Musings of a Bookish Kitty: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice--not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany. ~ Opening of A Prayer for Owen Meany

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Corgi Adult, 1989

Fiction; 635 pgs

From the Publisher:

John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany is the inspiring modern classic that introduced two of the author’s most unforgettable characters, boys bonded forever in childhood: the stunted Owen Meany, whose life is touched by God, and the orphaned Johnny Wheelwright, whose life is touched by Owen. From the accident that links them to the mystery that follows them–and the martyrdom that parts them–the events of their lives form a tapestry of fate and faith in a novel that is Irving at his irresistible best.

I had a copy of this book sitting on my shelf for years. It was one of those "must read" books. It is considered a modern classic after all, and so many people I know love it. As we prepared for our move three years ago, I nearly gave me copy away, deciding I was never going to read it. It wasn't calling my name. Then when Carrie chose it as one of her selections for her "I've Always Meant to Read That Book!" Challenge, I decided I might as well bite the bullet. Especially after Trish from Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity sang the book's praises.

Only, when I began reading the book, I was bored. I did not particularly care for the characters nor was I enamored by Irving's story telling. I considered giving the book up. The only reason I stuck with it was because there were moments in the book I did enjoy. And the more I read, the more I found to like. However, I also found more I did not like. It was not until about two thirds into the book that it really took off for me. While some of you who loved the book might find that cause for applause, I want to again point out it took me two thirds of the book to really get into it. The book is lucky I finished it.

What I did not like: Johnny as an adult. Whether or not I agree with his politics and his thoughts on religious institutions isn't the point (although I did mostly agree). I found the character's ramblings tiresome and annoying. I understand exactly what his friends and colleagues must have felt listening to his diatribes. I didn't quite see the growth or insight in his character I had hoped to see. He was in the same place at the beginning of the novel that he was at the end, or so it seemed to me. Obviously he wouldn't be where he is today if it weren't for his friend Owen Meany, but that's about all I walked away from in regards to John Wheelwright's character.

I wanted to like Owen, and, I suppose, on some level I did, but I never really connected with him the way I like to with a character I am rooting for. He was wise for his age and didn't have a lot going for him, including an eccentric family who really did not take care of him. At times I felt sorry for him, how little those around him understood him and how he was mistreated, and at other times I was annoyed with him and how rigid he could be.

What I did like: The author, John Irving, breathed life into the town of Gravesend and its people. By the end of the book, I felt like a resident there myself. I enjoyed spending time with Owen and Johnny as they grew up during the 1950's and 1960's. I found myself rooting for Owen as he strove to prove to others and to himself that his size was not going to stop him from reaching his goals.

I liked the friendship and strong bond between the two boys. They were always there for each other, even despite their differences in opinions. I wish I had had a friend like that growing up--or even now.

While I found the political commentary overdone throughout the novel, I appreciated seeing how the characters related to the times they were living in, including John F. Kennedy's election, his assassination and later the Vietnam War. Irving was able to convey just how differently people reacted to such events.

I could relate to Johnny's character more than Owen's when it came to the subject of faith. I am the person who questions and doubts. Even at the end of the novel, I did not feel moved to feel any differently. I was touched by Owen's story to some extent. Just not maybe in the way intended.

After finishing the book, I decided to re-watch Simon Birch (directed by Mark Steven Johnson), the movie loosely based on the book, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Emphasis on loosely. John Irving did not believe a movie could capture the story he had written and so asked that the name Owen Meany be omitted. And he was right. The character Simon Birch (played by Ian Michael Smith) is much like the Owen Meany character and Joe Wenteworth (Joseph Mazello) is a somewhat convincing Johnny Wheelwright. While the bare bones are there, that of faith and fate, the movie is a mere skeleton of the first half of the book with an ending that is completely different. You cannot watch the movie and say you know what the book is about.

Like in the book, the two boys are best friends and a baseball, struck by Simon/Owen hits and kills Joe's/Johnny's mother. Joe/Johnny is afraid he'll never know who his father is now. In the movie, Joe must come to terms with his mother's death, including deciding who he wants to stay with, given his grandmother's declining health. Simon's story runs parallel, as he wonders what fate has in store for him, knowing it will be something big. While I enjoyed the movie, I felt the two story threads did not come together as seamlessly as they could have. Nor did I feel the movie was as fleshed out as I would like it to have been. It was a heartfelt movie, to be sure. And it had its moments. I remember liking the movie when I first saw it. Maybe having read the book, it's been spoiled for me.

As is pointed out in the first sentence of the novel, the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany is about much more than a baseball, a dead mother, the search for a father and wanting to be a hero. It is the story about faith and doubt, yes. But it is also a story about friendship and finding one's own path. While I may have been disappointed in the novel overall, I can see why others have loved it.

Rating:

(Fair +)

You can learn more about John Irving and his books on the author's website.

Source: I purchased both print and e-book copies with my own hard earned money.

© 2014, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

From the Archives: A Bit of Action in September of 2005

I began keeping a reading journal several years before I began blogging. I find it interesting to sift through my thoughts of books that I read back then. My reviews were often brief and contained little substance, but I thought it'd be fun to document them here on my blog as well as share them with you. Here are two from September and one from October of 2005:

Private Wars by Greg Rucka
Bantam, 2005
Suspense/Thriller; 503 pgs

British spy, Tara Chace, is on the job again, in the second of the Queen and Country book series by Greg Rucka. This time, Tara is on a mission that will take her deep into a family battle for power. Heaped in politics, deception, revenge, and action, Private Wars takes readers on a roller coaster ride of espionage and thrills. Tara Chace is one tough lady who always seems to land on her feet in the end. I had difficulty setting down this novel, anxious to see where the story would take me next.

The Hundredth Man by Jack Kerley
Signet, 2004
Crime Fiction; 416 pgs

Jack Kerley’s first published novel, The Hundredth Man, was an enjoyable and easy to read thriller about a Mobile, Alabama detective in search of a serial killer. The story seemed to revolve more around the politics in the police department and the blocked attempts of the Carson Ryder and his partner Harry from doing their jobs. The dialogue between the characters was witty and charming at times, however, I said to my husband pretty early on that it was obvious the writer was a former advertising writer. Although the main character was likeable, he seems a little too good to be true. I did enjoy reading the novel and will definitely be on the lookout for the second in the series when it comes out in paperback.

Darkfall by Dean Koontz
Turtleback Books, 1984
Horror; 384 pgs

Lieutenant Jack Dawson and Lieutenant Rebecca Chandler investigate the unusual and brutal murders with a supernatural element of a mobster family. Darkfall is a fast paced and intense novel that kept me engrossed from the very first page. I enjoyed Dean Koontz’s writing style. I found his novel intelligently written and easy to read. Darkfall was an enjoyable novel.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon

Landon Downey clutched the baby name book From Abba to Zed to his chest and knocked on his girlfriend's dorm room door. ~ Opening Sentence of The Millionaire Affair

The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon

Forever, 2014

Romance; 260 pgs

From the Publisher:

Millionaire ad executive Landon Downey has a policy: no romantic relationships allowed. So when he's saddled with his six-year-old nephew for a week, he doesn't think twice about asking Kimber Reynolds to act as live-in nanny. What he doesn't expect is the undeniable attraction to the woman he hasn't seen since they were kids. And not only does she like him back-she suggests they work their way down a list of extracurricular activities in the bedroom. How can he resist?

Kimber wants to prove once and for all that she can love 'em and leave 'em with the best of them. All she has to do is keep her sixteen-year crush on Landon out of the equation. No problem . . . until she realizes she may not be the only one whose heart has gotten completely tangled up in their no-strings agreement.

I hate that in the description of this novel it describes Landon as being "saddled with his six-year-old nephew". Landon may be a workaholic--he's a millionaire for a reason, after all. However, he dearly loves his nephew, and I doubt he would consider himself saddled with the sweet boy. Unfortunately, he's in the middle of an important ad campaign and cannot devote the time and attention to his nephew that he sorely wishes he could. In steps his sister, Angel, who pushes her friend, Kimber, in Landon's direction. Kimber isn't exactly a nanny. Rather, she owns her own small business, alongside her ex who she would love to buy out. The offer, however, is too good to pass up. The money she'll make for a week of babysitting will make a huge dent in her effort to finally get rid of her ex-boyfriend.

Both Landon and Kimber have their own relationship issues. A long ago betrayal has turned Landon off getting close to any woman. His last girlfriend and he had a mutual business agreement to date--more a case of being each other's arm candy rather than being part of a more meaningful relationship. Kimber, on the other hand, has always been quick to throw her entire heart into a relationship only to have it stomped on by the men she falls for.

When Landon offers Kimber the job, and Kimber moves in for the week, the sparks fly. It's clear the two have the kind of chemistry that will be hard to ignore. I admit I was put off at first by the lust that oozed from the two characters every time they saw each other, but either I got used to it or it leveled off once the two finally consummated their arrangement. In an effort to prove that she could keep her heart out of it, that she could have a fling, a simple affair, Kimber comes up with the idea of creating a list of ten "bedroom" activities, that once they've worked through, means the end of their affair. Landon is quick to agree. After all, he doesn't want to give in to his heart.

I expected the life span of the list to last longer than it did, but to the author's credit, it was only the catalyst to an otherwise bigger story. Kimber and Landon find themselves falling for each other, despite their best efforts not to.

I really enjoyed this book. I appreciated the author taking her time getting the characters together, and especially the depth she put into their creation. I liked both Landon and Kimber and found myself rooting for them from the start. They seemed like (mostly) real people with real problems. I also really liked the minor characters, including Landon's family. Their interactions with both Kimber and Landon made the novel all the more enjoyable.

I thought Jessica Lemmon was able to show Kimber and Landon confronting their own issues in a mature way. There was no quick fix or love will conquer all attitude. The characters really had to work through their pain and reluctance. The author didn't make it easy for them. And yet, in true romance novel fashion, even from the start, I knew there would be a happy ending.

Note: This is the third book in the author's Love in Balance series, which I didn't realize when I began this book. It is a stand alone, however, and knowledge of the other two books is not necessary.

Rating:

(Very Good)

You can learn more about Jessica Lemmon and her books on the author's website.

Source: I received an e-copy of this book for review from the publisher via NetGalley.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

When people find out what I do for a living their first question is always about the most horrendous case of child abuse I've encountered. ~ Opening Sentence of Little Mercies.

Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

Harlequin (MIRA), 2014

Fiction; 320 pgs

From the Publisher:

Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity;the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends' couches and moving in and out of cheap motels. When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

I wonder if Ellen Moore was reluctant to tell people what she did for a living too. I imagine so, given the reaction she got when she did. The first chapter of Little Mercies could have been written by me. I understand all too well what she has experienced and how she feels about her work. I have to give credit to the author for capturing the voice of a social worker so well. So often cast in the uncaring and/or in overwhelmed role, author Heather Gudenkauf, offers a more compassionate side. Yes, still overworked, but also as a human being with a heart and a brain.

Sometimes the calls that affect me the most are the ones in which a child is fatally or near fatally hurt in an event that could have been avoided--but also could happen to any one of us. We can make an attempt to safety proof every aspect of our home, but there's bound to be something we forget. I admit I laughed a little when my cousin suggested I get a lock for the toilets in the house to prevent drowning. It has never been an issue for us, but if you do an online search, there are stories out there of children drowning in toilets. It's easy to judge those who make mistakes--step away from the bath to get a towel or grab the ringing phone, run into the market to pay for gas while leaving a sleeping infant child in the car, forgetting to slip the cover back into the electrical outlet after using it, not picking up all the pills accidentally dropped on the floor, the family party in which everyone assumes everyone else is watching the toddler near the pool, for example--all of which could lead to a child fatality or near fatality. Heather Gudenkauf brings this issue right to the forefront in her novel, Little Mercies, as her character Ellen Moore finds herself on the other side of a child welfare investigation than she usually stands on. I liked how the author portrayed the client reaction in regards to Ellen's situation. You had the one who understood and offered her support and then the one who was still angry about her own situation and took it out on Ellen.

Then there is Jenny, a young girl who finds herself separated from her father, and on a bus to a city she knows nothing about. Her father is a kind person who loves his daughter very much, but it's clear he isn't the best parent. He cannot keep a job or a roof over their head and he drinks way too much. Jenny is more the parent than he is. It is better than where she came from, one could argue. Her mother chose an abusive man over Jenny. Jenny is lucky to run into enough caring people along her journey that are willing to help her. She is taken in by a waitress who only means to help.

Jenny is an instantly likable character. She is suspicious of everyone, distrusting of authority, and clearly loves her dad. There is an innocence and vulnerability about her, however, that draws those around her in. She is going through her own nightmare. She is lost and afraid for both herself and her father. She longs to know the mother who abandoned her.

The novel is told in alternating first person narratives by Jenny and Ellen. Both have very distinct voices. Ellen's story would have been enough on its own. The pain and guilt that tears Ellen and her husband apart inside, and the impact everything has on their children, is so raw. The author does a good job of putting us inside Ellen's head and understanding where she is coming from, what she is going through. Even as I initially warred within myself about Ellen's responsibility in what she'd done, I couldn't help but feel for her, especially when she was kept from her child in the hospital. It seemed cruel, especially given the circumstances. It did not take me long to soften again towards Ellen, and recognize the situation for what it was. I can say that would never happen to me, to my daughter, but it could easily be something else. However, Jenny's story added another dimension to the novel that I felt lightened things up, even as sad and desperate as her situation is. I expected a little more interaction between Ellen and Jenny based on the synopsis of the story, but I think the author made the best choice given her characters and what they, especially Ellen, were going through.

My favorite character in the novel by far is Ellen's mother. Widowed, with her children all living their own lives, she is managing as well as she can, but she is definitely lonely. I couldn't help but think of my own mother. Both would do anything for their children and want so much to be a part of their lives. In my case, distance is the biggest obstacle, but there's also the usual busy: work, family, etc. By the end of the book, I had the urge to call my mother--and it was a good reminder that I need to take more time out of my busy schedule to connect with her. Not only for her sake, but for mine as well.

The climax is high in intensity, but felt a little staged, and the ending satisfying in its own way. I came away from this novel feeling the strength of the characters, the warmth of their hearts, and the power of redemption. I also came away from it with a deeper appreciation for those little mercies in our lives that help us get through even when we feel at our most helpless.

Rating of Book:

(Good +)

You can learn more about Heather Gudenkauf and her books on the author's website.

Source: I received an e-copy of this book for review from the publisher via NetGalley.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (06/24/2014)

Mouse enjoying the summer day.

Happy Summer! I have been enjoying all the blog posts about summer reading lists, making notes and adding feverishly to my wish list. I am not making any summer reading goals or even my own list. I rarely do. Still, I love seeing what everyone else's plans are and what books they want to read for the season.

Everyone in the house is fighting yet another cold. With this one, the cough is the worst of it. Perhaps you have heard my cry to the heavens for it to be gone so I can breath easily again--and sleep restfully. I was hoping we would get through the summer without any illness; alas, that isn't possible. No such luck.

On a more positive note, I finished A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving last week. Then, the next evening, I finished Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I jotted down my initial thoughts of both yesterday and am hoping to come up with coherent reviews of both to share with you.

I went back and forth about what to read next. I am anxious to start Ben H. Winters' Last Policeman trilogy, but then I came across Liz Strange's Destination Unknown, the third book in the David Lloyd mystery series, in my Kindle and thought that one sounded good for right now. When I settled in to read, however, I found myself drawn to Stephen Kiernan's The Curiosity. There is just something about that cover . . .

What are you reading at the moment? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

I thought I would share the opening of a book I just started yesterday called The Curiosity by Stephen Kiernan.

I was already wide-awake when they came for me. I lay on a metal bunk, in a gray-walled room with a whitewashed ceiling, while Billings and an ensign hurried toward me through the bulkheads. In a moment I would open the door to discovery, to love, to destruction. In those seconds just before, though, I sat with eyes wide.

Described as a thriller, a love story and the nature of humanity, The Curiosity is about a man discovered frozen in the Arctic. Through advances in science, he is reanimated. He truly is a "curiosity", but he is also human.

Would you continue reading?

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Six Month Challenge Check In

Six months into the year and I already have a few contenders for my top ten favorite books of the year, although no books have yet earned my coveted 5 paw rating. It is hard to believe half the year is already gone. So, how am I doing with those reading challenges I said I would not sign up for but did anyway? Let's take a look:

I admit to always playing the What's In A Name Challenge hosted by Charlie from The Worm Hole by the ear. I have not intentionally read a book for this challenge in a couple years and somehow manage to complete it (even if by the skin of my teeth). So far this year, I have read books that meet two of the six categories. Not the best start, but I still have another six months to work on it.

A reference to time in the title ~ Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
A position of royalty in the title ~ Duke City Split by Max Austin (the book has nothing to do with royalty, but the title has the word "Duke in it", so I'm counting it.)

A number written in letters in the title (I've read a couple of books with numeric descriptive words in the title ("once" and "millionaire" for example), but no specific number written in letters. Yet.)

A forename or names in the title (I was going to fit A Prayer for Owen Meany in this category, but who would have guessed "Owen" isn't the character's first name? It's his middle name. Oh well. I have lots of other choices to choose from.)

A type or element of weather in the title

A book with a school subject in the title

I challenged myself to read at least 5 historical fiction novels this year for Historical Tapestry's Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, and I have done just that. Both Irving and Atwood's books take the reader into the past as the characters remember in their present times. There is enough history included for the books to count towards this challenge, fortunately.

1. Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson

2. The Final Solution: A Story of Detection by Michael Chabon
3. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
4. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving ~ review pending
5. Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood ~ review pending

The Book to Movie Challenge hosted by Katie of Doing Dewey and Sergio of Tipping my Fedora has been a lot of fun so far this year. Reading and watching movies are both passions of mine and this challenge combines both. I committed to read/watch six for the challenge. Even though I have met my challenge goal, I imagine there will be more before the year is out.

1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

2. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

3. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

6. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (the movie title is Simon Birch) ~ review pending

I was hesitant to join Chunkster Challenge hosted by Vasilly of 1330V this year, but I could not resist. Chunksters are defined as being 450 pages or more. I agreed to read 5 chunksters this year. Admittedly, some were fairly quick books to read given the type of book and subject matter (the challenge allows YA books this year). A few others took me a while to work my way through. I would say eight out of five isn't bad though, wouldn't you say?

Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin - 768 pgs
A Prayer for Own Meany by John Irving - 640 pgs ~ review pending
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 577 pgs
Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - 521 pgs ~ review pending
Insurgent by Veronica Roth - 544 pgs
Allegiant by Veronica Roth - 544 pgs
Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie - 496 pgs

Divergent by Veronica Roth - 487 pgs

This year I am also participating in Carrie of Books and Movies' "I've Always Meant to Read That Book!" Challenge, at least occasionally. In March, I read State of Wonder by Ann Patchett as planned; and in April I began reading Margaret Atwood's Blind Assassin. I wasn't able to finish Blind Assassin until June. Better late than never, right? On a positive note, I did finish June's A Prayer for Owen Meany as planned. As much as I hoped to join Carrie in reading The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins for May, I decided to set that aside to read at a later time. The next book I am hoping to read alongside Carrie is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. But that's not until October.

Over all, I think I am doing very good! Technically, I have completed the Chunkster Challenge, the Books to Movie Challenge, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. And I am only at the six month mark! Go me! I am not ready to wrap up the challenges just yet, however. I want to leave them open to see what other titles I can add to my lists.

Are you participating in any challenges this year? How are you progressing?

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: The Ocean At the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

It was only a duck pond, out at the back of the farm. ~ Opening of The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

William Morrow, 2013

Fantasy; 181 pgs

From the Publisher:

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

I love Neil Gaiman. I do not know why I have not read all his books yet. Every time I open one of his books, I am completely and utterly charmed and swept off my feet. It was no different with The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Although framed by the story of a man returned home for a funeral, this is really the story of that man as a boy, his friendship with an extraordinary girl, and what happens to him and his family after the suicide of a tenant who had been staying at their home.

I instantly bonded with the little boy in the story. Is it any wonder given how much he loved to read and how often he lost himself in books? He had no friends; in fact, no one showed up at his 7th birthday party, a fact that made my heart break for him. But after the body of the opal miner who had been residing with his family is found in the family's stolen car, our little narrator finds a friend in Lettie Hempstock, an 11 year old girl. There is something peculiar about her; although, there is no doubt she is a good person with the very best of intentions. She, along with her mother and grandmother, introduce the boy to a world outside his own. One in which you can pull a kitten from the ground like you would a carrot. One filled with magic and mysteries and untold darkness.

It is Lettie who first explains that the pond at the back of her farmhouse is the ocean, one that has shrunk over time but is still the same one her family traveled across long ago. Her grandmother was alive at the time the moon came into being. The boy wonders at the truth of it all, but accepts it, especially after he experiences some of the magic and mystery himself.

Evil latches onto the boy during a visit with Lettie, as she sets out to collect and bind that which had brought bad luck to the people in area after the opal miner's suicide. The horrors it brings are straight out of a young boy's nightmares. The very fabric of his family is threatened. Knowing the adults won't believe him, the boy turns to Lettie for help, trusting she will carry out her promise not to let any harm come to him.

Neil Gaiman's writing is so vivid, and yet, given the age of the narrator at the time the events occurred, there is an innocence about it. I fell in love with the Hempstock women, so strong and quick on their feet, mysteries unto themselves. The reader never really learns who--or what--they are, but they make one feel safe. They are the reason I didn't have nightmares of my own after finishing this book.

The narrator learns much during the course of the book, about himself and about the adults in his life. He finds a courage he did not know he has, and he comes to realize that adults are really like children inside, scared and trying to do the best they can, not always knowing the answers.

I found myself crying near the end of the novel, and feeling a bit sad at the very end, and yet hopeful. I love the way Gaiman brings his stories full circle in the end, while at the same time leaving room to wonder.

Rating:

(Very Good +)

To learn more about Neil Gaiman and his books, please visit the author's website.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about The Ocean at the End of the Lane on the TLC Book Tours route!

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. The publisher provided a copy of the book for review.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (06/17/2014)

How is your week so far? I hope good. The weather has been very pleasant in my part of the world. We visited the park on Saturday where Mouse got to play in the water with a neighbor boy who is just a few months younger than she is. For Father's Day, we treated my husband to doughnuts and lunch out. We also went shopping for a new computer as his old finally gave out. He was able to use gift cards he had received for the past several holidays to pay for it. Gift cards make the best gifts! Well, besides books.

I had the chance to see the movie Maleficent this weekend and really enjoyed it. I love these fairy tale re-tellings in which the villains get a back story all their own.

At the moment, I am reading A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving for Carrie's "I've Always Meant to Read That Book!" Challenge of which I have failed to finish the last two books I wanted to read for the challenge in a timely fashion. So, far, I confess, I am not enjoying Irving's book. So many of you love it, I know. I feel like I should too. There are moments in the novel when I think, "Oh! Maybe this is the moment when I will become hooked!" And then it unravels from there. I am debating whether to finish the novel at all at this point. I am about a third of the way through. At least with Atwood's book, I enjoy it when I am reading it--it's picking it up again after I set it down that is the problem (and then I forget to bring my Nook to work--and so I only have my Kindle to read during my lunch hour). This is why I have been reading other books in between . . .

What are you reading at the moment? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

Here is the opening paragraph from my current book, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving:

I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice--not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany. I make no claims to have a life of Christ, or with Christ--and certainly not for Christ, which I've heard some zealots claim. I'm not very sophisticated in my knowledge of the Old Testament, and I've not read the New Testament since my Sunday school days, except for those passages that I hear read aloud to me when I go to church. I'm somewhat more familiar with the passages from the Bible that appear in The Book of Common Prayer; I read my prayer book often, and my Bible only on holy days--the prayer book is so much more orderly.

Would you continue reading?

Sunday, June 15, 2014

From the Archives: Exile's Honor & Exile's Valor by Mercedes Lackey

Exile’s Honor by Mercedes Lackey

DAW, 2002

Fantasy; 431 pgs

Initially I had decided to set aside September [2005] as fantasy month. I planned to read only fantasy novels, clearing some space on my shelves and start working my way through some of the tomes that I have waiting for me to read. It didn’t turn out that way, however. I did, at least, get in one fantasy novel this month, returning to an old favorite fantasy world of mine, Valdemar in Exile’s Honor. Mercedes Lackey takes readers into the past of Alberich, a Karsite turned Herald, a character who appears in several of her earlier books (although set in the years after this one takes place).

I lovingly refer to the Valdemar books as “fantasy fluff” because they are easy and fun to read. I think that part of my continued enjoyment of the series is based on nostalgia, this series of books being the first that peaked my interest into fantasy novels when my husband introduced it to me the year we met. The characters and world are familiar and bring a sense of comfort to me whenever I return to them. I did enjoy Exile’s Honor, however, the main character seemed to slide through the book with little if any change. Although it can be expected that the heroes and heroines of these novels are good people, they usually go through a somewhat tumultuous self-discovery process. Alberich’s character stayed pretty much the same as those around him grew and moved forward. Even his personal conflict seemed rather static. Still, I had fun and am looking forward to reading the sequel, Exile’s Valor.

Exile’s Valor by Mercedes Lackey

DAW, 2003

Fantasy; 438 pgs

Exile’s Valor picks off where Exile’s Honor ends. Suddenly Queen Selaney must fight off attempts by the Councilors to rush her into an unwanted marriage. Alberich dons his disguises once again to try and uncover secrets being passed along. He suspects the secrets may involve the Queen or her Court, however, he can’t be sure. Exile’s Valor got off to a very slow start as readers were walked through Queen Selaney’s time of mourning and the attempts to help her through it. It turned into a romance novel of sorts later on in the book. The intrigue surrounding the possible plot against the Queen was what kept me reading. As always, it is a pleasure to visit with old friends and meet new ones in Valdemar, however, I was a disappointed with Exile’s Valor. The story was weak, and I was bored with Ms. Lackey’s descriptive writing style.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Mini Bookish Thoughts: A Little Bit of This and That

First Sentence: There was one universal truth in Lucky Harbor, Washington - you could hide a pot of gold in broad daylight and no one would steal it, but you couldn't hid a secret.

Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis (Grand Central Publishing, 2014; 352 pgs) ~ My guilty pleasure. This is my second Shalvis book (the 10th in the Lucky Harbor Series--each book is a stand alone), and truly and utterly brain candy. A contemporary romance set in a small coastal town; a steamy romance between a somewhat aloof and angry police detective and a sweet and independent woman who fate seems to slap down at every turn; a theft; and, well, didn't I already say a steamy romance?

First Sentence: I stood in the shadows of a deserted shop front across from The Blood and Brew Pub, trying not to be obvious as I tugged my black leather pants back up where they belonged.

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison (HarperTorch, 2004; 416 pgs) ~ How could I not have started this series years ago?! It's so perfectly me! Witches! An urban setting! Magic! Supernatural beings! A cool neighbor! A Mystery! Action! Bring on the next book, please.

First Sentence: "Can you hold up those guys with the body bag, Loo?"

Death Angel by Linda Fairstein (Dutton Adult, 2013; 384 pgs) ~ This is the 15th book in the Alexandra Cooper, New York Assistant District Attorney, series, the book I thought I read but hadn't. Thank goodness I had it on hand. Set in Central Park, this murder mystery takes some interesting turns, including carrying several different story lines: the homeless, a missing child, murder, stalkers, a hint of romance, the very wealthy to the history and geography of Central Park. And of course, the usual office politics. There was a lot going on in this novel, maybe too much (so many different threads, not all of which came together in the end), but I enjoyed it. And now I'm officially all caught up with the series!

First Sentence: Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Dutton Books, 2012; 313 pgs) ~ This is one of those books that made me melt as I read it. I loved Hazel. I loved Augustus even more. Sure, he is a bit too perfect, but given the text is narrated by Hazel who thinks he's pretty perfect, is it any wonder? I can't blame her really. He was awesome. I even loved Isaac. And Hazel's parents. Oh, and of course, John Green. I cried. I laughed. When people have said this is not a book about young adults with cancer and about dying, they are only partly wrong. Because it is about that. But mostly it is about falling in love, about expectations and disappointment, about suffering and grief--and most of all about living. I could go on and on about the philosophical points made throughout the book, the ideas the different characters put forth--but I won't. Read the book for yourself, if you have not already.

The movie, starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, directed by Josh Boone, was very well done. I thought Woodley and Elgort did an amazing job--they really do have good chemistry. I saw it hot on the heels of finishing the book. There were changes made, which is to be expected whenever a book is translated to the big screen, but the overall feel and tone of the movie and the book were the same. To me, that makes it a home run. Like with the book, I laughed, and I cried as expected. Have you seen the movie yet?

Source: All four of the above listed books were purchased by myself for my reading pleasure.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Where Is Your Bookmark? (06/10/2014)

The community aspect of book blogging is often what has kept me blogging for as long as I have. I am just a small fish in a giant ocean of book bloggers, sure, but I am content with that. I have my circle of friends and acquaintances that I have made through book blogging, and am always open to making new ones. I have seen bloggers come and go, sometimes quietly, without word. I learned this weekend through Lisa Munley and Trish Collins of TLC Book Tours that our own Amy Meyer of The House of Seven Tails passed away late last month. My heart is heavy with sadness. I know many of you knew her as well. She often participated in Diane's First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros. After learning of her death, I went back through the many e-mail exchanges we shared over the past five years, remembering the words of encouragement she gave me during my rough spots, hearing about the difficulties she was facing both health wise and in life, and, of course, sharing in our love for our cats and books. One area we bonded early on was our fight against child abuse. Amy once worked as an Assistant District Attorney, prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases. I know we will all miss Amy's voice in the book blogging community. Her enthusiasm for books and her kind heart will always be an inspiration to me.

Not too long ago I talked about triggers, child abuse being one of them. For me, it is a combination of a couple of factors. Having a young daughter myself, books about child abuse and neglect impact me on a deeper level than they did before I had a child The other factor is simply that child abuse and neglect are my business. I hear about it every day. I prefer not to read about it in my leisure.

So, it was with some reluctance that I agreed to read Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf. A friend twisted my arm though, and so I did. It was an extremely emotional read for me, both as a mother and from a professional level. I am not sure it was the best choice of books to read after Sandra Hunter's Losing Touch, another quite emotional read, but in some ways, they balanced each other out.

I have now moved on to Death Angel by Linda Fairstein. I am determined to read that book I somehow missed reading last year.

What are you reading at the moment? Is it something you would recommend?

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where

participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a

book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

Here is the opening paragraph from my recent read Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf:

When people find out what I do for a living their first question is always about the most horrendous case of child abuse I've encountered. I can be at a backyard barbecue or at a New Year's Eve party or in the waiting room at the dentist's office, or my husband's baseball game. You must see so much, they say, shaking their heads, lips pursed in something like empathy, like I was the one who might have endured the beatings, the burns, the torrents of hateful words. Of course I don't share any details about my clients and their families. So much has been stripped from the children that stagger in and out of my orbit; the very least I can do is honor their privacy. Come on, people urge, tell me. It's bad, isn't it? Like I'm dangling some salacious gossip in front of them. Like I'm keeping mum because I don't want to offend their tender ears, upset their perfectly ordered worlds where all children are touched with gentle hands, spoken to with loving words and tucked warmly into beds with full stomachs.

And the opening of my current book, Death Angel by Laura Fairstein:

"Can you hold up those guys with the body bag, Loo?" I was jogging down the steps from the top of Bethesda Terrace, trying to catch up with Mercer Wallace, when the four cops and two techs from the ME's office passed me on their climb toward the waiting morgue van.

Would you continue reading?

Sunday, June 08, 2014

Mouse's Corner: Our Weekend Project

(Mouse made sure to put toys on the tree so the cats would have something to play with. She added a few of the cat toys and a few of her own she wanted to share.)

Thursday, June 05, 2014

Bookish Thoughts: Terminal City by Linda Fairstein

"Not a pretty way to die, Alexandra." ~ Opening to Terminal City

Terminal City by Linda Fairstein

Dutton, 2014

Crime Fiction; 384 pgs

From the Publisher:

Linda Fairstein is well-known for illuminating the dark histories in many of New York’s forgotten corners—and sometimes in the city’s most popular landmarks. In Terminal City, Fairstein turns her attention to one of New York's most iconic structures—Grand Central Terminal.

Grand Central Terminal is the very center of the city. It’s also the sixth most visited tourist attraction in the world. From the world’s largest Tiffany clock decorating the Forty-Second Street entrance to using electric trains since the early 1900s, Grand Central has been a symbol of beauty and innovation in New York City for more than one hundred years.

But "the world’s loveliest station” is hiding more than just an underground train system, and in Terminal City Alex Cooper and Mike Chapman must contend with Grand Central’s dark secrets as well as their own changing relationship.

Linda Fairstein's Alexandra (Alex) Cooper series is one of the few I am nearly on top of (I could swear I had read last year's release, but evidently I haven't--must this soon!). Terminal City is the sixteenth book in the series. What I love most about Fairstein's books is the history of the landmarks in which her crimes often take place, and Terminal City has history in spades. It is what I loved about the book, but also what pulled it down, I think. It was a little too much, at times overpowering the murder investigation itself.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Alexandra Cooper is an Assistant District Attorney in charge of the sex crimes unit. She is often paired up with her two good friends, Detective Mercer Wallace and Detective Mike Chapman. Mercer plays less of a role in this novel than he has in the past, whereas Mike takes his usual seat, with the usual teasing and joking manner.

While each book in this series can be read as a stand alone, there is definite back story which would make series purists more likely to want to start at the beginning. One of the features I like best about this series is how Alex doesn't start out as a fresh "character" with each novel. The wear and tear and horrors she faces with each book build on her. The relationships she has with her colleagues has also evolved over the course of the series. In many ways, this book had threads of both, which I don't feel would hinder one's enjoyment of the book, but may make the reader feel a little behind.

I appreciated the tension between Alex and Mike as they sort through their feelings about their changing relationship. Their history and their professions are challenges they both will have to continue to work through if they want to make a go of it.

I enjoyed reading about the more minor side cases that Alex or her team are working on in each of Fairstein's novels. They rarely take center stage in the books, but I find them interesting, nonetheless. In Terminal City, Alex is up against a police officer accused of intending harm to his family and other women. It causes quite a stir given the circumstances of the case. When does fantasy cross the line into becoming a crime? This fictional case in Fairstein's novel is based on a real life case (which, of course, I had to research).

As for the main story line in Terminal City, Alex is called in late one night after a body is discovered in a hotel room. When another body is found on the streets with a similar calling card, the authorities believe there must be a connection between the two murders. It seems impossible they'll ever be able to get to the bottom of the murders the more they uncover--and discover what they do not know. The case took a couple interesting twists in the novel, and I found myself wishing there had been more focus on it and less on the history of Grand Central Station, as interesting as it was. There was, of course, the classic climatic scene in which Alex's life is in danger, a regular staple in a Fairstein novel. At least this time it wasn't because Alex decided to take on the killer alone. She really wasn't trying to get in the way this time.

Overall, I enjoyed Terminal City, even with its flaws. Maybe it is my attachment to the characters and their fates and my interest in history. Like with every series, some books are bound to be stronger than others.

Rating: