The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

This book has garnered a lot of buzz in the past month and so, though I normally don't care to read novels about American historical topics, I decided to try this. And I'm glad I did! I really liked this novel. It centers around Connie who is a Ph.D candidate in American studies at Harvard. She is trying to decide on a thesis topic when she is asked to clear out her deceased grandmother's home so it can be sold. While doing this she discovers the name of a possibly forgotten woman who was executed in the Salem Witch Trials. The bulk of the novel then details her search for the physick book or spell book of this woman, Deliverance Dane, her budding relationship with a fellow historian and her uncovering of a family history she never knew about. Connie's story is interspersed with chapters that tell the story of Deliverance and her daughter Mercy so the reader feels a personal connection with this interesting woman. There are supernatural elements in the novel which are very believable and even exciting. I would call this an adventure novel, but it is slower paced and more character driven and intelligent than your average adventure tome. And the historical details were fascinating and made the Colonial period come alive for me. I would suggest this to readers who like thoughtful adventures or to readers who have an interest in the Salem Witch Trials.

Another Intriguing List

Newsweek has published a list of "50 Books for Our Times" that looks interesting. I always make myself familiar with the books on these lists because we inevitably have patrons come in looking for the titles. Midnight's Children is on the list! I think this book is going to haunt me.

Also, they have a list of the Top 100 Books that they compiled based on 10 other lists - their meta-list. Hmmm.... maybe I should try to read the books on this list instead? I like that it includes non-fiction and poetry. So, keeping to my guidelines for the Telegraph list I decided to read from (no series, no books over 1,000 pages, only books the library owns) I will start with #99, The Color Purple. And, yes, Midnight's Children is on this list too!

Anthony Horowitz

Right now I'm reading The Gatekeepers series by Anthony Horowitz. I'm never reading a series again. I think that it's safe. That if there are four books it has to be done, right? No! The fourth book is not the last in the series and the fifth has not been written yet! It's a pretty good series, though. It's reminiscent of The Dark is Rising series written in the 70's except I like it a little better. The concept is that centuries ago the Old Ones, evil beings whose only purpose is to destroy everything on earth, ruled the world. They were banished by five children (well, 15 year olds) who constructed a gate to keep them out. Flash forward to present day. The Old Ones have faithful followers who are working to release them into the world, hoping for power and glory. The Old Ones are aided by an evil corporate giant (because what corporation isn't evil?) called Nightrise. The Five have been reborn and are being brought together by unexplainable forces to once again banish the Old Ones. They are aided by various native tribes throughout the Americas and a secret group called the Nexxus who are the only ones that know about the legend of The Five. Anyway, it's a pretty good series, like I said. Just don't read it if you don't want to wait for the fifth book!

Random

I don't really have anything to write about, but I didn't want to let a week go by without a post. I'm reading a ton of awesome books right now so I should have a lot of reviews soon. I have almost too much to read! Not that I'm complaining...

True to the Game by Teri Woods

Oh my goodness, I think I might be going to hell for reading this book. This novel is part of the "street lit" genre of fiction that is incredibly popular with some African-American readers. We are discussing these books for our genre study at work and I chose this particular title because it was one of the first contemporary books of its kind to be published, and self-published at that. The plot centers on Gena, an 18-year-old hustler who survives by acquiring drug dealer boyfriends who pay her way in life. One night at a club in Harlem she meets, Quadir, the biggest drug dealer in South Philly. They immediately get together and the rest of the plot revolves around all of the money she spends, the sex they have, the raunchy, depressing lives of their friends, and Quadir's battle with the Junior Mafia, a rival drug dealing operation. The amount of cursing, nasty sex and disrespectful attitudes toward women in this book nearly made me sick every time I read it. But I have to say, Teri Woods knows how to keep the story going. Her writing is sloppy and the transitions between scenes are terrible, but her plotting is good. I did want to find out how the story ended and what would happen to Qua and Gena. However, I feel that my mind has been dirtied by reading this. It was just...yuck. Not recommended!

Oprah's Summer Reading

I normally detest most things associated with Oprah, but I might have to read a few books on her "25 Books You Can't Put Down List" just because I know the library patrons will be asking for and about them. In fact, I've already had people asking for #3.

Progress

So I started reading Midnight's Children and it has been excruciating so far. Rushdie's writing style is confusing and I don't really know what is going on, but I am going to struggle through. Discipline!

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

I've posted a review of Bruno, Chief of Police on the More Than Books... blog that I write for work. Check it out.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Under the Tuscan Sun is the now classic travel book that launched an obsession with Italy and lyrical travel writing. The author, Frances Mayes, lovingly recounts her purchase and restoration, with her poet husband Ed, of a crumbling, yet beautiful house in Cortona, Italy. I read this book when it was first published back in the '90's, but I love Mayes' writing so much that I decided to read it again. There is no one like her when it comes to describing the mundane details of shopping in town, picking olives or hauling stones out of the garden. She makes everything sacred and has a true gift for finding beauty in everyday life. I can only take her way of living as an example for when I am feeling that my life has no beauty or mystery - she creates beauty and that is something I forget sometimes, that we can create our own miracles.
By the way, the film of the same name starring Diane Lane, although lovely, bears hardly any resemblance to the book.

Reading Project

I occasionally get the urge to have a more directed program of reading, one that will provide a goal for reading classic novels. This weekend I got one of these urges and found this list to work from. Out of the 100, I have read 24 of the novels. I decided to work backward from #100, and to skip series for now, and to read only books that we have at the library. Because of those parameters I will start with #94, Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. I don't know if this goal will last, but I'm going to try to get through as many as I can. Do you have any reading goals?

Birthday?

I just went back and read the archives of this blog and realized that I published the first post on June 1, 2006. So we are 3!

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

The latest novel by Lisa See continues her focus on Chinese culture, but this novel is relatively modern compared to her others. The story begins in 1937 in Shanghai and centers on two sisters, Pearl and May, best friends and "beautiful girls" who model for calendars and live the good life in Shanghai, earning their own money, frequenting dance clubs and spending large chunks of money on expensive Western dresses. All good things must come to an end though, so when their father loses the family money while gambling, the sisters are sold off in marriage to repay their father's debts. At the same time, the Japanese army invades China. The rest of the novel relates the tale of their escape from China and their struggle to connect with their new family while experiencing poverty and racism in the United States. See is an engaging storyteller who keeps the busy plot moving in a swift and concentrated manner. Her characterization is nearly flawless as she brings Pearl and May to life, rarely resorting to cliche. It was fascinating to read about the experience of Chinese immigration in the early twentieth century and how hard it was for the Chinese to be accepted in this country. If you enjoy multi-generational family sagas or reading about Chinese culture, this would be the book to put on your summer reading list.

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

This was my second try at this novel and it took this time. The first time I tried to read this I was put off by the prologue which describes the death of an elderly nun. For some reason it was distasteful to me, but this time it made sense. The Birth of Venus is set in 15th century Florence at a time of great upheaval. The main character is Alessandra Cecchi, a sixteen-year-old, headstrong, intelligent aspiring painter. When the story opens she is contracted in marriage to an older man. The marriage seems like it will be a perfect solution for both of them, as her husband Cristoforo needs an heir and Alessandra needs a husband who will allow her the freedom to paint, which Cristoforo does. However, all is not as it seems in their relationship and when a fiery monk, Savanarola, takes control of the city and institutes a suffocating crackdown on sin, their marriage and Florentine society begins to fall apart. Add to this mix Alessandra's love for a fellow painter and her husband's secret life and you get a very passionate and dramatic plot. I really loved reading about 15th century Florence and art and was mesmerized by the details of daily life during this time period. I was also pleased that the plot of this novel did not take the reader where you think it should go, but twisted to fit the reality of what would really happen to someone like Alessandra during this era. I plan to read the second novel in Dunant's Renaissance trilogy, In the Company of the Courtesan, within the coming weeks and hope it will be as satisfying.

What I'm Listening To

I haven't had a lot of time to read lately, so I've been getting books on CD. I listen to them while I clean the kitchen, put on make-up, etc. I listened to a GREAT book recently called Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey. It's the first in a series called A Resurrection of Magic. It has a dual plot-taking place in two different times. The story switches back and forth every chapter between the story of a magically gifted girl in a time where true magic is outlawed and a young boy who attends a wizard school where the boys are forbidden from helping one another and they will starve to death if they cannot magically produce food. My kitchen has never been so clean as I would find any excuse to be in there while I still had CDs of this book left to "read." Skillful writing that was able to maintain both plots while keeping the reader interested (inability to do this is why it took me so long to finish The Historian) was impressive. Thoroughly enjoyable read. Bad news: the second book of the series is not out yet, meaning it will probably be a few years before I can satisfy my curiousity about Sadima and Hahp's fates.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

This is a ghost story. Or is it? The Little Stranger fits into my favorite gothic novel category and is an excellent example of a scary, horror story that is not bloody or gory. Set just after World War II in Warwickshire, England this novel is narrated by Dr. Faraday, a 40-year-old bachelor and country doctor. When he is called out to a case at Hundreds' Hall he meets the Ayres family; Mrs. Ayres, her daughter Caroline and her son Roderick. They are an old, aristocratic family who live in a beautiful, yet crumbling and falling apart mansion. Their financial situation is precarious and Roderick is under extreme stress trying to keep them solvent. Injured in the war, he walks with a limp and when Dr. Faraday proposes an electrical treatment for his muscles Rod reluctantly agrees. Dr. Faraday begins spending many hours with the family administering Rod's treatment and eventually becomes entangled in their strange affairs. Soon, mysterious and tragic events begin to befall this isolated family and Dr. Faraday details it all as it is told to him as he rarely witnesses the events himself. As the novel progresses the reader starts to feel that "something isn't right here" feeling, but it is hard to pinpoint why. Eventually, the family comes to believe that they are possessed by a supernatural force that is trying to destroy them. I loved the pacing of this novel. Waters uses the slow build-up method that makes the reader uneasy and creeped out. Though the pacing is deliberate, I couldn't stop reading and stayed up long into the night to discover the mystery of Hundreds Hall. If you like gothic reads such as The Historian or The Thirteenth Tale, this is a perfect read for you. It is also perfect if you just want a good old-fashioned ghost story. I loved it!

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I am a huge fan of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, but I hadn't read anything else by her so I decided to read this newest book of hers. Wintergirls centers around Lia, a senior in high school who is battling anorexia. We follow her through the death of her former best friend and through her struggles to maintain a healthy facade while, secretly, she is starving herself, experiencing hallucinations and cutting herself to relieve the severe hatred and loathing she feels for herself. (How many times can I say herself in a sentence?) It was interesting to see what the mindset of an anorexic girl might be and to see how her false beliefs fuel her illness. Anderson's unique writing style perfectly mimics the jagged and jumpy thoughts that Lia has and the mood she creates gives the reader an understanding of Lia's mental suffering. However, I didn't really like this book. I understand it on a creative level, but as a story it was nearly unbearable to read. I felt such despair reading it that I had to stop about half-way through and leave it for a while. I didn't want to finish it because entering Lia's world again was not enticing in the least. But I did want to see how Lia would come through. The ending was a bit forced and melodramatic, but I was just glad it was over. I wouldn't recommend Wintergirls. Read Speak instead; it's a more successful effort.

Teaser Tuesday - The Little Stranger

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

"What was I to do? It was clear to me - horribly clear - that over the past few weeks Rod had been the victim of some very powerful hallucinations."

From The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

My Reading List

I thought I'd share a list of the books I am reading at the moment. I'm a terribly spastic reader and I always have tons of books going. Here's my current list:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore -- 1/3 read
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson -- 1/2 read
Eighteen-year-old Lia comes to terms with her best friend's death from anorexia as she struggles with the same disorder.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes -- 2/3 read

The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon -- just started
When her fiance falls ill while serving in the Crimean War, Mariella Lingwood travels to Italy to care for him only to discover that her cousin, a volunteer in Florence Nightingale's nursing corps, has gone missing.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley -- just started
Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is propelled into a mystery when a man is found murdered on the grounds of her family's decaying English mansion and Flavia's father becomes the main suspect.
Wondrous Strange by Leslie Livingston -- just started
Seventeen-year-old Kelley discovers her secret heritage after meeting Sonny, a guard of the gate that separates the fairy world from the mortal one, while a war band of fairies plan to force their way through the gate on Halloween night.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - almost finished
Sophomore Frankie starts dating senior Matthew Livingston, but when he refuses to talk about the all-male secret society that he and his friends belong to, Frankie infiltrates the society in order to enliven their mediocre pranks.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -- just started
In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

Coventry and The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys

Helen Humphreys is a Canadian poet and novelist who has an amazing eye for detail and for finding beauty in the mundane. I recently read two of her novels back-to-back and was grateful to have discovered such a lyrical writer whose World War II-set novels resonate with longing and loss.

Coventry mainly takes place on the night of November 14, 1940 when the English city of Coventry was nearly completely destroyed by German bombs. It follows the efforts of two women, Maeve and Harriet, to survive the bombing that devastated the city. There are periodic flashbacks to the First World War when Harriet lost her husband and Maeve conceived her son and how those experiences now impact how the women react to the current war and bombing.

The Lost Garden also takes place during World War II. Gwen Davis is 35, single and lonely. She is a gardener who works for the Royal Horticultural Society in London and is looking for an opportunity to leave the city she loves so she doesn’t have to witness its destruction by bombs. She gets that opportunity by joining the Women’s Land Army and going to Devon to plant potatoes on a neglected estate. Here she receives her first experiences with love and intense friendship, and ultimately, loss. Her discovery of a hidden, overgrown garden and the plants it contains is a perfect metaphor for her experiences and Humphreys’ descriptions of the gardens and flora on the estate match well with her descriptions of Gwen’s emotional landscape.

Both of these novels deal with love, but more intensely with loss and how people let it shape their lives.

As the author herself says “Every story is a story about death. But perhaps, if we are lucky, our story about death is also a story about love”.

Depressed Teenage Girls

So I've read 1 novel and 2 graphic novels this week that all centered around very disgruntled and suffering teen girls. And I love them! Why? Maybe it takes me back to my own teen years when I was also very depressed, disgruntled and suffering, but why would I want to recall those days? I don't know, I just know that I like reading about these girls.

You Know Where To Find Me by Rachel Cohn
Miles is overweight, lonely and too intelligent for her own good. Her only friends are a popular black guy and her cousin Laura. When Laura commits suicide Miles descends into a numbing depression that she only makes worse by abusing prescription pain-killers. Sarcastic, funny and painfully self-absorbed Miles is a gem of a character who is surprisingly sane considering her situation. I enjoyed this novel for her character alone, but I found it lacking for some reason that I can't pin down.

Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
This graphic novel was on all of the Best YA book lists last year so though I normally don't read graphic novels I decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did. I really liked this story of another disgruntled teen girl, Kim (called Skim, "because she's not") and her struggle to fit in with her peers and find a place for herself at school and at home. The illustrations are amazing and I look forward to reading more work by Mariko and Jillian.

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
This classic graphic novel stars Enid and Rebecca. They are not in school anymore and have no goals except to be seen at the right places and with the right people. They are mean and hateful to each other and everyone else in a desperate attempt to rise above the crowd and their crappy, aimless lives. They are fascinating characters, especially Enid, and I enjoyed their story though it was hard to take at times.