GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn

                                                     
                                                                    FIVE STARS

                                                                         


WARNING: Be prepared to pull an all-nighter when you start this book.

I suppose this would come under the heading of psychological thriller, but I didn't know it when
I began to read. It took a couple of weird twists and I found myself in a clusterf**k that had me
biting my nails and talking out loud to myself.  "OH, NO!" "I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING!"

The story involves a young couple who have been married for five years. They seemed like a golden
pair and have everything going for them. On their fifth anniversary, he came home to find the tea kettle dry and ready to catch fire on the stove, the iron was hot on the ironing board, the ottoman in the living room was upside down and his wife was missing.

That's all I can tell without a spoiler.

I heard that Ms Flynn was on The View on Thursday. I hate that I missed it. And the buzz is that
Reese Witherspoon has purchased the movie rights.

Read this book; you won't be sorry!

                                                                   

THE FOREVER MARRIAGE by Ann Bauer

                                                                   


 Several weeks ago I read THE FOREVER MARRIAGE by Ann Bauer, shown here with her daughter when they were in Ames earlier in the summer.

This is a powerful book and should be a must read for anyone whose marriage seems to have gone stale, or never had quite the zip one expected.

I  had trouble deciding what to tell without giving away spoilers, so I cut and pasted a few sentences from Ann's blog. She can tell you in her own words:

                                   
The Forever Marriage is about the union of two mismatched people: a quiet, thoughtful, self-effacing man and a brash, sexually-charged woman who wants more—no matter how much she has. They stumble into a lifetime commitment, and then parenthood, despite constant awkwardness and muddled communication. Their intimacy is marred from the beginning. Neither is satisfied. But for 20 years, they keep bumbling along.
It is not until the husband has died that the wife in my story can find and love and feel one with the man that he was.

Ann's style has been compared to that of Anne Tyler, Sue Miller and Elizabeth Berg.

It's not too late for another good book for the summer. Choose a day in which there are no obligations. You won't be able to put it down. An easy five stars!

                                                             

Education Through Insomnia

What do you do when sleep is elusive? It seems the harder I try to get back to sleep after a middle of the night break, the more difficult it is. For instance, I woke about 3 a.m. today suffering a night sweat and excessive thirst. I drank from my always present water supply and opened a window to let in the night air. I would almost doze off but all of a sudden, I'd be wide awake again. I did a load of laundry, ate a bowl of ice cream, read a chapter in a book. After each task I'd lie down and wait a while to allow sleep to come back to me. About 4 a.m. I gave up and turned to my MAC and Google.

I have no idea what prompted the phrase that came to mind, but I didn't question it; I just googled it. Here's the result in the Number One position: 5 Body Mysteries Explained by Science. As I read, I could imagine my grandchildren saying, "Oh, gross, Granny."

That article lead to another of equal interest: 5 Douchebag Behaviors Explained by Science

By 6 a.m., a respectable time to start the day, I knew all about piss shivers, black hairy tongues, men who can talk of nothing but their weightlifting, aging old assholes, and other similar areas of interest.

I didn't have a good night's sleep, but I have a plethora of interesting topics for conversation starters. Now, if I can only find someone else who might be interested in such things.

I hope you had a good night.

A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY by Joshilyn Jackson

This book is pure delight. It's nothing fancy but is a really good read.

Ginny, known as Big to her daughter and granddaughter, gave birth to Liza when Ginny was fifteen years old.
Then when Liza, now called Little by her mother, was fifteen she gave birth and refused to tell anyone who the father of her child was. With Mosey approaching fifteen, this household of females is feeling the pressure of the fifteen-year evil that seems to come their way.

I laughed: Mosey hasn't even been out with a boy but she steals pregnancy kits to test herself at home since she's so sure that by some hook or crook she'll be pregnant at fifteen.

Liza, now thirty, has a stroke and is stuck inside herself with little means of communication.

While removing a tree and its stump from Ginny's yard, the handyman uncovers a box containing the bones of a baby.
The search for the identity of the child brings out revelations about all three of the women. Also involved is Mosey's best friend, a teenaged boy who is a nerd. Mosey and Roger befriend a classmate of Mosey's who is from a large family of ne'er-do-wells. This child played on my empathy and I rooted for her.

Throw in a little romance, a family of snobs, rescuing dogs ... or people ... who need fixing and you have a recipe for a page-turner.

You won't go wrong with this one. I give it four stars.

GLOW by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

If I could, I would give this book ten stars. I don't know what the criteria is for a masterpiece, but in my opinion, this meets any requirements for that honor.


What beautiful, beautiful language. The characters are magnificently presented so you feel as if you truly know these people. The smells, the sights, the sounds are all there to make this a unique experience.


It travels from the 1800s up to WWII. Here is an interview with the author: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/podcast/clips/9780670023318.mp3
If you'll listen to this, it will give you a much better feel for this book than I can.

I had an epiphany shortly after I finished reading and I'm curious to see if anyone else sees it the same way as I.
So, if you read this book, please message me on Facebook so I can discuss my opinion with you.

It's difficult to grasp that this is Tuccelli's first novel. I feel sure it won't be her last. I'm not one to read a book more than once, but I will probably make an exception in this case.

Please don't miss the chance to experience the ultimate in writing fiction.

WHITE HORSE by Alex Adams

I love apocalyptic or dystopia novels. All I've read previously tend to be for younger readers. At last here is one for adults. The first in what will be a trilogy, and with movie rights already in the works, WHITE HORSE is a winner. The language seems almost poetic and I would have kept reading for that reason alone. But, along with the excellent writing comes a terrific story about Zoe,a thirty-year-old woman who cleans cages in a medical laboratory where strange things begin to happen. Something has gone amok and people are dying everywhere. Those who don't die from the illness become mutations that are less than human. For some reason Zoe seems to be immune to the disease and as she fights to stay alive, she tries to hang on to her humanity and not give in to basic instincts that would involve killing to stay safe. It's not always possible. At first I had a small problem with the jumping back and forth from "then" and "now", but once I found my groove, I sailed along. Each book in the series can stand alone, though each is a part of the big picture, which you realize with the last sentence in this one. It creates high tension and keeps you turning the pages. I can hardly wait for the second part. I gave this book four stars.

STAY CLOSE by Harlan Coben

This is an exciting whodunnit by a master of the genre. Harlan Coben has over twenty mysteries to his credit and the last four or five made it to the top of the NY TIMES best-seller list. Our detective Broome is on a case that dates back seventeen years. Each year a man disappears; nobody hears from him again and no bodies are found. As Broome works through the evidence, he begins to suspect the same person has something to do with all the disappearances. His partner is also his ex-wife for whom he still has romantic feelings, though she is now happily married and has children. Mixed up in the fast-paced book are dancers from a seedy Gentleman's Club, Mardi Gras, a man in prison who may be there unjustly, and from the same club a barmaid who is dying with cancer. No spoilers here, but if you want to read a good book with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages, this is it. I'm ashamed to say this is the first I'd heard of Coben. I'll be attacking his list vigorously now that I've found him. I give this STAY CLOSE four bright stars.

Love it or Hate it

THE COLDEST NIGHT by Robert Olmstead is like no other book I've ever read. There is no other about which I can say, "This reminds me...."
I love the style of writing. I hate the subject matter yet I couldn't stop reading.
I did stop twice but just long enough to let the tears subside so I could get back to the matter at hand.
Most of the book is about the battle of the Chosin Reservoir, the decisive battle of the Korean War. Never have I read such a vivid battle scene; I don't know if I could survive another. It bolstered my hate of war and what it does to the young people who give their all for the good of the machine. It highlights the friendships bonded in war.
Before Henry went to Korea, he had a passionate love affair with a girl, Mercy, from the good side of the tracks. Her family disapproved and sent Henry running for his life. He left his mother, whom he loved dearly. He knew nothing of his father. He was seventeen years old. Way too young to face the horrors of war.
He came home a year later scarred in body and spirit and unable to settle down. I kept wanting him to see Mercy again.
I'll give nothing away.
This book will wring you dry.

COMFORT by Ann Hood

Anyone who has read Ann Hood's works knows she's excellent at her trade.
COMFORT is not her usual offering, but it's a must read, especially for anyone who has lost a child.
Grief following the death of a child is said to be the ultimate grief and Hood testifies to that in this precious book.
In 2002, her five-year-old daughter contracted a virulent strain of strep and within 48 hours, little Grace died. For a long time Hood couldn't write and understandably so.
At someone's suggestion she started knitting and joined a knitting group. The mindlessness involved when knitting seemed to comfort her.
Her first work after the horror was a novel THE KNITTING CIRCLE in which a group of women come together to knit and they each reveal their grief. (Next on my to-read list.)
It was followed by this memoir, subtitled A Journey Through Grief.
Even if it weren't well written (which it is), I'd still have to give it five stars if only for the courage it took to write. By writing COMFORT, Hood had to pick at the places that were healing, make them raw again, and allow us to watch her bleed.
When her son expressed the need of wanting the family to be happy again, the family made a huge decision which you'll find in this story.
Nobody will forget Grace, least of all her mother, but, hopefully the awful pain has eased.

A Letter to My Granddaughter

Dear Hannah,
Yesterday I received your request to be my friend on Facebook. I nearly choked as I realized you are thirteen years old now and that alone makes you eligible to become part of the social media. You may be ready for this but I'm not sure I am.
I don't know that I'm ready for you to be exposed to the ugly side of humanity. Sure, you watch television, but most of what you see is fiction and you know that and haven't allowed it to taint your world.
At first I was surprised your parents would allow it. They've been so diligent in setting time limits on the computer and blocking your access to sites you don't need to see. After speaking with your mother, I understand she's had "the talk" with you and that helps some. I imagine she knows she might as well allow this so you don't have to sneak and do it and then feel guilty about it.
So many good memories are whirling in my mind of the times you and I spent doing things together. Things that to anyone else would seem useless, but to us, at the time, were fun.
Remember long afternoons in TN, when you were 3-4 years old, peeling the bark on the birch trees, trying to see which one of us could pull the longest strip before it broke?
Remember playing cards and laughing so hard the parental units yelled at us from an adjoining bedroom and told us to get quiet and go to sleep?
Remember being next to me in bed and helping me with the crossword puzzles? I was amazed at your knowledge.
Remember spooning at night with your little body giving warmth to my old aching bones?
I cherish every minute I've had with you. And now you want to be my friend on Facebook.
I'm so afraid; afraid that you'll see who I really am and may not like what you see. But I'll take my chances and hope that love wins.

Defending a Book

I'm not the only one who uses a blog to review books. I enjoy seeking others who do the same. While I respect each reader's opinions, why do I find myself feeling compelled to respond to someone who rips a book I love? I know we can't all like the same things; if we did, it would be a dull existence and a lot of writers would be out of business.
But how someone could profess to loving THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett and then rip THE HEALING by Jonathan Odell is beyond me.

I like a book that teaches as well as entertains. Stockett did no research other than talking to her sister's maid, and even with all she gleaned from the maid, she didn't bother to give her one sentence of acknowledgement. She made an historical mistake in the book and she made up things that simply would not have happened. Needless to say, the black community didn't take to THE HELP too well.

As he wrote THE HEALING, Odell did hours of research and made sure the people he interviewed were given their deserved credits. This fact alone makes me give more credence to his work.

I read this review: http://www.anitabook.com/the-healing-written-by-jonathan-odell/#comment-32 and was dumbfounded. The reasons the reviewer gives for her poor rating for THE HEALING would make sense if what she says is true about the book. But my view from the rocking chair is nothing like what she sees. I hope nobody by-passes this book because of her review.

Two jewels for the price of one!

I love it when I beat my friends in finding a new jewel. This time I found two stuck together.
The first is the book GIRLCHILD and the bonus is the author of that book, Tupelo Hassman.
How could you not love someone named Tupelo?

GIRLCHILD is about a third-generation resident of a trailer park. All of the things you've heard, in jokes and on the street, regarding the lowlife in trailer parks, come into play in this wonderful little book.

Rory Dawn Hendrix is a smart little girl who uses a tattered old copy of the Girl Scout's HANDBOOK as her guide to life. She's formed her own troop with a membership of one.

Social Services labels her mother as "feeble-minded" and RD feels as though she's responsible for her mother's happiness and well-being. It's a big burden for a child. She purposefully lost out in a spelling bee so she wouldn't have to travel to the next level and leave her mother behind.

GIRLCHILD is full with such touching antidotes. It's style is rarely seen ... unnumbered chapters, each three pages or less. You may think this would make it easier to read on the run as the breaks come more often. You would be so wrong because once you start, there is no stopping.

Join in as RD journeys toward leaving the trailer park behind.

Read this excerpt: http://www.berfrois.com/2012/03/girlchild-excerpt-tupelo-hassman/,

and this awesome review from NPR: http://www.npr.org/2012/02/09/146581514/scrappy-girlchild-forms-a-girl-scout-troop-of-one

I can hardly wait until the next book by this author.

4 stars for The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

If you like a good ghost story, this book should satisfy you.
A young airplane pilot has to bring his commuter plane down in water. He performs a perfect execution, but a wave catches the plane and flips it. Several lives are lost.
As the pilot heals from his own injuries, he starts seeing the ghosts of some of those who died. He's unable to work and feels trapped in his town and by his nightmares.
His wife finds a big old house away from anyone they know and the couple move there with their twin daughters.
In this new community almost everyone has a greenhouse. The women all go by names of herbs and spices. They seem to be obsessed with the twins. Unfortunately, the move didn't get rid of the haints; they followed the family to the new address.
You'll be engrossed as you learn the connections among the twins, the herbs, and the residents of this community and all the way through to its chilling ending.

Author Groupies

Up until today I considered "groupie" a derogatory moniker. Then I found myself and realized I'm a groupie.
I'm an author groupie. I have over 100 authors on my Facebook friends list and only one of them requested me as a friend. I instigated all the other "friendships".
Many years ago I attended a book signing with Terry Kay (Dancing With the White Dog). I'd been so moved by the book and wanted to show him how much. I crafted one of my layered paper Christmas ornaments and took it to give him as a gift when I met him.
Years passed and I read Sugar by Bernice McFadden and the desire hit me again to connect with the person whose work moved me so.
By now, the internet was up and running and made simple for old folks like I am. I reached out to Ms McFadden and this lead me not only to new friends, but to fiction by black authors.
I was fortunate enough to meet Bernice McFadden last fall at an event in KC. On the same program was Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey) who was also on my friends list. By now I'd read both of Carleen's books and all of Bernice's. I attended the event with two more of my ornaments in hand.
I was the only 100% white person in the audience of approximately 250 people and it was one of the highlights of my life. Both Bernice and Carleen recognized me from my Facebook photos and I got hugs and priceless photos.
Will I stop stalking authors now? Not as long as I can draw breath and persuade one of my children to chauffeur me.