The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

To be honest, I found this sort of boring. I trudged on til the end, because it was on the edge of saying something profound a time or two, but it never quite made it.

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier

Disappointing. I really loved 'Cold Mountain' and enjoyed 'Thirteen Moons' a lot, but this book just didn't do anything for me. Even the sections that should have been exciting felt tired. Maybe Mr. Frazier should stick to historical fiction, because his heart certainly didn't seem to be in this more contemporary novel.

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Please don't compare this book with 'The Help',  because "Wench" is far superior to that book, both in quality of writing and historical background.

"Wench" is the story of four women, who each represent an aspect of the life of a female slave,used for sex. One imagines herself in love, one tolerates her master, one is a fighter, and one is worn out after years of abuse. Regardless of their personal experiences, all are 'wenches', women who are sexual partners (and mothers of children) of the men who own them. Though they come from different areas of the south, the four women meet once yearly at an Ohio resort, where for the first time, they are exposed to free Blacks and Northerners. As Ohio was a 'free' state, thoughts of running away begin to occupy their minds, and each has to make a decision about going, staying, and the role of family in their lives.

I found this book fascinating. It is not often that one reads an account of slave life juxtaposed with free Blacks and Northerners that is set pre-Civil War. Dr. Dolen Perkins-Valdez has done a beautiful job of period research, making it easy for the reader to slip into the minds and lives of these women, particularly Lizzie, the protagonist. The first and third sections of the book take place in successive summers in the Ohio resort (which actually existed), while the center section focuses on Lizzie's life from the year she first caught her master's eye until the year before the main action of the book takes place. Perkins-Valdez uses this section to begin to illuminate the complexity of the choices, few though they were, that a slave had to make. I particularly enjoyed the moral complexities illuminated: is a mother's responsibility to her children to make them recognize the reality of their status, or to let them grab whatever joy they can from life? Is it better to turn in a prospective runaway, earning them a whipping, or chance a dead friend when the runaway is almost surely re-captured? Can love exist between individuals when one has absolute control over the other? Dr. Perkins-Valdez never gives us the answer; she lets us make our own determination. Thus, this is not an easy book.There are beautiful things and harsh things that happen, and we're not allowed to flinch from either one. In that way, I think it's more than fair to compare Dr. Dolen Perkins-Valdez to Toni Morrison. Though I'm sure her style isn't as polished, there is that same aspect of "LOOK. SEE. KNOW." that I enjoy in Morrison's best works.

What "Wench" shouldn't be compared to is "The Help". Yes, I know that book is America's darling right now, but "Wench" is leaps and bounds ahead in storytelling ability and believability. No schmaltz. No easy answers. No crap. AND "Wench" is far more historically accurate than "The Help". Please read this book if you think that one was pivotal. You won't be sorry you did.

Still Life with Husband by Lauren Fox

Oh my goodness... how to rate this book?

'Still Life with Husband' is Emily's story. She's a thirtysomething freelance journalist with a job she likes, a nice home, good friends, and a husband who loves her completely. What's wrong with all that? She gets bored. She gets stressed by the thought of living in the suburbs. She is irritated by her husband's requests that she consider having the child they'd agreed that both wanted.

So what does she do? She starts an affair with a slightly younger, slightly 'edgier' photographer. And slowly throws her life away.

First, let me say that this book hooked me at the library. I picked it up and giggled my way through the first couple of chapters. Emily talks and thinks (at that point) much like I do with my friends. So I took it home, read the rest... and by the end would have cheerfully slapped her face right off of her head. After starting a hitman fund for her husband. Before helping him hide the body.

The woman who was funny and slightly cynical at the beginning is revealed to have depths of self-centeredness and self-interest that truly shocked me. I don't want to give away too much here, but suffice to say that I was upset about this book for a few days--hell, it makes me mad thinking about it right now.

...And there's the rub. Despite my intense NEED to trash this book, neither it nor Fox deserves that. For her to create a character that I hate with the burning passion that I hate Emily... well, that takes TALENT. I haven't hated a character like this since 'The Great Santini' (Pat Conroy), and I read a LOT of books.

Being fair, Lauren Fox is a fine writer. Her characters are true, in the finest sense of the word. How tempting must it have been to have Emily's character redeemed at the end, how easy and reader-satisfying? I admire Fox so much for not doing that. Emily is at the end as she was in the beginning. People don't change much, after all. The dialogue in this book is just spot on, an evocation of the way real women speak (at least in my world). And each situation, every damned one, is plausible.

I still don't like this book, but it isn't because of the writing. If you can admire that without getting personally involved with the characters (and I couldn't manage that), this really is a lovely, well-written book.

Which I intend on forgetting as soon as I can. Two coffee cups out of five.

Robopocalypse by Daniel H Wilson

'Robopocalypse' is another in the list of dystopian fictions that are wildly popular right now. Set in the near future, it is the story of what happens when the robots we created become smart enough to want to get rid of us (Cue AC/DC's 'Who made Who'). Focusing on a few people in different locations around the planet, 'Robopocalypse' is written as a supposed series of first person narratives, collected and transcribed by a third party.

First, let's talk about the name. It's dumb. The story, though... that's a different story. I found 'Robopocalypse' to be an entertaining, enjoyable read, from the first page to the last. Though it's structure is clearly modeled on Max Brooks' zombie apocalypse novel 'World War Z' (soon to be a film with Brad Pitt, and a fine book in itself), it is not a clear derivative. Where 'World War Z' kept fairly stringently to a third person omniscient point of view, 'Robopocalypse' is far more personal in the narratives of each person. In fact, that damages the conceit of the novel, the device of the stories having been harvested by a robot and transcribed by a single individual--how would either come up with the very personal points of view of each story? It would have been better to have dropped that idea and just gone with a series of interlocked first person narratives (which these are, anyway), without the 'outside voice' of the transcriber.

Never mind that though (I just tuned it out eventually). It becomes unimportant as the novel steams along. It's entertaining as hell! I don't know if plans are already in motion, but if the rights to this novel isn't bought by a studio by the end of the year, I will be very surprised. Wilson creates both characters and storylines that kept me eagerly reading and wondering... is this possible? He makes a convincing argument. I really enjoyed 'Robopocalypse'. If you like dystopian fiction, so will you.

The Family Fang By Kevin Wilson

'The Family Fang', by Kevin Wilson, was a troubling read for me. It is the story of the Fang Family, two parents and two children. Mr and Mrs Fang are performance artists, staging 'shocking' spectacles in public places in the name of 'art'. Their children are both pawns of their art and sometimes willing, often unwilling participants. The book shifts perspective between the 'growing up' years of Annie and Buster (the kids), and the present of their adulthood. This book seems to be asking the question, "Will he kids be alright, no matter what, as long as they're not abused in a traditional sense?" The answer is a resounding, "No."

Buster and Annie are profoundly not okay. Not at all. Both are addicts, both sabotage their careers, both undervalue themselves except in so far as how they are viewed by others, neither has a stable relationship. After each having their individual lifequake, they find themselves in the last place either ever wanted to be again: home.

I wanted to like this book, and there were definitely shining moments of comedy and pathos that kept me from closing the cover, never to return. It was close, though. The problem is not so much Wilson's writing as the fact that it was so difficult to find a genuine moment in the book, something that caught my attention and especially emotion, making it possible for me to give a damn what happened to these characters. Look, I'll be honest: this book is derivative as hell, of both John Irving (master of the dysfunctional family-remember 'The Hotel New Hampshire'?) and of Wes Anderson (remember 'The Royal Tenenbaums'?). Many of the events seemed to have been pulled out of the 'I gotta do something WACKY now' hat, and in a way that was not at all believable. Irving can do these things, because he has the ability to make all the insane events that occur in his novels BELIEVABLE. He ties them into the narrative in such a way that they seem inevitable, rather than random. Anderson has this same ability. Wilson, unfortunately, does not, at least not yet.  He does seem to have a genuine talent hiding under his borrowed plumage, and I'd love to read something by him when he finds his OWN voice.

I give this two coffee cups out of five, and a fervent hope that in the future this author gives us something from his heart. Mr. Wilson, I'm eager to read that something.

A Jane Austen Education by Willian Deresiewicz

'A Jane Austen Education' was a revelation and a treat to read. This non-fiction memoir is about a male doctoral candidate (Deresiewicz) who is 'forced' to read Austen's novels, which he has assiduously avoided thus far, as part of a graduate seminar. Grumbling and jaded, he takes up 'Emma', finding it as dull and repetitive as he'd already decided it must be... until something about it catches his attention. He starts to see himself and a life lesson he needs to learn within the pages of this 'domestic novel'-eighteenth century chick lit, as it were.

Over the course of his graduate and doctoral career, Deresiewicz then makes a point of reading each of Austen's novels, and by doing so learns more lessons from this simple, home loving woman than he's made room for in the life paradigm he'd constructed for himself. In short, they made him a better, more compassionate person. In the end, they made him ready for the relationship for which he'd yearned, and had even 'helped' him choose his wife.

I have to admit, I am something of an Austen lover. However, I found this book astounding for the depth of information about each novel that he is able to impart in a casual, non-teachery book. For each chapter and each novel, Deresiewicz gives the reader not only a wonderful overview of each book, he also gives us an overview of Austen's life, thought processes, and influences that fed into each book. Then he relates what he read to his own life and mind in an honest way that had me cheering for him more than once. Even from the single book that he never came to like (Mansfield Park), he drew a lesson that seems obvious... once he's pointed it out. Having never been able to get through that book myself, I thoroughly enjoyed having an Austen scholar admit that to not liking the book, yet STILL gaining wisdom from the pages.

Which brings up an important point: for a reader who is intimidated by Austen, this book would be a powerful tool. Deresiewicz's breakdowns of each novel are spot on, and the historical information he appends make the novels themselves even more appealing, as they put events in the books in historical and social context. Who knew that 'Northranger Abbey' was a spoof on popular Gothic novels of the day, novels that Austen was jokingly admitting to having read at a time when such an admission would take her status as an author (already precarious, as she was female) even lower? I sure didn't, but his thumbnail sketch made me want to read it again.

I truly, truly enjoyed this book, and would love to own a copy. I give it four coffee cups out of five.

The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Baylor

'The Pale Blue Eye' was a fascinating read! Set in the 1850s, this is a historical mystery of epic proportions.

The book is set at West Point. The Academy is still in it's relative infancy, still trying to prove itself as a producer of quality military officers. In a shocking turn of events, a cadet is found dead. Though it is still a scandal, the initial judgment that it is a suicide is somewhat of a relief to the leasers of the school. Imagine their horror when the cadet's heart is stolen from his body after it is discovered,thus making it fairly clear that his death was neither accident not suicide.

Enter Gus Landor, a retired New York City police detective who is renowned for his observational and crime solving skills. He is coaxed into working the case; because he needs eyes and ears within the closed-mouthed troop of cadets, he finds himself in need of assistance from a student. In an interesting twist, he asks for and is assigned an older cadet, one Edgar Allen Poe. Together they work the case, taking clues and extrapolating theories in a most entertaining and absorbing manner, until we are eventually presented with a murderer and motive. The ending of this book took me completely by surprise, which is not easy to do.

A book with the device of using a known and loved historical figure shouldn't (and usually doesn't) work. Most often, the historical figure is mythologized or torn apart to such an extent that the book becomes a parody at best and a shoddy mess at worst. Baylor, though... Baylor pulls this off delightfully. His story is neither a paeon to the genius of Poe, nor a scourgement of his character; Poe is recognizable, but still a fully realized, human character. Many reviews will lead you to think that he is the center of this book, but that is not, in fact, the truth. The real character and fascination of The Pale Blue Eye is the character of Landon. I've not found myself liking a character quite so much in quite a while. His wry sense of humor, intelligence, and flashes of vulnerability captured me utterly.

Aside from the strength of his characters, Baylor shows a finesse in story construction that is inspiring. I know little about him, but I'd judge him, by this book, to be a very experienced, mature writer. Each page, by necessity, has the responsibility of building logically and completely upon the previous page, letting the reader know just enough (but not too much) to lure us along the path of the story... so he can drop us thrillingly to the bottom.

I don't read mysteries. EVER. This book, though, with it's fine balance of mystery, history, and well-rounded, believable characters captured my imagination. Very well done! I give this four coffee cups out of five, and I'll definitely read it again. though I know who the killer is now, I can still savor Baylor's use of language and the wonderful characters he's created.