 | Driftless by David Rhodes 429 pages What’s it about? This book is a collage of stories that center around the small, rural town of Words, Wisconsin. It is the kind of small town that you drove through 30 years ago and wondered if it would still be there the next time you passed through. It is town alive with characters that live a different kind of life- a life that is slowly becoming extinct. What did it make me think about? This book is about life in a rural small town and it made me sad to think this way of life may be coming to an end. This book was also about our universal journey through life and how- although we are essentially alone in our experience- we do not have to be lonely. It is about the connections we make as a community and how those connections ultimately sustain us. It is a message that resonates whether you live in a small, rural town or a high-rise in the city. Having said that it also uniquely demonstrates the attitude and work ethic that have sustained the American farmer for hundreds of years. Should you read it? Well- this book was a slow starter for me. I really loved it, BUT these interwoven stories are not for everyone. There are so many characters and it takes awhile to see who is who, and how they connect. The characters are SO incredibly well drawn that you find yourself looking forward to hearing from them again. In some ways Mr. Rhodes writing reminds me of Wallace Stegner. I remember reading “Angle of Repose” and enjoying it but feeling like I could only read it slowly. I felt the same way with “Driftless”. So I encourage you all to pick it up and take your time as Mr. Rhodes is a man of immense talent! Quote- “Though he didn’t give a nickel what any particular individual thought about him and even help most of his neighbors in near-contempt, the mass of them all together- the community- had considerable weight.” If you like this try- Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner My Antonia by Willa Cather Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig 9 stars |
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 Miss Jane by Brad Watson 279 pages What’s it about? This is a book that chronicles the life of Miss Jane. Jane was born in early 20th century Mississippi with a congenital birth defect that set her apart from others. What did it make me think about? This book was as much about a woman coming to terms with a solitary life as it was about her physical abnormality. It certainly made you appreciate the hardships that people must have endured because of the lack of medical knowledge in the early 1900’s. This story was also a testament to people’s innate kindness, and to Jane’s affable nature. Should I read it? This was not a novel for those that love a good plot. This book really concentrated on the character of Jane and those people that surrounded her. The time, place, and characters are interesting even if the plot was somewhat slow paced. The writing is beautiful. Quote- "By late spring of the year she would turn six, a more complex awareness of her difference had begun to shape itself in her mind like the root of some strange plant down deep in the woods. She had moments when she felt like a secret, silent creation, invisible, more the ghost of something unknowable than a person, a child, a girl." If you like this try- *Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery 7 1/2 stars  Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
433 pages What’s it about? This novel takes place in the 1930’s and 40’s and revolves around Anna Kerrigan. As a young girl of 12-years-old Anna accompanies her father along on a visit to a man named Dexter Styles. Years later Anna’s father has gone missing and she runs into Dexter Styles again. World War II is raging- Anna is now grown and working as an underwater diver in the Brooklyn Naval Yard. What exactly does Dexter Styles know of her father’s disappearance and how can Anna find out? What did I think? I so enjoyed Jennifer Egan’s novel “A Visit From the Goon Squad” that I was chomping at the bit to read her newest book. This novel is such a vast departure from her previous book that I was somewhat surprised at first. Should you read it? This novel started off with incredible promise. The characters are great and the plot was interesting. The character of Dexter Styles was unexpectedly likable and interesting. Anna’s relationship with her disabled sister was really the heart of the book. I liked the book a lot but the second half of the book was just not as cohesive to me as the first half. For me there was a definite great beginning- and then just an ok and improbable ending. I would still recommend the book but I wish it had lived up to the first half. Quote- “Natalie was boy-crazy, and Tabby had grown prettier than Dexter would have liked. Not that he wished ugliness on his only daughter, but showy beauty was an invitation to dependence. He’d have liked her to have the hidden kind, visible only to those who looked closely.” If you like this try- A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout A Gentleman in Moscow By Amor Towles 8 STARS
 Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
327 pages What’s it about? This coming-of-age story centers around young Elvis Babbitt as she grapples with the drowning death of her mother in the Chattahouchee river in Alabama. Elvis is intrigued by animals and science. She grieves along with a sleepwalking older sister and a lipstick wearing Dad. Quite a memorable cast of characters! What did it make me think about? Annie Hartnett has a sense of humor. The subject matter sounded so sad that I was hesitant to pick this one up, but the cover accurately depicts the mood of the book. Elvis Babbitt just made me smile. Should I read it? This novel is made for those of us who appreciate a cast of quirky characters and a strange sense of humor. Quote- “On my tenth birthday, six months before she sleepwalked into the river, Mom burned the rabbit cake. “Ten might not be a great year for you, she said, squeezing my shoulder. I couldn’t tell if she was kidding. The rabbit’s face and ears were charred black.” “Dogs have a lot of things about life figured out; they aren’t afraid to let something go. Their hearts are always open to loving no more.” If you like this try- The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig 8 stars |
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A sad, poignant, mystical read. I won't give too much away. Quick and well worth it!
9 1/2 stars!
A coming of age story set in Mexico. It certainly gives you a whole new view of all the people coming over the border.
9 stars
Quirky characters and the story told through letters to Richard Gere. Who could ask for more? 9 stars
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“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
― Charles William Eliot
― Charles William Eliot
ratings
1 to 2- I did not enjoy this book.
3 to 4- I found some aspect of this book redeeming but would not recommend it.
5 to 6- I really enjoyed something about this book (characters, plot, meaning etc.) but it was uneven. Some aspects were stronger than others.
7 to 8- It was a good book. I liked lots of aspects of this book. I would recommend it.
9 to 10- I was sorry to turn the last page. I highly recommend this book!
3 to 4- I found some aspect of this book redeeming but would not recommend it.
5 to 6- I really enjoyed something about this book (characters, plot, meaning etc.) but it was uneven. Some aspects were stronger than others.
7 to 8- It was a good book. I liked lots of aspects of this book. I would recommend it.
9 to 10- I was sorry to turn the last page. I highly recommend this book!
