Blue Shoe, Anne Lamott (3 stars)

From Amazon: Mattie Ryder is marvelously neurotic, well-intentioned, funny, religious, sarcastic, tender, angry, and broke. Her life at the moment is a wreck: her marriage has failed, her mother is failing, her house is rotting, her waist is expanding, her children are misbehaving, and she has a crush on a married man. Then she finds a small rubber blue shoe—nothing more than a gumball trinket—left behind by her father. For Mattie, it becomes a talisman—a chance to recognize the past for what it was, to see the future as she always hoped it could be, and to finally understand her family, herself, and the ever-unfolding mystery of her sweet, sad, and sometimes surprising life.
 

Review

Nobody writes “marvelously neurotic” as well as Anne Lamott. As a writer, I loved her novel on writing, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (read my 5-star review here). And I’ve said time and time again that I wouldn’t have survived my first year as a mom without her memoir, Operating Instructions: A Journal of my Son’s First Year. Her willingness to lay it all on the line, flaws and all, is appealing and endearing.

So I was excited to finally read one of her fiction novels. Blue Shoe is about Mattie Ryder, a woman struggling to find herself after divorce. Along the journey, she falls for a married man, discovers her father’s secrets, begins to understand her mother, and starts to find her strength.

While searching for answers, she discovers a small rubber blue shoe in her father’s things. It becomes a beacon of hope and a charm for protection. Mattie and her brother ultimately discover just how dysfunctional their family is, and how it has affected who they have become.

I’m all for flawed characters and families, but there has to be an underlying likability that makes you want to endure the character’s struggles. Hopefully the payoff is a slightly less flawed character in the end, one you care about. This book simply ended up being a struggle for me. I kept feeling like I was on the edge of liking it, of really embracing the characters, but I never made it there. It makes me sad, because I really wanted to love it.

I have enough faith in Anne Lamott’s writing and ability to create raw and emotional story that this book will not make me give up on her work. But I’ll be doing a bit more research on which of her fiction books I try next.

Rating: 3 stars

More about the author: Anne Lamott is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Grace (Eventually), Plan B, Traveling Mercies, and Operating Instructions, as well as seven novels, including Rosie and Crooked Little Heart. She is a past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.

 *****

This book was part of my 2012 TBR (To Be Read) Pile Challenge. Now, I only have six more to read by the end of the year. No pressure!

Thankfully, I love to read. Bring it on!

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (5 stars)

From Amazon: It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

The best book I’ve read this year, if not the best book I’ve ever read. I’d elevate my star scale simply to give this a 6 and then retire 6s.

There’s nothing more exhilarating than reading a book destined to be a classic. Narrated by death, the story of Liesel is powerful. When Liesel witnesses her brother’s death, her book thievery begins. In a world no child should have to understand, books represent her struggle to survive.

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head? You can be in the grocery store unable to shake its melodic grip on your brain. After humming it for days, you try to listen to other music to shake it. You can’t. That is The Book Thief.

I’m struggling to summarize the brilliance and intricacy of this story. Every word has meaning and does its part to create unforgettable characters and storyline. Throughout, Death talks about the job of delivering souls during World War II. From the back cover: Death has never been busier and will become busier still.

Death notices Liesel pick up her first stolen book: The Grave Digger’s Handbook. Normally averse to knowing people’s stories, Death can’t help but become connected to Liesel. He sees her many more times as he picks up other souls.

When her foster father’s commitment to a past war buddy results in the family hiding a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s life will never be the same. Max bonds with the girl through stories and pictures. Ultimately, he must leave and Liesel faces another loss. She will have to face many more.

This story will hold your heart prisoner. It haunted my dreams at night, and I know Liesel and her story will stay with me. I’ve given 5 stars before, but never have I so fully believed a book should be read before now. This needs to be in classrooms, on bookshelves, and in people’s minds.

I couldn’t agree more with the sentence from Amazon: This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Rating: 5 stars

*****

This book was part of my 2012 TBR (To Be Read) Pile Challenge. Now, I only have nine more to read the rest of the year. No pressure!

This book also counts as book one of my 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge. Nine more to go there, too.

Thankfully, I love to read. Bring it on!

The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood (3.5 stars)

From Amazon: In Homer's "Odyssey", Penelope - wife of Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy - is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes off to fight in the Trojan War after the abduction of Helen, Penelope manages, in the face of scandalous rumours, to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son, and keep over a hundred suitors at bay. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters and sleeping with goddesses, he kills her suitors and - curiously - twelve of her maids.

In a splendid contemporary twist to the ancient story, Margaret Atwood has chosen to give the telling of it to Penelope and to her twelve hanged maids, asking: 'What led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to?' In Atwood's dazzling, playful retelling, the story becomes as wise and compassionate as it is haunting, and as wildly entertaining as it is disturbing. With wit and verve, drawing on the storytelling and poetic talent for which she herself is renowned, she gives Penelope new life and reality - and sets out to provide an answer to an ancient mystery.

(Part of The Myths series. Details from the book: The Myths series brings together some of the world’s finest writers, each of who has retold a myth in a contemporary and memorable way. Authors in the series include: Chinua Achebe, Margaret Atwood, Karen Armstrong, AS Byatt, David Grossman, Milton Hatoum, Victor Pelevin, Donna Tartt, Su Tong, and Jeanette Winterson.)

Review

Prior to this, I had only read one Margaret Atwood book, Oryx and Crake. I was enchanted with her writing and interesting view of the world. When I found The Penelopiad at the bookstore not long after, I knew I had to read another Atwood book. This might not have been the best pick, however.

Although the story is entertaining and witty, I felt like I needed a better background in mythology or at least should have read Homer’s Odyssey to more fully engage. But, this book has one of the better opening lines I’ve read recently: Now that I’m dead I know everything.

Penelope, and at times the twelve maids, narrates the story about her long-suffering wait for the return of her husband, Odysseus. In a twist, Penelope tells her tale from Hades and in a more modern setting, as she has been dead for centuries. This added an intriguing element, particularly when Penelope comments on modern ways and the diminished role of gods and goddesses. Better yet, Penelope is there with Helen of Troy, her cousin and the well known beauty who enjoys watching Penelope squirm. The fact that they are still fighting centuries later is hilarious.

I wanted to love this book, but it felt choppy and rushed. I think if I had read Homer’s work and brushed up on my mythology facts, I would have enjoyed it so much more. At 193 pages, it felt more like a novella/short story. With such an intriguing concept, I wanted more details as well as an increased anticipation on how it would unfold.

If you are a mythology guru and love a quick, interesting read, you should pick this book up and consider it more of a 4.5. Otherwise, I’d look into some of Atwood’s other works. I know I will.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Note: The story was closer to a 4 than a 3, so I will list it as a 4-star rating on GoodReads and Amazon.

This book was part of my 2012 TBR (To Be Read) Pile Challenge. Now, I only have ten more to read the rest of the year. No pressure!

The Truth About Forever, Sarah Dessen (5 stars)

Finally, I've read the first book in my 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Pile Challenge.

Yes, it's June 7. I've left myself 11 books to read in 6 months. Talk about making it a challenge. Eek!

At least I started with a 5 star read and a new go-to author.

*****

From Amazon: Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development.

But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or…Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all—so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So…happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before.

This is the rare book that brings together the two sides of me: mother and daughter. The mom in me wanted to wrap my arms around the main character and shelter her from all the pain, but the teenager in me understood the bumpy process she needed to go through to figure out who she needed to be. In my humble opinion, Judy Blume is the authority on teenagers and coming of age stories. But, dare I say… Sarah Dessen is this generation’s Judy Blume. And I can say that with some authority, since I have a preteen daughter who I know would love this book and I devoured all of Blume’s books during my own teenage years.

Macy faces all the typical facets of teenagerdom, but all of that seems inconsequential when she witnesses her dad die. To cope, Macy surrounds herself with safety and routine. Unfortunately, safety is keeping her from living, something she’s not aware of until Delia and her band of helpers come to cater one of Macy’s Mom’s parties. Then her “safe” boyfriend, gone for the summer to Brain Camp, sends her an email asking for a cooling off period. How do you cool off something that never had any heat?!

Macy joins the catering crew and slowly comes back to life, bringing a damaged Wes, who lost his mother to cancer, on the journey with her. More than anything, I wanted Macy to embrace life and start enjoying youth, but I also wanted Wes to heal and be part of Macy’s new life.

One of the characters gives this advice in the book: “For any one of us our forever could end in an hour, or … years from now. You can never know for sure, so you’d better make every second count.” Great advice for young and old, and I’d classify this book as making your reading time count!

Thanks to Sarah Dessen's excellent story and character development, I can’t think of a reader who wouldn’t love this book. Okay, maybe male readers who only want action or people who insist a story must have a paranormal angle. And, wait, if you’ve never been a teenager, you might not understand. All others, get your box of Kleenex, find a comfortable spot to sit, and dive in. You’ll be glad you did.

Rating: 5 stars and a Judy Blume comparison

Happy New Year: Welcome 2012

Happy New Year! I am looking forward to 2012, a year that will include my 40th birthday. I am recommitting to reading thanks to Stephen King. I just finished his novel, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. In it, Stephen King reiterates a concept I've always believed: good writers read, and they read a lot.


My biggest 2012 goal... I plan to publish my second novel, our follow up to Depression Cookies. To focus on writing, I believe I have to also focus on reading. I have already joined the 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Pile Challenge, and I plan to join a few more reading challenges this year. Stay tuned for announcements.

I will also continue to review for Rebecca's Reads. This allows me exposure to books I might never hear about otherwise. In January, I will review Stephen King's On Writing, Elizabeth Ann West's Cancelled (scheduled for tomorrow!), Cindy Sample's Dying for a Dance, and many more. Plus, I'll keep answering Should be Reading prompts and questions from my 30 Day Book Meme.

I look forward to sharing good books with all of you. Please do the same. If you've read a book you love, share it with me either in the comments below or on GoodReads, Facebook, or Twitter.

Joining a New Challenge: The 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Pile Challenge

I just discovered a great reading challenge from Jess Witkins’ guest post on one of my favorite blogs, Jenny Hansen’s Cowbell. This 2012 To Be Read Pile Challenge comes from Adam at Roof Beam Reader and you can still officially sign up through December 31, 2011.

Here are the rules:

1. Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for AT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2011 or later (any book published in the year 2010 or earlier qualifies, as long as it has been on your TBR pile – I WILL be checking publication dates). Caveat: Two (2) alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the “can’t get through” pile.

2. You must write an original review/response (it doesn’t have to be anything fancy) for each book, to help us ensure you are actually completing the books you say you are.

3. The link you post in the Mr. Linky AT ADAM’S SIGN-UP POST must be to your “master list.” This is where you will keep track of your books completed, crossing them out and/or dating them as you go along, and updating the list with the links to each review (so there’s one easy, convenient way to find your list and all your reviews for the challenge).

 

 *****

I am so excited about this challenge. I’m ashamed to admit how many books I had to weed through to come up with my ten plus two. I buy books like some people buy shoes. My husband is going to be so thrilled that I am reading ones I already own!

My list reveals my schizophrenic nature when it comes to books. My genres and interests are all over the place.

Here’s my list: (Can also be found on my 2012 TBR Pile Challenge Page)

1. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
2. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
3. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen
4. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
5. Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott
6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
7. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
8. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
9. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
10. Bel Canto by Anne Patchett
11. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
12. Made in the USA by Billie Letts 

Alternates:

1. Dead Man’s Walk by Larry McMurtry
2. Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

Just for fun, I counted the books on my TBR shelves… 56. And this doesn’t count a pile of about fifteen I’ve bought recently or the books I’ve yet to read on my Kindle. Please do me a favor, don’t tell my husband. ;-)

What are the top five books awaiting your attention?

Shh, Don't Tell My Husband: Musing Mondays

Another Musing Mondays prompt by Should be Reading:

How many books do you read in a week? Month? Year?

I wish I could read more than I do! I go through spurts. Some weeks I'll knock down a couple of books, and some weeks I don't crack the bind (or Kindle cover) on anything. In a perfect world, I would read several hours a day.

Like everything else in my life, I do better when I set goals and challenges. I read and review two books a month for Rebeccas Reads and read a book for my monthly book club. So, at minimum, I read three books a month. I usually manage to squeeze in a few more. My goal for 2012: read at least one book a week in addition to my book club selection and review obligations.

Check back tomorrow to find out about the 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Pile Challenge I just joined. Finally I will get to some of the books stacked up in my linen closet. Shh, don't tell about my secret hiding place... I'm hiding these books from my husband who is always getting on me about buying so many. Some women buy shoes, I buy books!

I am determined to read more small press and independently published books as well. I want to support the writing community on a more personal level because it's been so wonderful to me.

Wish me luck with my 2012 reading goals!

I'd love to hear from you... how many books do you read in a typical month?