Well what do you know



TWO CENTS PLAIN by Martin Lemelman

My rating:  4 of 5 stars

I have read a fair amount of different genres over the years, and with the exception of poetry collections and erotica, I think that I have sampled just about every sort of book published. Up until last week there was at least one glaring exception to this statement, that being the graphic novel. Sure, as a kid I read “the funny papers,” as my grandmother used to call them; I also bought my daughter a number of Archie comic books when she was young that we would read together. But the idea of a graphic novel never appealed to me.  I just didn’t get it -- the idea that there was a qualitative difference between a “comic book” and a “graphic novel,” what exactly that difference was, and why would an adult want to read such a thing anyway? I also did not appreciate that an author could write a sophisticated story through the medium of comic-like cels and balloon dialogue.

Well, what did I know? Apparently not much when it came to this subject, because I just finished my first graphic novel, and I am stunned at the impact it had on me.

Two Cents Plain, is Martin Lemelman’s graphic memoir of his childhood growing up in 1950’s Brooklyn, where his parents owned a candy store. Lemelman’s parents were Holocaust survivors who came to America after enduring devastating loss and suffering. Through the use of pencil drawings, Lemelman illustrates his remembrances of living behind the candy store, the neighborhood cast of characters, his relationship with his childhood friends and his older brother Bernard, and the progression of societal change that eventually caused his family to leave Brooklyn in the mid 1970’s. Through the voice of each of his parents, their individual stories are told as well, and the stories are heartbreaking.

Lemelman’s illustrations are, in a word, amazing. They jump off the page bringing the story vividly to life so that the reader has a perfect sense of the time and place. As I read, I could hear the voices of the principals in my head as if they were speaking the very words attributed to them on the pages of the book. It was a revelation to me that such a weighty subject could be so beautifully wrought in a graphic novel.

Lest you think this offering is wholly serious, let me assure you that there are parts of this memoir that made me smile, and yes, even laugh out loud. While you can certainly breeze through this book in one sitting, I purposely strung out my reading time over several days to make it last . . . that tells you everything you need to know I think.

One minor quibble . . . and I do mean minor. There is a lot of talk and illustration of the vermin that infested the back of the store to the point that I wanted to say, enough with the roaches!

I received a hardcover edition of this book from the publisher, Bloomsbury Press as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. Two Cents Plain was released in October 2010.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which book bloggers highlight an upcoming release that they are eagerly anticipating. 
This week I chose:


The Four Ms. Bradwells
by Meg Waite Clayton
Release Date:  March 2011





From the author's website:

Mia, Laney, Betts, and Ginger, best friends since law school, have reunited for a long weekend as Betts awaits Senate confirmation of her appointment to the Supreme Court. Nicknamed “the Ms. Bradwells” during their first class at the University of Michigan Law School in 1979—when only three women had ever served full Senate terms and none had been appointed to the Court—the four have supported one another through life’s challenges: marriages and divorces, births and deaths, career setbacks and triumphs large and small. Betts was, and still is, the Funny One. Ginger, the Rebel. Laney, the Good Girl. And Mia, the Savant.


But when the Senate hearings uncover a deeply buried skeleton in the friends’ collective closet, the Ms. Bradwells retreat to a summer house on the Chesapeake Bay, where they find themselves reliving a much darker period in their past—one that stirs up secrets they’ve kept for, and from, one another, and could change their lives forever.

What are you waiting for?

The price of memory

THE FALSE FRIEND by Myla Goldberg

My rating:  3 of 5 stars

Myla Goldberg is an author that I have read before and loved. Her first novel, Bee Season, was a best seller and critically acclaimed; it was also made into a movie starring Richard Gere. I don't believe that her second novel, Wickett’s Remedy was as popular, although I loved it -- probably more than Bee Season. Given my past experience, I was very much looking forward to her latest, The False Friend.

The main character in this novel, Celia Durst, is haunted by the thought that she has kept a secret for years regarding the disappearance of her friend Djuna when the two girls were 11 years old. Twenty years later, with problems brewing in Celia's relationship with her live-in boyfriend Huck, Celia has an epiphany that causes her to confess her lie to her family and to those women who were with the girls at the time Djuna went missing. When Celia returns home to face her demons she is confronted, through the memory of others, with the child she was and the hurt she and Djuna inflicted on some of their classmates. The suspense builds as the reader is left guessing at the truth as to what happened to Djuna.

The False Friend turned out to be a very different book than I anticipated based on the jacket blurb. From that brief synopsis, I assumed that the novel would center on the mystery of what happened to Djuna.  Instead, the novel is much more a psychological character study arising from Celia's attempt to come to terms with her guilt.  The book becomes less about discerning exactly what happened that day, than a cautionary tale of the toll such cruelty can exact on the adults who were targets when young.

Ms. Goldberg’s evocation of the tyranny that is skillfully exerted by some young girls over others who only wish to fit in, is so accurate as to make this not-so-young female reader sigh with remembrance of past taunts and slights. Whether you were on the giving or the receiving end of the tyranny or simply a witness, this book will ring true and provide fodder for discussion. Much has been made these days, and rightly so, of the “mean girls” syndrome and the devastating effects of bullying, and novels like The False Friend are to be applauded for helping to drive the message home.

If you are looking for a novel driven by strong characterization and psychological elements rather than a fast-moving plot, you might try this one. One note -- the first quarter of the book is somewhat plodding, and I kept waiting for the story to take off. I trusted that eventually the story would get interesting, and sure enough, it did.

I received an advance reader's edition of this book from the publisher, Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.  Released in October of 2010.

A doggone fun read

TO FETCH A THIEF by Spencer Quinn

My rating:  3.5 of 5 stars

When an elephant and his trainer disappear from a local circus, Bernie Little of the Little Detective Agency and his dog, Chet, are on the case.  Told entirely in Chet's voice, To Fetch a Thief  is the third in this mystery series.  As one who had not read the previous two entries, I can attest to the fact that this one is entirely readable as a stand-alone book.

It is rare for me to read mysteries, and when I do, they tend to be of the "cozy" variety, either with a culinary or holiday theme.  I have also read and enjoyed several books in the Sneaky Pie Brown series penned by Rita Mae Brown in which animals participate in the crime solving, and this book was reminiscent of those.  Quinn gives Chet a wry sense of humor, and the way Quinn captures the easily distracted nature of some canines, was quite funny.  Seen through his sidekick's eyes, Bernie Little is a likable guy, and I found myself rooting for this duo as they tangled with the bad guys.

If you're looking for a fun, entertaining mystery with a quirky narrator, who by the way has his own website, Chet the Dog, go fetch this one today.

I received a hard cover edition of this book for review from the publisher, Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.  Released in September of 2010.

Not what I expected

THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CLUB by Ann Pearlman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From both the cover and the title, I expected this to be a fluffy, light holiday read. Boy was I wrong. Beginning with the first chapter this book tackled serious issues, including the gut-wrenching story of a woman dealing with the gruesome death of her adult son, a story that brought tears to my eyes and was hard to finish.

Through the use of an annual Christmas cookie exchange party, Ann Pearlman weaves the life narratives of twelve women as they share their cookie recipes and the various twists and turns their lives have taken over the preceding year. These self-professed “cookie bitches,” have experienced just about every life issue there is: adultery, infertility, adoption, deaths of husbands and children, divorce, abuse, economic ruin, inter-racial romances and more. Each of the chapters begins with a cookie recipe (some of which I am going to try this year), and then the woman’s story is told, as she explains why she chose that particular recipe. At the end of each chapter, the author includes a two page discussion of a different baking ingredient such as flour, nuts, and sugar, that contains fascinating facts (did you know that the vanilla flower is hermaphroditic, and is pollinated by humans breaching the flower’s membrane separating the male and female organs).

While the mix of the recipes, stories, and ingredient vignettes made for an interesting device, the book never really drew me in. I did like that, with two exceptions, the women were all in their 40’s to 60’s, as a lot of women’s fiction these days seems to center on much younger women. However, the fact that nearly every one of these women had confronted so many larger than life issues sort of strained the limits of credulity for me and as a result, I never felt like this was a realistic narrative. To be fair to the author, I was somewhat chagrined to read in her acknowledgements section that this book was based on a real cookie club in which she participates, and that many of the issues confronted by her characters, were in fact, experienced by her real life club members.

I gave this book three stars in part because I think it is a difficult book to categorize, and thus know to whom to recommend it. It is not a traditional holiday read; it’s too serious for that, and that uplifting sense most often present in “Christmas books” was not there for me. On the other hand, someone looking for a straight novel about women sustaining each other through the vagaries of life may be put off by the interruptions for recipes and ingredient stories. This is one that I think is best served by giving notice as to what it is and what it is not, and leaving it at that.

I was given a hard cover edition of this book by the publisher, Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The trade paperback will be released in November of 2010.

This review was edited several hours after the original posting to change the cover image of the book in order to conform to the trade paperback version being released in the U.S.  

Quick, interesting memoir

All Things at Once by Mika Brzezinski

My rating:  3.5 of  5 stars


This selection was an impulse read for me. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I do not read a lot of memoirs. It is a personal thing, but I tend to be turned off by the confessional tone to many of these books, particularly those written by celebrities. However, the flyleaf of this one suggested that this memoir would focus on Ms. Brzezinski’s struggle to juggle her high profile career with her role as a mother of two young girls, and it was that aspect that intrigued me.

I should preface my review by saying that I am not a news junkie, and I rarely watch the typical talking heads type cable political show. As a result, I was familiar with Mika Brzezinski mainly because her show with Joe Scarborough was on in the gym when I exercised at a ridiculously early morning hour (which I am somewhat chagrined to say I no longer do). I also had a vague memory of her father, Zbignew, and his role in the Carter administration.

I very much enjoyed this quick read. Told with a lack of pretension, and a self-deprecating voice, Ms. Brzezinski recounts her rise in the television news industry from low paying freelance jobs, to an anchor position at CBS, and her abrupt firing from the network at the age of 39. In doing so, she makes clear that her success resulted from a combination of hard work, and being in the right place at the right time on more than one occasion. For me, the most interesting part of the book was her description of the behind-the- scenes politicking of the MSNBC and CBS television newsrooms.

As for the personal stuff, Brzezinski explains in frank detail how early in her career she attempted to be everything to everyone, and as a result, her entire family suffered. Through trial and error, and her forced unemployment for more than a year, she ultimately found her way by focusing on what type of work she wanted, and what compromises she was and was not willing to make in other areas of her life.  To her credit, she stresses that the decisions she made were right for her, but will not necessarily be right for every woman who is also a mother.  If you're looking for a glimpse into the life of a news personality, or simply want a quick read about the attempt of one woman to have "all things at once," I would suggest you try this.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which bloggers highlight one title that they are eagerly anticipating.

This week I chose:

Read This Next
by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman
HarperCollins
Release Date:  November, 2010



Amazon.com's product description:

Ever been betrayed by a pretty cover and a pair of alluring blurbs?

Rest assured: Read This Next will never hurt you. The 500 book recommendations contained within these pages have all been carefully vetted and approved by two literary professionals with discerning taste and witty wit. Arranged into delightful thematic lists, these suggestions cover the best of literature high and low, from page-turning classics to mind-expanding fluff; from murder mysteries and post-apocalyptic visions to historical fiction and bathroom books. Each book is paired with deeply insightful, deeply hilarious discussion questions, perfect for book groups or for readers who just enjoy talking to themselves.

Sounds like a great book for book lovers!

What are you waiting for?

Pass the tofu

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

My rating:  4.5 of 5 stars

When I listed this book as part of a recent Mailbox Monday post, a number of bloggers jokingly remarked that they might have wanted to read it, but were afraid it would cause them to become a vegan, and that would not sit well with their families. Their remarks turned out to be quite prescient. Like the author, I have intermittently flirted with vegetarianism over the years. Unlike the author, who became a strict vegetarian on the day his son was born, I have continued to swing back and forth. Until now.

Before you get the idea that this book is some wild-eyed screed against carnivores, let me assure you that that is not what this book is. Foer emphasizes that his decision to eschew meat is a personal one that leaves room for respecting the different choices of others.

In fact, Foer makes clear that what he is really concerned with is not so much the ultimate sacrifice of the animal, but rather how much suffering should be tolerated in the name of cheaper food.  Thus, what he is strongly opposed to is the current business model of the factory farm, which results in widespread, horrific cruelty to animals, particularly in the poultry and hog industries.

Apart from the suffering, Foer explores the deleterious effects of the factory farm on the health of the food supply: the food borne illness that results from the deplorable conditions; the human resistance to antibiotics that is growing due to the ubiquitous medication of farm animals necessitated by their horrendous living conditions; and the documented environmental damage that results from factory farms with their toxic emissions and inadequate waste disposal systems.

This is a hard book to read. Portions of it are very much “in your face” and I venture to say that there are many committed meat eaters who will simply stop reading halfway through because it is too uncomfortable. I confess to being unable to read two pages of the book regarding the workings of a cattle slaughter line. But there is much more to this book than the shocking raw data regarding the meat industry.

Foer includes much food for thought (ugh. . . I know, bad pun), with several sardonic riffs.  For example, he posits if everyone would agree that it is a good thing not to abuse animals and that the environment is important to preserve, why is it that society often views veganism as “radical” when it supports both of those universally accepted ideals. His satirical observations regarding why, if we eat birds and cows, don’t we also eat dogs in this country, provokes a more serious examination of why we deem it acceptable to inflict pain and suffering on some animals and not others.

He also draws informative distinctions between those who are of the “animal rights” mindset such as those who work for PETA, and those who advocate for “animal welfare” such as the Humane Society. Foer includes personal statements of ranchers and animal advocates that offer an insight into the thinking of individuals on both sides of the issue. Of particular interest to me was the anomalous story of a committed vegan who has helped to fund a slaughterhouse operated by a heritage turkey farmer because he is one of the handful who treats his animals with care.

The one problem that I had with the book is that at times, it just became so overwhelming. After reading about the horrible suffering inflicted on chickens, hogs and cattle, I found myself thinking, well there is always fish -- only to read that farmed fish are kept in filthy conditions, wild is not an alternative because of all the sea life that is destroyed in industrial fishing methods, not to mention that fish can and do feel pain. It was almost too much.

In that vein, I wish that Foer had included more advice for those consumers who want to make better choices. At several points in the book, he makes clear that he is not advocating an “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to diet, and that a little change is better than none.  Unfortunately, after reading the book, I am not sure how one would make small changes since Foer indicates that there are virtually no meat suppliers that operate under the family farm model any more, and thus choosing to meat will almost invariably mean that you are supporting the factory farms that perpetuate the suffering.  The Resource Guide in the back of the book does offer some suggestions for websites to consult, including where to find the products of small family farmers, and for that I am grateful. I just wish there had been more.

I received a trade paperback edition of this book for review from the publisher, Hachette Book Group, Inc.  The hard cover was published in 2009, and the trade paperback was released in September 2010.