The Book Haters' Book Club

The Book Haters’ Book Club by Gretchen Anthony 352 pages

Love the title of this book! I had to read it just to find out who would attend a book haters’ book club if the person hates books. That had to be an interesting group of people. Perplexing at the least.

Elliott, co-owner of Minneapolis’ Over the Rainbow Bridge, has recently passed away, leaving the other co-owner, Irma, in a pickle. Business is not good, and bills are piling up. Irma is also grieving the death of her longtime boyfriend, Nestor, from cancer.

Irma calls a meeting with her two daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott’s life partner, Thom, at the lawyer’s office. She has decided to sell to a developer who plans to raze it and replace it with high-rise condominiums.

As shocking as this decision is to the three, Bree has the most to lose. She works in the store and has assumed that she would take it over when Irma retired. Laney just wants to get back to her home in Oakland, California, and running a tire-repair shop with her husband. Thom is angry at Irma, but no one seems to know why, including Irma. The most infuriating part is that Irma won’t say why she so desperately wants to sell. This part of the plot dominates the first book’s first half.

The second half is about Irma coming clean with her secrets and what the three can do to save their relationships…and the bookstore.

The book’s title comes not from a fictional book club, but that is the name of the newsletter that Elliott sent out with reading recommendation to his customers. That title comes from Elliott’s belief that “all it takes is the right book to turn a book hater into a book lover.” He wasn’t actively trying to turn non-readers into readers, and, truthfully, I don’t get it. Readers are treated to a few of the newsletters. Cute and interesting, but they do not push the plot forward. And neither does periodic visits from Elliott in the form of the Forward, Commercial Breaks, Intermission, Curtain Call and One Last Thing…They’re creepy.

“The Book Haters’ Book Club” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Divorce Papers

The Divorce Papers: A Novel by Susan Rieger   496 pages

Sophie Deal is a criminal attorney at an old New England firm in Massachusetts.  At twenty-nine, she is content in her surroundings and her cliental. One day, the daughter of one of their richest and most powerful clients walks in and needs a divorce attorney. She had just been handed papers at one of the most chic restaurants in town and is out for blood.

All the divorce attorneys are out-of-town, but the head to of the firm pulls Sophie to do the in-take interview.  The client, Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim, like Sophie’s forthrightness and pulls strings to get her assigned to the case, which is sometimes funny.

Other than negotiating divorce law, there’s not much plot here. I did like the epistolary style Reiger used: memos and e-mails. It made what could have been a dry story much better and faster to read.  I didn’t like the pages that concentrated on the legal briefs. I think those could have been deleted. However, there are those readers who have wanted to see the info once it’s mentioned.  The format also led to a quick read, which kept me reading, and when the legalese was excluded, it was a fun story.

 I give The Divorce Papers 4 out of 5 stars.

 I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Woman who died a lot

The Woman Who Died a Lot: now with 50% Added Subplot by Jasper Fforde, 366 pages

This is the seventh book in Thursday Next series. A fair number of fellow staffers who saw me reading this all had the same two questions. One "Does she die a lot?" and two "Is that possible?". Well let me say yes she dies a lot and it is possible.

This book is a must read for anyone who works in a library. There are tons of jokes and everyday library problems addressed. Sadly this book takes place entirely in the real world. Not that it looses any of its funniness but it does lose some of the weirdness. This is a great continuation to the series and now I just have to wait on the next one.

One of the highlights of this one are the puns and one liners. The one that comes easily to mind is "Do I have to deal with crazy people?" "Of course your a librarian".

Good Omens

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

366 pages

I should have realized what an odd book this would be, based on who wrote it, but I was still somewhat surprised.  This is a story about the end of the world, which is going to be brought about by the Antichrist, named Adam by the people who raised him.  However, Adam was accidentally switched for the wrong baby at the hospital.  Crowley, a demon, and Aziraphale, an angel, decide to try to thwart the plans for the end of the world by introducing the boy to the good side also.  Of course, all along they are targeting the wrong boy.  Anathema Device, descendent of Agnes Nutter and current caretaker of the book, The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, is also trying to prevent the end of the world, if she can figure out enough of the prophecies in time.  The four horsemen are biding their time until the Antichrist starts the war that will be the end.  Very funny and completely off-the-wall, this is a great book that fans of humorous fantasy will like.