed Innocent

Innocent by Scott Turow


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a book that I received from the publisher as a giveaway on a book related site.

Like many other people who will read this book, I read Presumed Innocent, the prequel to this book, many years ago. I have vague recollections of the plot of that book -- the basics, but not really the nuances. While you could conceivably read Innocent as a stand alone, I think the reader is better served by having read the first book.
That said, I thought this was a great ride! Scott Turow is a gifted writer, his prose is beautiful, and at the same time, the plot twists keep you turning the pages desperate to see what will happen next. One of the things I think I most appreciated about the book was the way it ended. Often, this type of courtroom novel can leave the reader feeling unsatisfied with a nice neat conclusion or a totally preposterous one. Turow avoids that pitfall here, resolving the story in a credible and yet surprising way.

In sum, I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes literary courtroom works.

Review of Shanghai Girls

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh how I hated to see this book end.
This heartbreaking and compelling story of two sisters who come to America during China's war with Japan was wonderful on so many different levels. Not only did I feel transported to Shanghai and the Chinese villages described therein, but the storyline played out in a way that kept me reading long after I should have turned out the light. Ms. See also has an uncanny ability to create characters that ring true and evoke emotions ranging from empathy to frustration to love and hate -- just like people that we are intimately familiar with in our family and friendships. Finally, without giving anything away, the final scene between the sisters, and the way the book ends, sealed the five star review for me, and left me wanting more.
I will definitely read more by this author.

3 Wives, 28 Children, and One Amazing Book

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As I sit down to write this review, I find myself thinking there is no way that I can possibly describe this book: the banalities I usually employ, like "I couldn't put it down," feel so lame because this book was so good, but I'll try.

The novel tells the story of Golden, a polygamist with three wives and 28 children, whose life is falling apart due to a variety of things, including his decision to build a brothel, and have an affair with the wife of his boss.

I started out convinced that I would not like any of the characters -- Golden in particular, but also, the wives. However, the author's painstaking portrayal of the complex emotions that animate each of the spouse's reasons for participating in this lifestyle made it impossible to dismiss any of them. In fact, I didn't like Golden for most of the book, then the story of his daughter Glory's death and funeral is revealed, and it just broke my heart for him. Similarly, the author makes you love Rusty (one of the young boys) with all your heart, even though he's kind of gross and maddening the way I imagine young boys can be at times. One of the most amazing things about this author is how artfully he manages to make the reader feel profound sadness, and in the next instant, laugh out loud.

The chaos caused by and interactions among the children is hilarious without being ridiculous; I would imagine anyone coming from a large family would recognize some of the descriptions as right on the money. What I came away with is that this author really cared about these characters -- which was particularly important I think because the fundamentalist Mormons could easily be reduced to caricatures. I read an article that explained how the author made it a point to visit with one of these communities for an extended period, and to me, it shows in the way he humanized his characters.
In sum, for me, the range of emotions this book evoked was simply overwhelming. The author's observations about how love and loss are always intimately connected rang all too true, and the end of the book contains one of the most moving accounts of death that I have ever read.