2019-2020 Challenge Year-end Totals for SLPL Team

 Now that we've finished a Challenge Year (August 31, 2020), it's time to look back at how we all did.  While not everyone added posts through the entire year, we still welcomed their reviews (and their books/pages).  

Over the Challenge year, SLPL Team's info was:

13 people
read 484 books
for a whopping total of 147,431  pages
and 49 books tagged with the tag of "Author Name Double Letter"

!!!!!

Some more notable things from the Challenge year:  Two of our members added reviews every single month, even in some of the early months of COVID when some of us just didn't quite get anything written for the month.  So BRAVO to Julie E-C and Shirley J. who kept going and logging every month!!!!

And I know some people like to know the big totals, so our Super Readers this challenge year were:

Shirley J. logged 144 books and 48379 pages
Julie E-C logged 62 books and 19444 pages
Jen O. logged 60 books and 24840
Dennis M. also logged 60 books and 17379 pages

And onwards to the next year!!!  We welcome some new members and encourage all past members to join us again.   

The Red Lotus

 The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian   400 pages

He writes! He scores!  Author Chris Bohjalian hits another one out of the park!

In his twenty-second novel, Bohjalian writes of deadly pathogens that seem to mirror today’s daily headlines. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that he had a crystal ball that told him about the Coronavirus. It takes too long to research, write and publish a book that is somewhat related to the pandemic that has its grip on the world.

Anyway, in this taut thriller, Bohjalian takes us to Vietnam. Alexis and her new boyfriend, Austin Harper, are on a bicycle tour of the country.  Austin takes off alone one day near the end of the tour, supposedly in search of where his uncle was killed and his dad injured in to pay his respects. Alexis, an emergency room in New York City, begins to panic after several hours have passed since he was to return.

Other than the touring company and the people who have been riding alongside Alexis and Austin, no one is that concerned….at first. As the hours creep by, Alexis gets more frantic and begins to search. The police are not helpful and the Consulate doesn’t seem to have time….neither do Austin’s parents, who don’t return Alexis’ calls.

While Alexis is searching, Bohjalian turns the narrator’s attention to Austin, giving readers some insight as to what is happening with him. 

While searching, Alexis finds Austin’s energy gel packs lying on the roadside. It seems these little, innocuous packets---the size of a fast-food ketchup packet---contain a deadly pathogen that makes the Coronavirus seem like a bout of hay fever.

I didn’t always get the science behind the pathogens, but thankfully, Bohjalian provides only what is necessary to the story.  Other who get it, will appreciate the second-layer of depth he delves into.  But that didn’t stop me from loving this novel.

And now the sad part returns---waiting on the next Bohjalian novel.  Normally I would give a book I liked this much six stars, but due to the science, “The Red Lotus” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

Poems

 Poems by Algernon Charles Swinburne, 231 pages

He offers his tithe.

     The sea gives her shells to the shingle,

          The earth gives her streams to the sea;

     They are many, but my gift is single,

          My verses, the first fruits of me.

Swinburne has been called the "last of the giants", and indeed he stands tall at the end of Romanticism and the beginning of Decadence, willing to be damned for love's spite or sake.

     But you would have felt my soul in a kiss,

          And known that once if I loved you so well;

     And I would have given my soul for this

          To burn forever in burning hell.

Death has closed the circle on Swinburne's world of flesh, but delight has not yet yielded wholly to disgust, nor heartache to horror.

     Is it worth a tear, is it worth an hour,

          To think on things that are well outworn?

     Of fruitless husk and fugitive flower,

          The dream foregone and the deed forborne?

The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story

The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story by Darin Strauss   336 pages

 With the tagline of “A Lucille Ball Story,” I was under the impression that this novel would be a factual/fictional account of the Lucy and Desi’s rocky marriage, their triumph of making television history, and what it was like to co-own a television production company in a male-dominated industry. I’ll admit that while I’m not the hugest fan of Lucy’s comedy, but I have always admired her shrewd business acumen.

But upon getting my hands on this novel, I quickly learned that it, really, has nothing to do Lucy’s real life. It is a smash-up of memoir and fantasy based on a “what if” scenario. Granted that is what writing fiction is based on, but author Strauss takes such liberties with timelines (Desi Jr’s birth year is wrong) and events that the whole concept is outlandish.

The novel is based on a Strauss family myth that the author’s grandfather had a torrid affair with Miss Ball. The writing is convoluted, with multiple plot lines showing up in almost every paragraph. I was looking for some shred of evidence that Strauss’ ancestor’s story was true, but found none. 

Avoid this novel at all costs. “The Queen of Tuesday” receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

SLPL Team August totals

 This month was interesting ---- 3 of the 6 people read 6 books each!  

In total:

6 people

read 23 books

for a total of 8351 pages

Shirley J. was the SuperReader this month with 3496 pages, and out of the three people logging 6 books each, Julie E-C. had the highest total, logging 2048 pages.

Great job, everyone!!!

The Prisoner's Wife

 The Prisoner’s Wife by Maggie Brooks   400 pages

 It’s hard to imagine that with the plethora of World War II historical novels on the market that an author could stumble upon something new.  Luckily for readers everywhere, author Maggie Brooks has done just that. She first heard about it from an elderly man, Sidney Reed, in an elevator of all places. He told her he “had been in a Nazi prison camp where they sheltered a Czech woman disguised as a British solider.”  Brooks was hooked and met with Reed a few days later for the whole story. Reed wasn’t able to give full details, like the woman’s name, but the things he did tell her---like the names of the camps—were verifiable.  That information alone was enough to set Brooks on a research journey like no other.

It seemed that a British soldier, whom she called Bill, had been captured by the Nazis, in Czechoslovakia. He and other prisoners were sent to work on a farm, helping bring in the crops and other assorted jobs. Only an old woman, her daughter and her young son were left to do the work. The daughter was given the name of Izabela, or Izzy. The two fall in love. Izzy helps Bill escape, they marry. Izzy disguises herself as a British soldier so that if they are captured, they can stay together.

Of course, they are captured, bur her disguise works. The main focus of the story is how Bill and some of the other prisoners guard her. How they help and guard her during her periods, showers and using the latrine leaves little detail to the imagination. Horrifying reading, but this reader was unable to put the book down.

While the details of everyday life in the camps is nothing when it comes to the Long March West  they are forced to endure from Eastern Europe to Germany---500 miles with little clothing and even less food---in January through March of 1945. The weather is horrifyingly cold, snow falls almost all the time, and sometimes they are forced to sleep outdoors. Again, the descriptions of the cold, the hunger pains, the walking with frozen feet, the dysentery, the stomach cramps, the bare clothing are not left to the imagination.

I’ve read an enormous amount of World War II historical fiction, but this is the most detailed about the atrocities the POWs faced. I highly, highly recommend this book, and “The Prisoner’s Wife” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

We Begin At The End

 We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker   367 pages  I read a galley

The blurbs on this book make it sound like it can't possibly live up to the hype. "Two of the most unforgettable characters to charge across the written page."  "We Begin at the End will be a defining work of the forthcoming decade....[it] is the work of a master writer."

But it does. It is just as fantastic as these blurbs say it is. 

This is the summary from Goodreads: "Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer.
Now, he's been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed.

Duchess Radley, Star's thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin - and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.

Murder, revenge, retribution.

How far can we run from the past when the past seems doomed to repeat itself?"

This is what the summary doesn't tell you: Duchess Day Radley will break your heart. This story will open your heart and then break it, and break it again. Will that happen for all readers? No, no story has that much power. But I think a lot of readers will react this way and I think this story will resonate with them, like it did for me, long after the book is closed and life moves forward. 

This is the story of Duchess Radley, whose mother Star is on a tragic course that she seems determined to follow. It's the story of Walk, the chief of police who grew up in the town and never left, and who tries to protect Star and Duchess while also grappling with his own demons. It's also the story of Vincent King, sent to prison as a young person, partly due to the testimony given by his friend Walk. Now, Vincent is out of prison and trying to make a life again --- but as soon as he comes back to town, trouble follows. Throughout the story are some overarching themes: How can you help people who don't want to help themselves? Is there ever enough space to run far enough to escape your past? Or your inevitable future? What is the high price of just surviving?

The Good Sister

 The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth        306 pages  I read a galley 

Rose and Fern are as close as two sisters can be, but they're each hiding a dark secret from each other. Rose is the responsible one, with a steady job and loving husband and burning desire to become a mother. Fern is the free spirit, a librarian who avoids social interaction and someone that a lot of people might describe as outright odd. Growing up with a sociopath as a mother, Rose always protected Fern, even when she did something terrible years ago. However, Fern is starting to grow more aware of Rose's own dark secrets. Maybe Rose hasn't been protecting Fern, after all . . . 

I absolutely loved this creepy, compelling and unpredictable story. The two sisters are both interesting characters, and I really liked that Hepworth gives us a main character who has some sensory processing issues (which made me think Fern has a touch of Asperger's). I really liked that there was a sense right away that something was wrong, and a dark thread running through the story --- but you cant tell right away what it is. And when you think you've got it in your grasp, the story slips and turns in a different direction. I liked being kept off balance, especially when I suspected that one of the sisters was an unreliable narrator.  This was an absolutely absorbing read and I really enjoyed it!

Joy at Work

 Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo  242 pages

Yes, Marie Kondo strikes again, this time aiming her sharp eyes at your office.

"The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn't felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being.

There is another way. In Joy at Work , bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters.

Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind."

I admit it: I have not read her other book. I have not followed the Kon-Mari method in my personal spaces. Although I admit I have recently been reading back issues of Real Simple and was way too excited when I created an organized (and attractive) linen closet.  But, I was intrigued by her approach to work spaces, especially since her theory is that a more organized work space leads to happier work. And, my current office and desk setup are driving me nuts, so I figured this book might have some ideas. I'm now looking forward to organizing my space and making it more workable!

The Dark Corners of the Night

 

The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner     337 pages

The Midnight Man appears in the darkness, coming for the parents but leaving the children as witnesses to his unspeakable horror. In Los Angeles, people are scared and the attacks keep escalating.  FBI behavioral analyst Caitlin Hendrix is asked to assist with the Midnight Man investigation and hunt down this terrifying killer. However, something seems off . . .  is this killer somehow connected to Caitlin's own past?

Creepy and disturbing, this story builds in pacing and intensity with each chapter. I didn't realize this was a book in a series, but I didn't feel I was at a loss to understand what was happening or anything about Caitlin's character. This is a gritty, well-plotted story that kept me guessing -- and then I had a bit of a surprise at the ending (which I liked).

The Stranger Inside

 The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict   345 pages

Kimber comes home one night to find a stranger living in her house, insisting that he has rented it from her and he has the paperwork to prove it. Kimber definitely didn't invite this man, who she has never seen before, to move in. And, when he tells her that he knows a secret about her and will tell everyone else, she's scared. But she's also angry. This man isn't after her money or her house --- he wants to destroy her life.

This psychological drama was an interesting read. I didn't find Kimber to be a likeable character most of the time, although I wanted to find out what was going to happen in the story. This is a creepy, multilayered story where you know something's wrong with some of the characters and you don't know who Kimber can trust. And, the premise of someone moving into your house and changing the locks is disturbing all by itself.  Overall, a good read with a satisfying ending.

The Golden Cage

 The Golden Cage by Läckberg, Camilla   335 pages

Faye is 34 and a devoted wife and mother, leading a lavish life in Stockholm with her husband, Jack, a successful entrepreneur. However, everything unravels when she catches Jack in bed with his business partner, Ylva. Now, angry and humiliated and left financially destitute thanks to the pre-nup she signed (even though she was the mastermind behind Jack's company), Faye is determined to plan a comeuppance for Jack. Told in alternating current-day and flashbacks, this is a story about female ingenuity and determination, with a flavor of psychological suspense.

I have not read anything by this author before, but now will be delving into her back catalog because I enjoyed this book so much. I appreciated the character development and taut pacing of the story, as well as the darker elements of this story.  It's clear that Faye has a background steeped in trauma, but it's not clear whether or not she's psychologically sound. So, I liked that the story kept me a bit off balance.

Songs of Love and Death: All Orginal Tales of Star-Crossed Love

 Songs of Love and Death:  All Orginal Tales of Star-Crossed Love by Multiple Authors brought together by and including stories by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois        656 pages

When one thinks of star-crossed lovers, Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet come to mnid.   These tales are like that story.    All about love and possibility then derailed by tragedy.   Now, having said that, I don't want to put any potential readers off because these are really well told stories if sad or quizzical, or preternatural and from some of the best writers out there.    The tales are a lush mix of the natural and the supernatural, reality based and possibly only in one's mind.    The topic s range from best friends who always wonder why they haven't actually hooked up while both know why to a man who mysteriously meets the former girlfriend he had made up when in highschool.   There are romps with werewolves and others with vampires, one with a man who's plane was shot down during WWII and survived going through a quirky time with possibly magical folk makes it back home only to be involved in a freak accident,  there are historical tales and modern tales and Harry Dresden even makes an appearance.   Loads more and all entertaining and well written.   I do highly recommend this one, but, I want to say for mature teenages and adults because some of the stories are so haunting they stay with you.   Very good book.

 - Shirley J.

Skin Game

 Skin Game by Jim Butcher    454 pages

Harry Dresden as Queen Mab's Winter Knight is "loaned" by Mab to a known villain she owes a debt to.   Seems the villain needs Harry and other's specific skill sets for a job he is planning (ripping off Hades - yeah, that Hades).   Very interesting storyline with Harry and Harry pulls Murphy in, too, straddling the fence between good and evil.    Of course, I recommend every book in the Dresden File series to middle-schoolers on up.  Oh and Maggie plays a bigger part in this one.

 - Shirley J.

Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me?

 Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns)  by Mindy Kaling   222 pages

Many essays on many topics in Mindy's life, her immigrant parents,  her off-broadway play in which she played Ben Affleck, her life as a comedy writer in a room of comedy writers.   Nuch good information here on how to break into writing for t.v.  and certainly full of laughs.   I am always amazed at how honest she is about her life and relationships with family, friends, and lovers.   Well told tales by a true story teller.   Yes, I recommend all things books/t.v./movies that Mindy Kaling is a part of.   

 - Shirley J.

Why Not Me?

 Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling    240 pages

I remember first seeing Mindy Kaling on the office as one of the stars and didn't know until I read this book that she was also one of the writers on that show.   I became a huge fan of hers after watching the Mindy Project, the show she starred in and also wrote for.   This book which tells stories from her own life some so brutally honest it is hard to believe she would divulge so much truth about herself!   Very witty and very funny.   I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who likes to laugh, who likes biographical essays and especially for fans of the Mindy Project of any age.  Bravo!

 - Shirley J.

My Life As A Goddess

 My Life As A Goddess: A Memoir Through (Un)Popular Culture by Guy Branum         288 pages

Funny and in your face.  Guy Branum says what he thinks and my, my, some of the things he thinks!  This book is an excellent read and if you get a chance to check out the audiobook the author reads it himself which adds loads of flavor and attitude.   I do not recommend this book for young children but mature teens on up ought to find it amusing if not outright hilarious.    He does use descriptive language and there are sexual exploits involved and freely discussed with anatomical slang words involved (read between the lines here) so having said that, it is a very honest, often funny, sometimes sad (his Dad basically disowned him for being gay) but resilent.  Guy Branum has earned the interchangeable title goddess/queen through his sheer tenacity in being the best version of himself he can be while giving a nod to his Yuba City, California upbringing.   He shines.   Reminder Adult language and discussion of openly gay situations.  He is a comedy alum from the t.v. show, "Chelsea Lately."  

 - Shirley J.

Legion

 Legion by Brandon Sanderson   368 pages

This was a fun story.    A twist on schizophrenia, multiple-personalities, ghosts.   The story is about Stephen Leeds.   Stephen is this super brainiac who can learn things within a few hours of reading about them.   He consumes the information then mentally sorts it and attributes control over it to what Stephen terms his aspects.   His aspects are separate characters Stephen imagines who are his consultants on whatever it is he is working on.   These aspects, so real they are nearly tangible to Stephen.   He not only talks to them and consults with them as each holds all the information he has taken in compartmentalized in a personality that represents that information to him but these aspects (of his personality) also go with him on his adventures.   He is a lot like Sherlock Holmes so is hired often to locate people, things, etc. for large corporations.   He is alwo fabulously wealthy and hires cabs to go pick up his aspects around town and he often pays for additonal seating and hotel rooms while away when his aspects attend with him.   It is a very unexpected, unusual but pleasing book and I think anyone would enjoy this read though I suggest middle schoolers on up as the concept of schizophrenia might be beyond anyone younger.   Good book, glad I read it.

 - Shirley J.

Cold Days

 Cold Days by Jim Butcher  515 pages

Wow!  Is Harry Dresden screwed ths time.   He's had ups and downs up to this point, but, having had to seek Mabs aid has left him in her debt as the current Winter Knight.   He battles for control of his very soul to keep from turning to the darkside not to mention all out battle with fiends aplenty and immortals and a cameo from a jolly old elf.   Yi! Yi! Yi!   The battle of ages gathers at Death Reach and not everyone comes out of this one the way they went in nor ever will be again.   Yes, read it!  Just try and put it down once you start and honey, it ain't over till it's over and I am talking the very last page.   I highly recommend the whole series. You will never know where the characters will end up.

 - Shirley J.

Stealing Rembrandts

Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists by Anthony M Amore and Tom Mashberg, 203 pages

In 1990, thieves stole three Rembrandts from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.  When he became the head of security at the museum in 2005, Anthony Amore set out to solve the crime, and in addition to analyzing that specific theft, also embarked upon a study of the thefts of other Rembrandts around the world.  Unsurprisingly, there are many - Rembrandt combines a large body of work with a household name and headline-making prices at auction.  As Amore relates, museums are easy targets - designed for exhibition rather than protection, with security more accustomed to providing directions to the bathroom than thwarting thefts.  Also unsurprisingly, however, art thieves are unlikely to ever earn anything close to the value of the works they steal, as there does not exist a real market for recognizable, stolen art, and the biggest paydays seemingly come to those who ransom their loot back to the rightful owners.

In their book, Amore and Mashberg compile a list of over 80 Rembrandt-related thefts over the course of a century.  Only a fraction of these receive much attention in the text itself, but each one proves to be unique in its methods - from an elaborate operation involving car bombs and a getaway boat to a pair of criminals casually boosting paintings in full view of unconcerned museum goers lulled by their nonchalance and matching windbreakers - and remarkably diverse in their motivations - from simple greed to political ideology to an attempt to leverage the loot into a lighter sentence for another crime.  The matter is fascinating, but unfortunately the presentation is somewhat lacking - the authors' flat writing seems contrived to diminish the drama rather than accentuate it.  Worse, they repeat themselves frequently - the International Foundation for Art Research is introduced twice in the span of twenty pages.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis   368 pages

There are two bad things about getting a new Fiona Davis book:  1) I’m probably gonna be up all night ‘cause I can’t put it down and 2) I’m going to have at least a year for her next book.

I have been a big fan of Fiona’s work ever since I read her novel, “The Masterpiece.” I’ve read her other works (and loved them all), except “The Address.”  I was saving that to take on an Alaskan Cruise (which the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted).

Like all her novels, at the core of each is a specific New York City building. In “The Masterpiece,” it is Grand Central Station; in “The Chelsea Girls, it is the Chelsea Hotel, in “The Dollhouse,” it is the Barbizon Hotel for Women, and in “The Address,” it is the Dakota Apartment Building.  In this outing, Fiona concentrates on the newly completed New York Public Library (NYPL). Fiona does a fabulous job of providing readers with just the right amount of architectural detail to make readers feel as if they are experie4ncing it first hand; it never gets boring with too many facts.

 Dueling timelines are also one of Fiona’s trademarks. I adore dueling timelines. In this novel, the period is 1913-14 and 1993. At the heart of this novel is also my favorite topic: books!  In 1913, Jack Lyons, who was the superintendent, and his family lived in a seven-room apartment that was housed inside NYPL. That bit fascinates the heck out of me; I wonder what has happened to that space. In the book, in 1993, it is storage.

Jack lives in the apartment with his wife, Laura, and their two children. Laura feels trapped in her marriage, in a life of taking care of her husband, her children and her house. She wants more out of life. Once she is accepted into the Columbia School of Journalism, Laura gets to lead a new exciting life…one where she hardly recognizes herself. Then Jack become the suspect in the theft of several important literary titles, and Laura ultimately becomes on the leading essayist of the 20th century.

In 1993, Sadie has been named the curator of an upcoming exhibit at NYPL. Important literary documents have disappeared. Vanished. Sadie becomes the primary suspect. She, like Jack, becomes the primary suspect.

Each woman, works within her time period to determine what happened to the valuable books and documents…and who is to blame.  I had the mystery of 1993 figured out near the end, before it could be revealed.  The 1913-14 storyline was a surprise.

I adored “The Lions of Fifth Avenue,”  which receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

  

Sisterland

 Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, 400 pages    

The book is set in St. Louis, mostly during 2009. Kate and Violets are twins who have 'senses'. Kate

rejects her senses while Violet embraces hers. Kate just wants to live a normal married suburban life. That goal is challenged when, after a small earthquake, her sister Vi predicts that there will be a much bigger earthquake on the local news.

The story blows up gaining a lot of local and national coverage. Vi doesn't know when but Kate gets a feeling about a certain date in the next couple of months. As the date approaches Kate doubts whether she will be right but prepares anyway. Along the way she grapples with relationship with her sister, her childhood and family history. 

The author lived in St. Louis and the local references rang true to me. Sittenfeld leaves the reader in suspense and throws in some twists for good measure. I didn't find the exploration truth and belief to be that strong. I would recommend this as a good (but not great) fiction read, especially if you want something set locally. 

The Political Brain

The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation by Drew Westen, 475 pages

Drew Westen is a psychologist who has studied how emotions affect our political decisions. The main point of the book is that political scientists have thought people make decisions rationally when emotions have a much larger effect than rational. 

Westen has studied this himself and cites other evidence as well. He analyzes the period of 1984 -2008. Using presidential debates and rhetoric used by Democrats and Republicans he says that Republicans used appeals to emotion to their advantage. Meanwhile, Democrats made their appeals based on facts and rational arguments. This led to Democrats losing presidential elections, as well as congressional and senate seats.

Democrats let Republicans establish positions using rhetoric with emotional appeals without challenging them. Westen provides multiple examples of how Democrats could have countered the arguments based on their values. 

The way the book is written, it would mostly appeal to Democrats but anyone interested in how people make political decisions might be interested. While the book could have been shorter, I would recommend it to those interested in the topic.

Dream of Red Mansions

A Dream of Red Mansions (Volume I) by Cao Xueqin, translated by Yang Hsien-Yi  and Gladys Yang, 599 pages

A Dream of Red Mansions, alternatively titled Dream of the Red Chamber or The Story of the Stone, follows the lives of a group of young people growing up among the aristocracy of 18th century Peking.  At the center is Pao-yu, born with a piece of jade in his mouth which is, unbeknownst to him, a sentient stone from the heavenly realms and the key to his destiny.  Surrounding Pao-yu are dozens of cousins and servants, all living, loving, eating, drinking, working, studying, brawling, and generally amusing themselves in the luxurious shadow of the imperial court.

A Dream of Red Mansions is one of China's "Four Great Classical Novels".  In its entirety, it consists of 120 chapters, the first 80 of which were written by Cao Xueqin and the last 40 completed by others after his death.  The 1978 Foreign Languages Press edition conveniently divides it into three volumes of 40 chapters each, but burdens it with a barbaric Maoist introduction.  Casual readers are likely to be frustrated by the sheer number of characters and the lack of a strong, unified plot, unless they are enchanted by the rich setting, elegant characters, and natural interplay of the physical and spiritual.

Why Sinatra Matters

Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill   208 pages

I was sad to hear that, on August 5, 2020, American journalist, novelist, essayist and editor Pete Hamill passed away at the age of 85.  To be honest, I thought he had already left Earth years ago.  Pete captured the heartbeat of New York City like no other writer.  He was described as "the author of columns that sought to capture the particular flavors of New York City's politics and sports and the particular pathos of its crime.

I always liked Pete’s writing style. Therefore, in honor of his memory, I decide to peruse the list of his fiction and nonfiction books.  I was happy to find one I hadn’t read…this little gem about Ol’ Blue Eyes. This book delves into Sinatra’s essence; it looks at why he was the “troubadour of urban loneliness.”

Sinatra was the son of Italian immigrants and grew up on Hoboken, New Jersey.  As an only child, he was extremely lonely, especially in a time and place of large families.  That loneliness seemed to be at his core, as it was something he could never shake.  In my opinion, that loneliness is the main reason he came out of retirement way back when---he needed the crowds’ adulation. That loneliness echoed the feelings of millions of immigrants who came to this country without a penny to their name, no family, and unable to speak the language.

Frank wasn’t a great student, dropping out of high school. He had earned a few bucks singing along with the player piano in his parents’ bar.  He had a good voice, and eventually headed across the river to Manhattan. Interesting fact, Sinatra could not read a note of music; he memorized the words and the music.  I’m not sure he tried.

 Hamill also looks at the way the Depression influenced the man and well as World War II.  Frank was 4F due to a punctured eardrum. What I found fascinating what how he learned to his signature phrasing and breath control.

A short book, it centers on how Sinatra got where he was, but doesn’t dwell on his shortcomings or his generosity. It looks at those four great influencers---the immigration experience, his innate loneliness, the Great Depression and World War II.

Hamill does go into how Frank was a scraper, clawing his way to the top, then the Great Fall (when he lost his voice), and his remarkable Comeback. Sprinkled with anecdotes (Like when Harry James wanted him to change his name to Frankie Satin---can you imagine?), this is  a fascinating look at the Man who is considered the greatest entertainer of the 20^th century.  “Why Sinatra Matters receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 Rest in peace, Pete.

 

The First Actress: A Novel of Sarah Bernhardt

The First Actress: A Novel of Sarah Bernhardt by C. W. Gortner   432 pages

You’ve heard me say it before: One of the reasons that I love historical fiction so much is that it introduces me to people and events I don’t know much about, or have no knowledge whatsoever.  The former is the category that this historical, biographical fiction work falls into for me. 

I knew that she was an infamous late 19^th and early 20^th centuries French stage actress whose talents glowed in plays by Alexandre Dumas (the father and the son), Victor Hugo and Victorien Sardou…to name only a few.  I knew that she had been dubbed the “Divine Sarah” for acting talents and made several tours of the United States. She was hit each and every time.

This book takes place before Sarah became a sensation in America.  She was the illegitimate daughter of one of Paris’ most sought after courtesans, Julie Bernhardt. While her father did not recognize her as his daughter, he did provide for her education---a rarity in those days.  She attended a boarding school and a convent school.

Although encouraged by her mother, Sarah had no desire to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She had a long string of lovers, but she was a woman who took care of herself.  Even when she, herself, became an unwed mother and the father didn’t help, she raised her son alone, with some help from family and friends.

Sarah also took control of her career. Sometimes she made mistakes in the parts she accepted. It was amazing to watch her encounter obstacles and overcame the majority of them,

Sarah had a few surprises in her that I found quite eccentric.  She had a full-sized dead bat that she wore as a lapel pin or as an adornment for her hat.  And she was rumored to sleep in a coffin, and traveled with it. 

Told for Sarah’s point of view, this highly researched and well written novel is a must read for those who enjoy reading about strong women.  “The First Actress: A Novel of Sarah Bernhardt” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

Memoirs of the Polish Baroque

Memoirs of the Polish Baroque: The Writings of Jan Chryzostom Pasek, A Squire of the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania by Jan Chryzostom Pasek, translated by Catherine S Leach, 296 pages

In his time, Jan Pasek fought in battles, got in duels, trained an otter to fish, flirted with treason, helped elect kings, and fretted endlessly about his finances.  It was, on the whole, an unremarkable life for a member of the 17th century minor Polish nobility.  What was remarkable was that Pasek chose to memorialize his life, writing summaries of his activities during each year to edify the children that, as God willed it, he would never have.  Long neglected, his memoirs were rediscovered in the 19th century and created a sensation, feeding into both the romantic fantasy of a picturesque past and a conquered people's dream of a nation.

Most 21st century readers will not share the concerns of either Pasek or his 19th century admirers, so that the appeal of the text depends on Pasek's charm and talent.  Fortunately, these are considerable - strong enough, in fact, to make the literal truth of the narrative largely irrelevant.  It helps that Pasek's embroideries of history lean towards edification more than self-justification.

Road to Somewhere

The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics by David Goodhart, 233 pages

In 2016, when despite the opposition of every major political party and the media establishment, the British people voted to leave the European Union, a commonly heard reaction from those who had smugly assumed Remain would win was that they didn't recognize the country anymore.  Several months later, on the other side of the Atlantic, after Donald Trump overcame the establishments of both parties to win the US presidential election, the same chorus was heard.  As David Goodhart reveals, however, both of these electoral earthquakes were the consequence of even more people feeling that their country had already been deformed beyond recognition.  For Goodhart, the major division of the early twenty-first century is between "Anywheres" and "Somewheres", the latter group finding their identity in their local community and culture, the former inventing identities out of their own will and desires.  While the Anywheres have been ascendant for the last few decades, the Somewheres have not disappeared nor even, according to polling, appreciably diminished in numbers.  Indeed, Goodhart maintains, the fundamental divide between a small Anywhere group and a somewhat larger Somewhere contingent is an enduring reality of modern societies, a reality made invisible and therefore dangerous by the Anywhere bubble of the elites.

It is worth noting that, if Goodhart is writing to call attention to the existence of the Somewheres, he is himself an Anywhere, and to some extent a prisoner of Anywhere cant and prejudice.  Thus, he uses "reason" as shorthand for the efficient pursuit of a purely material self-interest, so that the prioritization of family or faith over material gain is "irrational" even if it actually makes people happier, and when he struggles to come up with something the British people can be proud of having in common, the best he can offer is the welfare state.  Underlying it all is the belief that the meritocratic arrangements of liberal regimes function largely as advertised, efficiently filling positions with the people best suited for them, a naive faith that does not seem as if it could survive an encounter with the history of the past two decades.  Given that Anywheres are the target audience for the book, this may all be for the best.

Ghost Story

 Ghost Story by Jim Butcher    481 pages

The previous book in the series ends with Harry Dresden getting shot in the chest and falling overboard into Lake Michigan.   Heck of a cliffhanger!  This book opens with Harry coming to terms with feeling very much alive yet invisible to his friends and his brother.   His pets seem to know he is there but there are several theories on animals being able to see the otherworldly.   Harry tries to establish his presence and even in this ethereal place is forced to battle something out of the Nether-Nether.   Harry finds it hard to plan strategies when he can't pick anything up because his hands go right through.   Which is worse?   Having just expelled the Red Court from the earth or trying to fight big ugly nasties with no solid body?   Yikes!   Good book if stranger than strange.   Dresden dead? What the .......?   Yes,   I highly recommend the series.

 - Shirley J.    .

So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know

 So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know by Retta    272 pages

Retta is full on fire in this book telling tales of her life growing up and as an adult with two African born parents, the tiny apartment the family shared, the onslaught of cousins moving in from time to time and how she had planned to be a doctor, had gone through school planning to become a doctor so far as to get to the point of taking her board exam only to turn aside from her previously planned life to do a complete flip flop in the other direction and started doing stand-up comedy.   She was hooked with the first audience applause going from doing stand-up to extra work on t.v. and film.    She was afraid of her parent's reaction but they turned out to be very supportive as long as she was happy and able to make a living.   She was.  She talks about the t.v. show Parks & Recreation where she spent 7 seasons and built familial bonds with the other actors on the show that continue to this day as they call each other every week.   She talks about being the first black woman to love ice hockey and how she brought the L.A. Kings hockey team luck in 2017 and how her supreme fandom took them all the way to the Stanley Cup and all for free on comped tickets she was able to cop.   Her personality has got her this far and she is planning on coasting on it through life.   She is so fun everyone is immediately taken with her and I think she willl be able to reach any dream she seeks.   She ain't just close to it, Retta IS the Sh8t!    Fun read.   Language not for the very young, but, certainly a manual to all for how to go about getting what you want out of life.   Good read..

 - Shirley J

The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal

The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull 416 pages

I was intrigued with this novel and anxious to read it.  I know of the scandal that Edward, Prince of Wales created when he abdicated the thrown to wed American divorcee Wallis Simpsons.  I know about the affairs that Edward, who was called David by family and friends, had before Wallis came into his life. 

What I had no idea about was the connection that his prior mistress was also an American. I also did not know that Gloria (Sr.) Vanderbilt had an identical twin sister, Thelma, who was that mistress.

This is Thelma’s story. While Gloria married Reggie Vanderbilt, Thelma married Viscount Marmaduke Furness. It’s a story of sisterly devotion. All told in dueling timelines, which at times was hard to keep straight as the characters overlapped in both narratives.

Thelma is the toast of London both before and after marrying Furness. After being introduced to Prince Edward, by her husband no less, she begins to feel things she never felt before.  And luckily for her, Edward/David was also struck by Cupid’s arrow. I felt as if I truly knew this woman after reading this scrumptious novel.

Edward/David was a playboy, unable to keep his wandering eye in one place for very long. That is why Thelma asked her BFF Wallis to keep an eye on him when she had to return to New York to be with Gloria during the custody battle over her daughter, known as Little Gloria. She was sure he would stray…he already had…but never could she imagine that it would be with her friend.

Author Turnbull propels readers back to the 1920s and ’30, between the World Wars, and a world that was both innocent and wise. I have to wonder what CNN’s Anderson Cooper thinks of this novel putting his great-grandmother, grandmother, great-aunt and mother and their scandals back into the public eye. I feel bad for him, but history is what it is. Even if the facts and time frames have been somewhat altered.

"The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal " gets 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Answer Is...Reflections of My Life

The Answer Is…Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek 304 pages

For thirty-six years, “Jeopardy!” game show host Alex Trebeck has been coming into our family rooms every weekday night.  He seems like a great guy. In all those years, Trebeck didn’t reveal too much about his personal life.

Every once in a while, he would throw in little bits of information during the contestant section, where Trebeck spent about a minute per contestant asking them about their lives.  He didn’t want the show to be about him.  The focus was on the contestants and the game. 

However, that changed in 2019, when Trebek announced to the world that he was suffering from Stage IV pancreatic cancer.  The world responded with an outpouring of love and support that humbled this already humble man.

The publishing industry had been after Trebek for years to pen a memoir. The time never seemed right.  The now-80 year old knows that no matter what, his time is limited. And he says, if the cancer and the chemo don’t get him first, well, he’s 80 years old and he can’t have that much longer…although he wishes it.

This is not a tell-all, sensationalism memoir.  It’s about a simple guy, from simple beginning, who became one of America’s most beloved personalities. The chapters are short. Readers get to learn about his growing up in Canada and his move to America. He’s not party-goer or hangs out with the “It” crowd.  He likes to work around the house, spend time with his family, donate his time and money to worthy causes and travel. He gets excited when he has an idea for a clue, and the clue writers accept it.

Trebek also takes readers behind the scenes of “Jeopardy!” The show is taped twice a week, where he spends 11-12 hours a day at the studio.

I read “The Answer Is…Reflections on My Life” in two evenings…and he seems to be the kind of man I always thought he was. Therefore, “The Answer Is…Reflections on My Life” gets 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

Campusland

Campusland by Scott Johnston, 323 pages

There is perhaps no more comfortable place than an elite American university.  This is certainly true of Devon, where English professor Ephraim Russell's biggest worry is beating out a rival for tenure and freshman Lulu Harris frets over being on the cover of a magazine and finding bedmates who meet at least some of her standards.  It is a fragile idyll, however, and it is about to be turned upside down by the ambitions of an activist grifter and an imperious diversity commissar.  

Campusland reads like a combination of an artless Bonfire of the Vanities and a version of the movie PCU where the wacky band of misfits has been pushed to the periphery.  The result, while entertaining, is unsatisfying, as the novel makes a dramatic tonal shift as the climax approaches and Kafka is suddenly swapped with National Lampoon.

Saving Ruby King

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West 320 pages 

This novel could not have come at a more appropriate time with the Black Lives Matter movement at the forefront of our national consciousness.  And it’s wonderfully written! I loved that the church, Calvary Hope Christian, has a voice---it added to the sinisterness underlying the novel’s mysteries. 

Ruby King and her family are trying to pick up the pieces of her mother’s recent murder, tragically inside their family home. The people in their Chicago South Side neighborhood believe that Ruby’s father, Lebanon, is responsible for Alice’s death. He had served time for killing a man and he had a hellacious temper. The neighbor’s know that Lebanon abused Alice and fear he is taking his rage out on Ruby.

Ruby’s best friend is Layla. Their mothers were close and their grandmothers even closer. Layla and her mother do what they can to protect Ruby. However, Lebanon is best friends with Layla’s father, pastor of the Church. Rev. Potter forbids Layla to interfer, yet readers get to watch him giving Lebanon large sums of money.

At the heart of this story is secrets and mysteries and the repercussions they inflict on the two families and the neighborhood.

I felt the novel got off to a slow start, but that was okay. It really ramped up about of the fourth of the way through.  As Author West began to foreshadow the deepest and ugliest of the secrets, I think she gave away too much, as I had it figured out, without trying, before it was revealed. That diminished the climax somewhat for me.  Therefore, “Saving Ruby King” gets 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.