by Avery Corman
Karen and Rob Burrows are a text-book perfect divorced couple. They have no long-standing resentment and share custody and parenting of their teenaged son Tommy. Each has poured themselves back into their careers and their son. So when Tommy, never a great student, drops out of college after one semester and seems content to move through life with no great plan, they are shocked. Is it possible that their "perfect divorce" had some adverse affects on Tommy anyway?
This book, by the author of "Kramer vs. Kramer", shows the reader the flip side to that famous divorce tale. Karen and Rob have such an easy time of the divorce that it is seems an affront to them that Tommy didn't find it as easy. I found this to be a fairly accurate portrayal of a nice divorce couple and their kid. While I wasn't wild about Tommy's luck at the end of the book that gave everyone the happy ending we've come to expect, overall I enjoyed this book.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Still Life
by Joy Fielding
Casey Marshall is living the wonderful life: wonderful husband, wonderful marriage, wonderful career, wonderful friends. Until she is hit by a car and left in a coma. While she cannot move, speak or see, she can hear everything that happens around her. And Casey soon finds out that some of the wonderful people in her life aren't so wonderful after all.
This book was interesting for the simple fact that it gives the reader a main character who cannot in any way interact with the other supporting characters. Casey is completely helpless, at the mercy of those around her, and unable to protect herself from those trying to do her great harm. For every person who has wondered if a person in a coma can hear, this book boldly presents a "Maybe they can" argument.
This is the first book I've read by this author, but she was recommended to me by others. I would like to try some of her other books.
Casey Marshall is living the wonderful life: wonderful husband, wonderful marriage, wonderful career, wonderful friends. Until she is hit by a car and left in a coma. While she cannot move, speak or see, she can hear everything that happens around her. And Casey soon finds out that some of the wonderful people in her life aren't so wonderful after all.
This book was interesting for the simple fact that it gives the reader a main character who cannot in any way interact with the other supporting characters. Casey is completely helpless, at the mercy of those around her, and unable to protect herself from those trying to do her great harm. For every person who has wondered if a person in a coma can hear, this book boldly presents a "Maybe they can" argument.
This is the first book I've read by this author, but she was recommended to me by others. I would like to try some of her other books.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Dead Until Dark
by Charlaine Harris
Sookie Stackhouse - a mind-reading Southern waitress - has been waiting to meet a vampire since they "came out of the coffin" four years earlier and became a legal part of society. So when Bill Compton comes into the bar where she works, her life changes significantly.
The first in the Sookie Stackhouse series, and the basis for the HBO series "True Blood", it was really only a matter of time until I read this. I liked it well enough, but it was a bit more romance novelly than I had expected. Sookie has a solid cast of supporting characters around her as well, to keep things interesting - her brother Jason, boss Sam, fellow waitress Arlene, and vampire Eric. I have never seen the HBO show, since I don't have HBO, but I hear great things about it. Maybe I'll rent it.
I expect that I'll read at least a few more in this series. They are on a waiting list at the library, so that makes it a little slower to get through. And I can wait, because I didn't really have the "Oh my gosh, I have to read the rest of these!" desire that one can get with other series books. But I think they'll grow on me.
Sookie Stackhouse - a mind-reading Southern waitress - has been waiting to meet a vampire since they "came out of the coffin" four years earlier and became a legal part of society. So when Bill Compton comes into the bar where she works, her life changes significantly.
The first in the Sookie Stackhouse series, and the basis for the HBO series "True Blood", it was really only a matter of time until I read this. I liked it well enough, but it was a bit more romance novelly than I had expected. Sookie has a solid cast of supporting characters around her as well, to keep things interesting - her brother Jason, boss Sam, fellow waitress Arlene, and vampire Eric. I have never seen the HBO show, since I don't have HBO, but I hear great things about it. Maybe I'll rent it.
I expect that I'll read at least a few more in this series. They are on a waiting list at the library, so that makes it a little slower to get through. And I can wait, because I didn't really have the "Oh my gosh, I have to read the rest of these!" desire that one can get with other series books. But I think they'll grow on me.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Whiskey Sour
by J.A. Konrath
Chicago Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels must find a killer who calls himself "The Gingerbread Man", who is mutilating and dumping women in her district. When The Gingerbread Man focuses his attention on her, the need to find him gets more intense.
I picked up this book because the inside covered said "For fans of Kay Scarpetta, Kinsey Milhone, and Stephanie Plum". With an endorsement like that, I couldn't resist. I was hoping for more of lean toward Stephanie Plum, but there was enough gore to satisfy bring back memories of Kay Scarpetta. There was humor and I loved the glimpses into Jack's mess of a personal life.
There is an entire series, all with the drink theme: Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel and Cherry Bomb. I will be picking up the rest of these when I return from vacation. It took me a day to read Whiskey Sour - it was engaging and funny and not too deep or icky to leave me freaked out (a common problem I had with the Kay Scarpetta books). Having only read one, I highly recommend this series.
Chicago Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels must find a killer who calls himself "The Gingerbread Man", who is mutilating and dumping women in her district. When The Gingerbread Man focuses his attention on her, the need to find him gets more intense.
I picked up this book because the inside covered said "For fans of Kay Scarpetta, Kinsey Milhone, and Stephanie Plum". With an endorsement like that, I couldn't resist. I was hoping for more of lean toward Stephanie Plum, but there was enough gore to satisfy bring back memories of Kay Scarpetta. There was humor and I loved the glimpses into Jack's mess of a personal life.
There is an entire series, all with the drink theme: Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel and Cherry Bomb. I will be picking up the rest of these when I return from vacation. It took me a day to read Whiskey Sour - it was engaging and funny and not too deep or icky to leave me freaked out (a common problem I had with the Kay Scarpetta books). Having only read one, I highly recommend this series.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Precious
by Sandra Novack
In the summer of 1978, sisters Eva and Sissy Kisch are struggling to deal with the confusion left after their mother Natalia runs off to Italy with her boss, when Sissy's friend Vicky disappears. While the Eva deals with her pain by starting an affair with her high-school teacher, Sissy spends her days dreaming up scenarios where she finds both her mother and her friend. When Natalia returns to her family, it is more disruptive than when she left.
This story started off strong, though I felt like it lost momentum nearly the end. Eva's affair with her teacher had potential that fizzled out I thought. At the end, when the unexpected happens to the Kisch family, I didn't really understand why it happened. Maybe I wasn't reading closely enough by then, but honestly, I had lost interest. I really just wanted to find out what had happened to Vicky and how Natalia and her husband Frank dealt with her return.
That being said, I think it is important to mention that I had started and abandoned 2 other books before Precious. I don't know if I'm too scattered these days to stay with a story or what, but it's entirely possible that if I went back and read this again later, I might find it more intriguing. It's hard to get into a story when you're reading in the bleachers before a baseball game or in the 20 minutes you have at work. I feel like I should have liked this more, since I can't really explain where it went south for me. I read several reviews on Amazon.com that were very positive, so I have to wonder if it was just me.
In the summer of 1978, sisters Eva and Sissy Kisch are struggling to deal with the confusion left after their mother Natalia runs off to Italy with her boss, when Sissy's friend Vicky disappears. While the Eva deals with her pain by starting an affair with her high-school teacher, Sissy spends her days dreaming up scenarios where she finds both her mother and her friend. When Natalia returns to her family, it is more disruptive than when she left.
This story started off strong, though I felt like it lost momentum nearly the end. Eva's affair with her teacher had potential that fizzled out I thought. At the end, when the unexpected happens to the Kisch family, I didn't really understand why it happened. Maybe I wasn't reading closely enough by then, but honestly, I had lost interest. I really just wanted to find out what had happened to Vicky and how Natalia and her husband Frank dealt with her return.
That being said, I think it is important to mention that I had started and abandoned 2 other books before Precious. I don't know if I'm too scattered these days to stay with a story or what, but it's entirely possible that if I went back and read this again later, I might find it more intriguing. It's hard to get into a story when you're reading in the bleachers before a baseball game or in the 20 minutes you have at work. I feel like I should have liked this more, since I can't really explain where it went south for me. I read several reviews on Amazon.com that were very positive, so I have to wonder if it was just me.
Monday, July 6, 2009
S if for Silence
By Sue Grafton
Another in the Kinsey Millhone series. Kinsey is hired by Daisy Sullivan, whose mother Violet disappear thirty-four years ago without a trace. Where she went and how she got there is the mystery Kinsey must solve in order to bring closure to a woman who has been waiting for her mother since she was seven years old.
You really can't go wrong with this series. My only complaint for this one was there were a lot of characters and sometimes it got hard to keep them all straight. But the story was compelling and the ending was logical. I hate when mysteries end with those "we didn't mention this part, but this explains it all" endings. Grafton lays all the clues out for the reader and at the end, ties it all up neatly. I never feel like I was kept in the dark with these books, which I love.
Another in the Kinsey Millhone series. Kinsey is hired by Daisy Sullivan, whose mother Violet disappear thirty-four years ago without a trace. Where she went and how she got there is the mystery Kinsey must solve in order to bring closure to a woman who has been waiting for her mother since she was seven years old.
You really can't go wrong with this series. My only complaint for this one was there were a lot of characters and sometimes it got hard to keep them all straight. But the story was compelling and the ending was logical. I hate when mysteries end with those "we didn't mention this part, but this explains it all" endings. Grafton lays all the clues out for the reader and at the end, ties it all up neatly. I never feel like I was kept in the dark with these books, which I love.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
American Wife
by Curtis Sittenfeld
This is the story of Alice Linden Blackwell, First Lady of the United States, and how she got there. Loosely based on the life of Laura Bush, the reader follows Alice from her early childhood to her husband's second term in office. Along the way, Alice faces a teenage tragedy that shapes the following decade of her life. While married to the more powerful man in the country, if not the world, we see that Alice is indeed her own person, with her own ideas and opinions.
I did not think I would like this book. But I did. In fact, I read it in about 2 days. The novel focuses on Alice's early life - the First Lady part probably only takes up the last 50-75 pages. And there were so many times when I thought "I could see that happening to ME". Who among us doesn't have skeletons in our closet? And what would happen if by some odd chance we ended up being married to someone who decides to run for public office? I, for one, have MANY things in my closet that would be horrifying to have uncovered and publicized. How to explain them, and then have to reconcile your past with your life today, or worse yet, your husband's strong stances on abortion or war, would be humiliating.
Alice does her best to live her best life. She makes some mistakes along the way, but who hasn't? She tries to remain true to herself, without drawing attention to herself or embarrassing her husband and his administration. It's an interesting take on the path to the White House.
This is the story of Alice Linden Blackwell, First Lady of the United States, and how she got there. Loosely based on the life of Laura Bush, the reader follows Alice from her early childhood to her husband's second term in office. Along the way, Alice faces a teenage tragedy that shapes the following decade of her life. While married to the more powerful man in the country, if not the world, we see that Alice is indeed her own person, with her own ideas and opinions.
I did not think I would like this book. But I did. In fact, I read it in about 2 days. The novel focuses on Alice's early life - the First Lady part probably only takes up the last 50-75 pages. And there were so many times when I thought "I could see that happening to ME". Who among us doesn't have skeletons in our closet? And what would happen if by some odd chance we ended up being married to someone who decides to run for public office? I, for one, have MANY things in my closet that would be horrifying to have uncovered and publicized. How to explain them, and then have to reconcile your past with your life today, or worse yet, your husband's strong stances on abortion or war, would be humiliating.
Alice does her best to live her best life. She makes some mistakes along the way, but who hasn't? She tries to remain true to herself, without drawing attention to herself or embarrassing her husband and his administration. It's an interesting take on the path to the White House.
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