The Girl from the Channel Islands

The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat  304 Pages

This debut novel will make a great movie. Cinematically, yes. The scenery is breathtaking. But I doubt the acting will be able to match the authenticity of the people, place, and plot that author Lecoat puts into it.

In 1938, Hedy Bercu fled Vienna to avoid the Nazis; she had no doubts as to what will happen to her if she is ever outed as a Jew. This story begins place two years later on the island of Jersey, one of the archipelago of Channel Islands in the English Channel off the French coast of Normandy. 

I fell in love with the opening paragraph…so beautifully written that I read it three times to savor the imagery. It sets the beauty of the island front and center.  I love many mentions of the sea, the beaches and the waves throughout the novel.

But back to Hedy’s dilemma. Since her arrival she has been a nanny for the Mitchell family, but they have left the island with no plans to return. They leave behind everything they cannot carry and their cat, Hemingway.

Needing employment, Hedy registers with the Aliens Office.  Since Hedy speaks both German and English, she applies for a job as a German translator.  The Germans, desperate for her skills, ignore the large J on her registration card and put her to work. She keeps her head down and makes little contact with the other workers on the German base.

I found it a little hard to swallow that Hedy was not recognized.  It’s an island; I would think most of the residents know each, by sight if nothing else. 

Hedy has a few friends on the island, most notably the island doctor and her BFF, Anton. She meets the German Lieutenant who seems sympathetic to the Islanders’ plight.  But all through the story, Hedy doesn’t seem to know any of the other Islanders, which I found odd.

As the Germans and the Islanders settle into a wary co-existence that hovers over each page. Hedy decides to fight back. Her choice of resistance is extremely dangerous, but good for the island. When a large portion of the German Army lands on the island, Hedy is forced into hiding. Author Lecoat does a wonderful job with describing how Hedy manages this….as well as the rationing, the Islanders’ fear and the other sanctions of life on an occupied land.

Lecoat spent years researching and writing this little gem of a novel.  The fact that it is based on a true story makes it extra meaningful.

And somehow, through all this, Hedy finds love. I was most impressed with the beauty of the Island. I hope that it is still as beautiful.  The Girl from the Channel Islands receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

Polyeuctus

Polyeuctus, from Polyeuctus/The Liar/Nicomedes by Pierre Corneille, translated by John Cairncross, 100 pages

Paulina, the daughter of Felix, the Roman governor of Armenia, was quite in love with the gallant Severus, but his lack of distinction prevented her father from consenting to their becoming wed.  Severus having been reported dead in battle after great feats of heroism, Paulina married instead her father's choice, Polyeuctus, a noble Armenian youth.  As it transpired, however, Severus survived, the Persian foe having honored his valor by nursing him back to health and returning him to the Romans with offers of lasting peace.  So Severus, now high in the esteem of the emperor, returns to Armenia to renew his suit, not knowing that the woman he loves is already married to another.  Polyeuctus, meanwhile, has secretly converted to Christianity, and his newfound faith will inevitably bring him into conflict with pagan Rome, ultimately costing him everything he loves in this world.

The conventional view on Polyeuctus, as represented by Cairncross' introduction, is that the drama of the thwarted romance of Paulina and Severus is far more interesting than that of Polyeuctus' zeal for his newfound faith.  This is sadly to be expected of conventional critics for whom such zeal is alien and frightening, of course, but even the summary above reflects it.  Although it is Polyeuctus with whom the play begins and it is his decisions which drive the main conflict, his character is not where our attention naturally rests.  The tale of Paulina and Severus is one of passion barely subjected to reason, that of Polyeuctus a story of the straightforward martyrdom of a fanatic.  Yet it is Polyeuctus' supreme devotion to the highest Good that demonstrates the goal to which the pagan virtues of the other characters aspire, a truth that is beautifully consummated at the conclusion of the play.

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant  352 pages

Sophie Valroux is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She’s got the chops to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant.  When this story opens, the New York restaurant where, Cendrillon, is waiting to hear that they have been awarded a third Michelin star.

Tensions are running high in the kitchen. Eric, the chef de cuisine, and Sophie’s former lover, are not exactly having a lover’s spat, but Eric is hard on her, making her re-season the Executive Chef Dan O’Shea’s recipe for roasted potimarron, a chestnut-flavored squash, soup.

When the call comes, it isn’t the one they are expecting. Not only was Cendrillon not awarded a third start, but one was taken away.  Imagine the disappointment in that kitchen.

Eric accuses Sophie of sabotaging the restaurant; O’Shea has no choice but to let her go. Sophie is crushed. It has been her dream to be part of the one percent of female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. Word spreads through the city’s restaurants. Sophie has no chance of ever working in New York again…unless of course, she takes Eric up on going to work for him in the new restaurant he is planning to open.  Sophie would rather be homeless than that.

Sophie licks her wounds by returning to France where her grandmother lives. The grandmother she was exceptionally close to whom she has hardly talked to, much less visited in thirteen years.  Grand-mere has suffered a stroke.

Sophie learns that Grand-mere has been busy in Sophie’s absence---opening two restaurants in “the simple family home…is now luxurious chateau.”  Two highly regarded and highly successful restaurants.  Although Sophie’s confidence has been shaken to her core, she learns that while life isn’t fair, good can come of every betrayal and disappointment.

I fell in love with the opening paragraph…so beautifully written that I read it three times to savor the imagery. This novel is about family secret, learning to dream again and family is this people that can always be depended upon, even when there is disagreement. There is also a secondary plot line of romance. Between food (complete with recipes) and romance, this is the perfect escape novel and a way to see France without leaving your favorite chair.

I was disappointed that author Verant used so many French words that I could not put into context, but they added authenticity to the story that I would experience if I was in France.

 The Secret French Recipes of Sophie receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

Altarpiece in Renaissance Venice

 The Altarpiece in Renaissance Venice by Peter Humfrey, 317 pages

As the title declares, in this book Peter Humfrey traces the development of altarpieces in the cultural sphere of Venice during a period roughly corresponding to the career of Giovanni Bellini.  It was a time rich in accomplishments in what he identifies as a unique genre, driven by liturgical changes, the burgeoning wealth of the Republic, and crises of war and plague.  Humfrey not only celebrates the work of artists including the Vivarinis, Cima, Carpaccio, Durer, and Titian, but also explores the nature of the genre, explicating the purpose of these works, how and by whom they were commissioned, and how they were conceived and realized.  The result is a solid if unspectacular guide to these works of surpassing beauty, created in a very specific time and place to serve a very specific function.

November, 2020 totals

 This month, our small but mighty team racked up some serious pages!

5 people
read 32 books
for a total of 10947 pages

!

Shirley J. was the Super Reader again this month, logging 12 books and 3952 pages. However, Jen O wasn't too far behind with 8 books and Julie E-C was right behind her, with 7 books.

Onwards to December!!

photo from Priscilla Du Preez

Getting to Happy

Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan    496 pages

Another wonderful read from Terry McMillan.   This is the tale of 4 best friends who each in turn deal with Bernadine's sleeping pill addiction, Gloria's death of a spouse, the divorce of a spouse which leaves Savannah feeling like her spouse died though he is still very much alive, and Robin's shopaholism.   These are the Waiting to Exhale ladies 15 years later and they are asking themselves when is it time to realize their dreams?    I highly recommend this book to all who loved the characters in the first read or the film.   Great book so real and so emotional.

 - Shirley J.

The Invention of Sound

The Invention of Sound by Chuck Palahniuk   240 pages

A 7 year old girl is abducted by a 12 year old girl caught on camera and the child is never seen again.   Her father has been searching for her for 17 years.   He has gone so far as to troll kiddie porn websites to see if he sees his daughter on any of them.   He attends a group of fathers who's children have been murdered but he doesn't accept her death as inevitable since she has not been found, yet.  He openly accuses child molestors he sees out in public to protect any would be victims.   Sadly people mistake him for a pervert because of his obsession and constant perusal of verbotten websites and groups.   On a movie set a woman is obsessed with the realistic screams used in movie soundtracks to elicit genuine emotions and make the films memorable.   She has her own collection of these realistic screams made by both men and women, adults and children.  And why does she only want sex with someone who will torture her?   Lots of people come up missing around her for some reason, too.   These two people - the father looking for his daughter and the woman searching for pain beyond belief are about to meet and the sparks that fly lead to an outcome that you will need to read to feel the intensity.  Whew!  So many difficult subjects are covered in this hard to read without being haunted by it, story.   Not a book for the young, a way serious topic delivered as brutally as the acts mentioned themselves.   For fans of true crime media I think this tale will impress.

- Shirley J.

The Starless Sea

 The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern  498 pages

"Far beneath the surface of the earth, upon the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories. The entryways that lead to this sanctuary are often hidden, sometimes on forest floors, sometimes in private homes, sometimes in plain sight. But those who seek will find. Their doors have been waiting for them.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is searching for his door, though he does not know it. He follows a silent siren song, an inexplicable knowledge that he is meant for another place. When he discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his campus library he begins to read, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities, and nameless acolytes. Suddenly a turn of the page brings Zachary to a story from his own childhood impossibly written in this book that is older than he is.

A bee, a key, and a sword emblazoned on the book lead Zachary to two people who will change the course of his life: Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired painter, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances. These strangers guide Zachary through masquerade party dances and whispered back room stories to the headquarters of a secret society where doorknobs hang from ribbons, and finally through a door conjured from paint to the place he has always yearned for. Amid twisting tunnels filled with books, gilded ballrooms, and wine-dark shores Zachary falls into an intoxicating world soaked in romance and mystery."

Okay, this is a long summary for a book that while lengthy, doesn't have much story to its story. Which is funny, since it's a story about stories. But it is very, very beautifully written and if you can keep track of who is who, and some of the intertwined storylines, it's a fantastic read. What does the bee mean? The key? Who are these people that Zachary meets and can he trust any of them? The story will shift beneath your feet so don't trust that you can trust anything -- just follow the threads as best you can. I re-read this book for a book group meeting and mentioned that reading this is like listening to classical music where the composer has a line --- a string of notes or a melody -- that you hear and then follow through the entire piece. If it's Mozart or Bach, the notes are sometimes hard to recognize because they may be in a different key or backwards, but part of the pleasure of listening is to try to find them.  And so it is with this book.

One by One

 One by One by Ruth Ware  372 pages  

"Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?"

Yes, another "closed room" mystery that I read this month. Ruth Ware's books tend to be like this, where they might not be high literature, but you get pulled into the story. With this story, there was an added element of the weather which complicated things --- and then there was the added element of a reveal close to the end, but then you weren't sure how the other person was going to extricate themselves from the situation. So, an interesting story with some likable and some unlikeable characters. Good for a quick read.

Unraveling Oliver

 Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent  260 pages

"Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma."

Ok, so now everyone wants to figure out what happened. Why would Oliver do this?  If you're guessing that Oliver is a truly nasty piece of work who has kept his real self hidden from people, you'd be right. I kept reading this book to the end because I was curious -- but it's more of the "that's a dead animal by the side of the road and I don't want to look . . . and I just did and regretted it" feeling. Yuck - and definitely not a book I want to re-read.

Gather the Daughters

 Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed  341 pages

Where Janey Solomon lives, their island of families is isolated but protected from the outside country, where everything was incinerated to wasteland. Years before, 10 men and their families colonized the island and their radical society built on ancestor worship, controlled breeding and strict rationing of knowledge has kept them safe. The daughters of men are wives-in-training and at the first sign of puberty, face their "Summer of Fruition," after which they marry. They have children and the cycle keeps repeating.  The only freedom they have is during the summer, where children run free and reign supreme on the island. However, something dark and nasty is happening and when one little girl sees something absolutely horrifying and contradictory to the laws of the island, things start to unravel for everyone. Janey Solomon has been holding off her fruition by starving herself and at 17, is a natural leader. Burning to discover the truth, Janey is desperate to save herself and her sister, attempting to lead an uprising of girls that may have deadly consequences.

I liked this book, but there are some things hinted at here that are truly quite unpleasant. In fact, the entire story is unpleasant --- which is okay, but be prepared to be disturbed. The ideas here are what makes it interesting --- for example, is there really an outside world that has been incinerated? Was the purpose of the original 10 men to really protect their families or to develop a society that has some really nasty things that are normalized?  There are some questions here without answers, but that just means that the story makes you think about it after you have finished the last page. Definitely an interesting book, although I don't know if I'd re-read it.

The Last Flight

 The Last Flight by Julie Clark  311 pages 

Summary from Goodreads: "Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move, making sure she's living up to his impossible standards. But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.

A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets ― Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden."

This is a fairly evenly paced suspense/thriller where you have alternating narratives and some definite twists along the way. I appreciated that while I thought I could predict some of where the story was going, that I had some surprises here and I also found I liked the characters more than I had expected. Definitely a satisfying ending and a good weekend read.

The Midnight Library

 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig  288 pages

"Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?"

Nora Seed finds herself facing these questions one night when she has decided she'd tired of being alive. Faced with choices in her books in the Midnight Library, Nora has the opportunity to undo some of her regrets. But does that mean a happy life? Nora will be required to reach deep inside herself to determine if any of these lives are truly worth living.

I liked this book enough to buy it after I read the Library's copy -- which tells you it's pretty good. I really enjoyed this book and not only the story, itself, but the writing. I found Nora to be an interesting character and the way the story progresses, you go along with her as she explores the different possible lives she can lead. Definitely some parts that made me get a lump in my throat --- but that's a good story that does that.

Nobody Ever Asked Me about the Girls: Women, Music, and Fame

 Nobody Ever Asked Me about the Girls: Women, Music, and Fame  by Lisa Robinson  242 pages

Description from Goodreads: "From the effects of fame on family and vice versa to motherhood and drugs, sex, and romance, Lisa Robinson has discussed every taboo topic with nearly every significant living female artist to pass through the pages of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair.

Here, in Nobody Ever Asked Me About the Girls, her interviews with and observations of fabulous female pop and rock stars, from Tina Turner and Alanis Morrissette to Rihanna, show how these powerhouse women, all with vastly different life experiences, fell in love with music, seized their ambitions, and changed pop culture."

The chapters in this book are divided into topics, which makes it interesting but also means that the author jumps around a lot and it doesn't usually feel like there is a good thread going. I found some of the book interesting but I also found it overall to be a frustrating read. It's clear that the author has clear admiration for Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith, Linda Ronstadt and Beyonce. She has clear disdain for Taylor Swift. And that's fine - that's her opinion. But, her focus on certain women leaves out so many others --- there's token mention of some women, but I really wish she had been a little more inclusive. Beyonce is great but what about Salt-n-Pepa, and Queen Latifah? What about Tori Amos? Thinking back to artists of the 1970s, what about Debbie Harry? Carly Simon? Diana Ross?  I felt like she was exclusive to women she felt a connection to, but it felt like I was reading about the same handful of women in each chapter.

The Guest List

 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley   313 pages

This is a "closed room" type of mystery, where everyone is in the same place and something happens.  In this case, it's on an island off the coast of Ireland where people are gathered to celebrate a weeding. The bride is a magazine publisher and is determined to make this a perfect day. The groom? Appears perfect on the outside, but you get a sense he's hiding something. As the book description says, "As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?"

I found the book to be a bit of a slow starter, but I was hooked pretty quickly. With a number of different narratives to keep track of, I started to have my suspicions about what was going to happen and who would be responsible, but there were still a few things thrown in that I didn't quite expect. A good page turner for a weekend read.

Can Holding in a Fart Kill You?

Can Holding in a Fart Kill You? : Over 150 Curious Questions and Intriguing Answers (Fascinating Bathroom Readers) by Andrew Thompson          224 pages

You will find the answer to the title question and 149 more things you may have wondered about but never knew the answer to.   Interesting from cover to cover and  certainly a good bathroom read given the subject and many of the other subjects you will come across in these pages.   I recommend it highly to trivia buffs and anyone who enjoys learning the answers on the why and how of many curious things.   

Fun info for your next Trivia Night!

 - Shirley J.

Beautiful You

Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk   240 pages

Penny Harrigan is getting nowhere fast in the law firm she works at where she is low woman on the totem pole.    Then she happens to meet billionaire C. Linus Maxwell who whisks her away to exotic locales, fancy dinners, buys her expensive clothes and experiments on her with the robotic sex toys he has invented.   Penny is way over her head and having more orgasms than she knows what to do with and she isn't the only one!   Wacky, funny story - where does Chuck Palahniuk come up with this stuff?   Not for the young, adult oriented for sure.   But yes, if you are looking for something out of the ordinary this one is for you! 

 - Shirley J.

Loving Donovan

Loving Donovan by Bernice L. McFadden      288 pages

Life can be so hard for children growing up in broken homes, homes where the parents go full charge at one another in arguments and fights turning to alcohol, etc. and turning away from their children who aren't kept safe from predators.   Even when a Grandmother thinks she is on top of things the nicest people you have known for years can turn out to be devils in disguise then children are forced to grow up damaged by what has been done to them.  Some can rise above but the struggle is a constant battle against the raging demons in their head they are forced to live with in the aftermath.   A good book, with sad things taking place but also strength and love working to overcome invisible enemies.    Not for everyone, but, it might be a help for others in the same situation.   Taken strictly as a story and that is what it is, it is good literature, taken as the topic it deals with and how the people involved deal with the circumstances they have no control over but choose to live it is a book of strength.

 - Shirley J.

Mama

Mama by Terry McMillan        352 pages

Another beautiful story by Terry McMillan.    Mama, Mildred Peacock is a strong black woman who raises 5 children, kicks her trifling husband out and pursues her life as best she can, taking care of her kids in the mix.    She endures so much, 4 girls and 1 young man all growing into teens then adulthood.   Everyone in the family endures twists and turns, smart people do dumb things, quiet children and a child who's eyes are crossed grow up to surprise the family.   Drugs eat away at the easy and the educated no one is safe and it is only a matter of is your drug of choice heroin, cocaine or alcohol?   Funny and sweet, sad and melancholy just like the mixed bag we all receive in life.    Beautiful story.   The reader may get angry at Mama but her humor and widom will make you love her.   Who says there is a right way and a wrong way?   There is a way and we all have to find our own way.   Beautiful.   I recommend this to mature teens (for the drug situations and sexual situations) on up to adults and seniors.   Great story.

 - Shirley J.

Always the Last to Know

Always the Last to Know By Kristan Higgins     400 pages

Barb and John have been married for 50 years - you'd think you would know a person after all that time, but, everyone has their secrets,.   Perfect daughter, Juliet,  has the perfect job, the perfect husband and family so why does she hide in her closet?    Daughter Sadie, who's Dad always encouraged her free-spirit has lost her anchor, her Dad is there, but where is he really?   A great story that will keep the reader entertained from page 1 to the end.   I love the characters and the bonds that keep them together.   I also loved the Minnesota inflections throughout, don't cha know?  You betcha!   For readers who like stories about the inner workings of families good & bad, and who find themselves siding with each family member in their term just never all of them at once.  Great story.   Kristan Higgins is a great story teller. 

- Shirley J.

Magic Lessons

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman    416 pages

The prequel to "Practical Magic" so begins the Owens women's magical legacy.    This book is so rich in its story telling,   An abandoned baby found by a crow who becomes her familiar (protector for life) raised by the wise woman (Hannah Owens) who discovers her, the story takes place in the 1600s and is lush in its description of the times, the life and those that feared and hated what they refused to understand.    Full of love and sorrow in their many stages, it i a generational tale going on to the baby, Maria, growing up, being so very naive and having a daughter of her own.  Maria is wise in many things  but completely daft at what is right in front of her.   She is the example of think before you speak.   She creates a harm to herself and future generations that cannot be undone The story is an excellent one nonetheless.   I recommend it to any age who finds wiccan magic interesting.

 - Shirley J.

Is This Anything?

Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld    480 pages

If you are a Jerry Seinfeld fan you will love this book.    Jerry saved his best material over 45 years of funny stuff and put it all in this, his latest book (his first in 25 years).    It is so laugh out loud funny the observations he makes on life from the simple to the extreme and yes, he even throws in bits about being married, being a Dad of 3 and how family vacations are leaving home so you can pay to yell at each other in a hotel.   The book is like being in Vegas with Jerry doing stand-up for a couple of nights.   It is great.   My oldest brother turned me on to Seinfeld and I may have to return the favor by buying him this book.   So enjoyable.   Prepare yourself for an enjoyable read.   I recommend this to anyone who loves to laugh, but, especially to baby boomers who will get his references and get an extra kick out of it.    Love Ya, Jerry!   So funny!

 - Shirley J.

I Almost Forgot About You

I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan        384 pages

Optometrist, Georgia Young is stunned when she finds out a former lover has died and she never got to say all the things she wanted to him like how much she had loved him.   It makes her rethink her life and prompts her to go on a quest to find all the men that she had loved in her life and let them know and thank them for what they brought to her life before it is too late.    A great story of redemption,k self-fulfillment and realizing it is never too late to fall in love, to pursue your dreams and to start your life over from right where you stand.   A great story with fun and loving friends, family and adventures.   I loved it.   Another highly recommended book by brilliant author Terry McMillan

 - Shirley J.

From the Terrace

From the Terrace by John O'Hara, 897 pages

Born to an alcoholic mother and a father who had spent all his love on a son who died too young, Raymond Alfred Eaton grew up in a cold home with a cold future - one day he would inherit the family steel mill and live out his days as the biggest fish in the small pond of Port Johnson, Pennsylvania.  The larger world beckoned, however, and after a spell at Princeton he chose instead to seek his fortune on Wall Street and to serve his country in Washington, DC.  Along the way he struggles to maintain his integrity and reputation in the boardroom, the war room, and the bedroom.  His failure is an American tragedy.

John O'Hara, once considered to be a major American writer - even a potential Nobel Prize winner - is mostly forgotten today.  A mere two years after its publication, From the Terrace was made into a "major motion picture" starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, but it is no better remembered than the novel.  If this is unjust, it is hardly surprising, as From the Terrace is today as redolent of its own moment in time as its descriptions of life in the first half of the twentieth century are reflective of those eras, particularly its prurient obsession with sex.  On the other hand, it is a remarkably complex page-turner.

The Golden Compass

 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, 399 pages

So fun to come back to a beloved favorite! A friend asked me if I'd read this book because it's streaming as a show somewhere (not a streaming service I use and this is an endorsement for the book anyway!). I responded enthusiastically that this is one of my absolute favorites. I've read or listened to the series many, many times and it's always enjoyable to come back to it. There are scenes and chapters that I absolutely love revisiting. Rereads of this series both help me gain new perspective while still feeling as though I'm reading it for the first time.

This book begins in a world similar to ours with one big difference: all humans are born with a daemon that takes the shape of an animal. Daemons change shape when children are young and when a child enters puberty and becomes an adult, the daemon takes a fixed form. Often the character of a person can be gleaned from their daemon. Servants in this world always have dog daemons, for instance. I probably would be wary of a person with a snake daemon, or a monkey daemon. We'll get to the monkey daemon in a moment. First: meet Lyra. Orphaned and living at Jordan College in Oxford, Lyra is a tough, streetwise little girl and a natural leader among the children she befriends. She is always getting into trouble. Her daemon, Pantalamion, of course joins in but also represents the thoughtful side of Lyra's nature and tries talking her out of her worst transgressions. By spying on a meeting of the Masters of Jordan College, Lyra starts a chain of events that lead her to travel to London with Mrs. Coulter, whose daemon is a beautiful but fierce monkey with golden fur. While she's at first besotted with Mrs. Coulter who is smart, glamorous, and well-traveled, she begins to mistrust her and particularly that nasty, sneaky, golden monkey. Lyra's escape from Mrs. Coulter brings about a series of adventures and daring escapes from death, and introduces the reader to some truly unforgettable characters, including Iorek Byrnison, the polar bear on the cover of this book. In addition to Iorek, Lyra befriends the Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby, the witch Serafina Pekkala, and many others who will play roles in the second and third books of the trilogy. The events point to troubling abuses of power by adults in the name of Theology and Lyra is known to be destined to play an important role in future events. Lyra knows nothing of this prophecy as her main goal is finding her friend Roger, abducted by a powerful and mysterious group known as The Gobblers.

This book is best for mature teens and adults. There are some truly upsetting and frightening scenes as well as discussions of theology and human nature that are weighty and thoughtful. Those who love it will know after the first book if they want to continue on with the trilogy, which is rewarding and heartbreaking and gorgeously plotted and written. I loved it and I'm so glad to be reading it again. I also highly recommend the audiobook version. The author Pullman narrates it, and the other characters are voiced by a full cast and it is amazing. 

Charles Peguy

Charles Peguy: A Study in Integrity by Marjorie Villiers, 385 pages

Charles Peguy is best remembered today as the poet of The Mystery of the Charity of Joan of Arc and The Portico of the Mystery of the Second Virtue.  In his own time, he was a journalist, publisher, and activist.  As Marjorie Villiers relates, however, he was above all a man of integrity, a man who rejected propaganda and cant no matter how useful it might be, a man whose hatred of injustice led him to socialism, and whose love for the truth led him to Catholicism.  This painful, sacrificial pilgrimage, costly on both a personal and professional level, came to an abrupt, but not entirely unexpected, end on the battlefields of the First World War, fighting for his beloved France, not the France of the politicians and professors but that of the peasants and poets.

While Villiers certainly considers Peguy's literary works, this is a biography and not primarily a work of literary criticism.  Likewise, while Villiers' admiration for Peguy is apparent, she does not hesitate, in keeping with the theme of integrity, of being critical of him at times, although she generally takes a charitable view of everyone's motivations, even, admirably, Peguy's anti-Dreyfusard opponents.  These traits actually assist in making her book both readable and engaging.

Zoroastrian Faith

 The Zoroastrian Faith: Tradition and Modern Research by SA Nigosian, 118 pages

Zoroastrianism is an outlier within the elastic category of Great World Religions.  For centuries it was practiced throughout successive and expansive Persian and Parthian empires, ordering the lives of millions of devotees.  It survives today only among tiny populations in Iran and India and their scattered emigre communities.  Often inaccurately labeled "fire-worship" or misunderstood as Manichaean dualism, not entirely monotheistic but not exactly polytheistic either, with strong similarities to Hinduism but also deep resonances with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Zoroastrian faith is unique and more than a mere curiosity.

Thankfully, SA Nigosian's survey of Zoroastrian faith and practice is true to its subtitle: "Tradition and Modern Research."  Nigosian does not approach the former uncritically, but neither does he elevate the claims of the latter to indisputable truth.  Above all, he is willing to admit when something is simply not known.  Best of all, he writes almost purely descriptively, generally avoiding the pseudo-apologetical mode common in these kinds of books.  

Gobbledy

Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston   232 pages

Okay, fellow readers, “Gobbledy” is the must-read book of the 2020 holiday season (or any holiday season for that matter)!  It has all the magic and wonder that is missing this year.  The tag line really says it all: “Gobbledy is a fun-filled holiday story that adds up to two brothers, three friends, unlimited jars of peanut butter, a ketchup factory, and one little alien far, far from home.”

Things have been out of sorts for the last six months at the Duckworth home. Nothing seems right since Mom died. Dad does his best, but as the Christmas (or Kissmas, as they call it) approaches, there seems to be less merry and bright than ever.

Eleven-year-old Dexter, his best friend and next door neighbor, Fiona (Fi for short) are working on their science projects that are due on the last day of school before Winter Break. As the novel opens, Fi spots something very interesting on the camera that she installed in the forest. When they reach the spot, they find tiny, cream-colored mushroom that sparkle with lights that float above them. They are growing in a circle around a golden, shimmering rock. Dexter reaches for it, but the mushrooms shock him, as if they are standing guard.

While in his backpack, the rock turns into a small creature, the size of a cricket. Only problem is, it keeps growing until reaches the size of a two-year-old.  And it makes the most horrific noises.

The little creature looks like a mash-up of a cat, a rat, and a rabbit. The illustrations are adorable. The first time I saw Gobbledy, I was in in love. He was given the name because he eats everything…everything, but has a penchant for peanut butter.

Dexter, Fi and joined by Dexter’s eight-and-a-half-year-old brother, Dougal, try to figure out what to do with him. In the meantime, they must hide the creature from the boys’ dad.  Gobbledy is obsessed with a Pet Rock and an empty milk bottle and rarely goes anywhere without them, which makes it more difficult to conceal him.

At times hilarious, at times heart-breaking, readers will love this E.T. meets ALF meets the movie, “A Christmas Story.”  

Gobbledy receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

The Wrong Family

The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher   336 pages

I will never look at the opening of my home’s crawl space the same way ever again. Not after this book!

At sixty-seven, Juno’s life is not what she thought it would be.  Now a disgraced therapist, she is homeless and has a record, plus she has a debilitating disease that will probably kill her. However, she feels she’s a good judge of character.

Across the park from where Juno lives, is the large home of the Crouch family: Winnie, Nigel and thirteen-year-old Sam.  They seem to have it all. They are even adding onto a house that is much too big for a family of three.

One day, when the construction guys are having lunch in the park, Juno slips in and looks around. She could be very, very comfy there. She takes a few things. How could anyone with this much miss so little?  And she’s right. No one notices.

As the construction goes on, Juno decides to make the Crouch’s home hers.  Awfully creepy!  The family notices little things that are odd, but never even dream of what is really happening. Juno pokes around in their papers and drawers, until she discovers their secret.  A BIG secret that must be brought to the light.

Two reason that the odd little things distract from their taking full notice is that 1) Winne and Nigel’s marriage is falling apart and 2) Winnie’s brother, Dakota, is losing his battle with alcohol and drugs.

The ending of this tautly written thriller blew me away. I can’t wait until somebody else reads it and we can talk about it!

The Wrong Family receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

Storm Front

Storm Front by Jim Butcher, 355 pages    

I've been resisting this series for a while, and now I'm glad I finally relented and gave this a shot! I wasn't sure I was in the mood for complicated explanations of magic and the rules of magic and so forth, but luckily for my short attention span, this jumped right into the action. I very much appreciated that the author did not go into great detail about how the magic was done and how the structure of the magical world worked; instead the book focused on solving a mystery and magic was just one of the tools used.

And the character using the tools is a lot of fun! Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a wizard and you can find him in the phonebook under "Wizards" - he's the only one listed. He is a consultant to the Chicago PD, in a world pretty much exactly like ours except magic is a bit more prevalent. When the police run into something out of the ordinary, they call Harry. Of course there are folks on the police force who don't entirely believe in magic, but who also are too scared to look Harry in the eye or ask a lot of questions about his work and methods.

In this book, the first in a series of currently 17 books (as well as short story collections, graphic novel adaptations, and a short-lived TV show), Harry is called in to investigate a pair of gruesome murders and it quickly gets him involved with a local big-time gangster who doesn't want Harry poking around in his business. Harry's character is accessible and likeable: he might be a wizard, but his work isn't that lucrative so he takes odd jobs to pay the bills (hence the phone book listing), much more like a private investigator than a magician for hire. There are a lot of great jokes about his life and powers, and the side characters are complex and memorable as well. The magic is important to the story, but it doesn't bog down the reader with intricacies and explanations - it's part of the action, but not the main focus. It's possible in future books we'll learn more about how Harry became a wizard and how the White Council, which controls the people who use magic, functions, but it seems like the author will dole this out in small chunks while keeping the story moving.

I finished this book in just a couple of days and it held my attention, which I needed! In these times I'm having a hard time focusing but this book, with plenty of action and solid writing, kept me turning the pages. I will definitely continue with this series.

Too Much and Never Enough

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man

 by Mary L. Trump, PhD.         240 pages

Turns out the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  In this book Donald Trump's niece, Mary L. Trump describes what life was like growing up in the Trump family.    Donald Sr. was a harsh task master with his employees and his family.   His word was law and his wife and children abided by whatever he said.   He didn't particularly respect women seeing them as less important than men so his wife and two daughters were marginalized and expected to take care of the womanly duties home, cooking, child-rearing they were never considered mental equals to the men who ran the family.  Mary tells how her grandfather always kept a photo in his wallet of a young woman, maybe 18 yrs old or so holding her exposed breasts which he first showed to her when she was 12 yrs. old and asked her, "What do you think of that?".  Mary had no response.  Many family occasions brought the Trumps together but there was never any real love shown between them.  She talks about Ivana's re-gifting of gifts to her sometimes with something missing out of the food basket (she kept the caviar) and when ivana gave Mary's Mother a really nice purse she left a used tissue inside it.   No one ever seemed to really care what the others were doing and conversations were short and generic.   No one stayed to listen to any one's conversation unless they were making bawdy remarks.   She talks about Donald being the second but favored son and her own father who was the oldest Trump sibling was pretty much cut out of family events giving lesser jobs in DOnald Sr.'s business and over the years squeezed out and left to look and feel foolish.   When he father tried to make his own way, Donald Sr. saw it as a betrayal and cut him and his children and grandchildren out of his will.   While the other siblings recevied 170 million each at Donald Sr's death Mary and her brother who should have received equal shares of their fathers inheritance received nothing.   When they tried to talk to their aunts and uncles about the unfairness they were told, 'Dad never got over his betrayal."  Her father had wanted to become a pilot and did but never was he a part of the inner circle to his dying day.  The  book is filled with recollections and documented statements showing what family background contributed to making Donald Trump the man he is today.  

 - Shirley J.

Tell-All

Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk       192 pages

A well told tale of love and loss of fame and dead pets, of Champagne, and caviar and wicked wicked frenemies and traitorous assistants!    Mix in all the glamour, glitter and panache of a Dorian Gray aging movie queen who is worshipped and adored for all the thing she is and can bring.   WOWSERS!   What a tale!    I do recommend this one to mature teens on up.   It is not a dirty book, though dirty things happen, but, there is the evil wrongs that occur might be hard to take for younger hearts.   Good book if often sad. 

 - Shirley J.

Last Voyage of the Valentina

Last Voyage of the Valentina by Santa Montefiore   416 pages

I first learned of English author Santa Montefiore by reading the Royal Rabbits of London series that she co-authors with her husband.  I wanted to read one that was entirely hers, so I chose Last Voyage of the Valentina, mainly because half of the story takes place on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

 The story focuses on Alba who lives in the London suburb of Chelsea on a houseboat named the Valentina, named after her deceased mother. Alba is one of the unhappiest characters that I have come across in recent memory. She hates to be alone, which explains why she has a steady stream of fellows going in and out of her boat each and every night.

Alba is basically a slob, but one day when she peers under her bed and finds a rolled up piece of paper wedged between the slats. It’s one of the three portraits her father drew of her mother before she died. She takes the portrait to her father’s home, hoping this might ease the chasm between them.  It also stirs something deep inside Alba….the need to find her mother’s family.

The novel weaves back and forth between 1945 Italy when her parents met and courted to 1971 London, Alba’s time.

The story is a rather predictable and I didn’t get as much Amalfi Coast scenery as I would have liked.  Therefore, Last Voyage of the Valentina receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

The Only Woman in the Room

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict   336 pages

Everyone has a cellphone these days.  I cannot of anyone I know who doesn’t have one.  And we can thank old Hollywood actress, Hedy Lamar, inventing the technology that led to its creation.

Today, however, Hedy is mostly remembered for her beauty, and there is no doubt about it, she was gorgeous. And she could act. But what has been forgotten is her intelligence and her inventions that helped end World War II and ultimately change the world.

The first half of the book takes place when she is Hedwig Kiestler, an Austrian Jew as the world marches toward war.  She is an actress in those early days but is still controlled by her parents. Fritz Mandl, Austria’s wealthiest man and munitions magnate, falls in love with her and asks for her hand in marriage. Her parents agree, as it seems the best way to protect her from the growing anti-Semitism and the impending Nazi invasion.

As soon as the ring is slipped on her finger, her marriage turns abusive. Although she has been reading as much as she could about her husband’s business, she is regulated to mere arm candy. She is not allowed to pick out her clothes or to talk while accompanying him to many business dinners. But Hedwig listens intently to their conversations, knowing that if she could just talk with them, she could contribute. As Fritz becomes increasingly violent, Hedwig begins to saves any money she can get her hands on and flees Austria. First she migrates to England, then onto the United States.

The second part of the novel concerns Hedwig’s transformation into Hedy Lamar, her success in the movies, and her relationship with MGM Studio Head Leo B. Meyer. On the periphery of that is her scientific work, which was more important to her than an acting career. This part of the novel seems to lack focus, jumping between her burgeoning movie career and her desire to create ways that she can help others and prevent the senseless murder of European Jews. Based on what she learned from Fritz and his business dinners, Hedy was able to patent an idea that laid the foundation for secure communications and ultimately cellphone technology.

The Only Woman in the Room receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.