Author Archive
If I was going to Hawaii for a January getaway (wishful thinking) I probably wouldn’t lug along Wally Lamb’s new 740-page novel The Hour I First Believed for the ride. However if you’re trapped by a Wisconsin snowstorm for a few days (more realistic thinking) this might be one to keep you distracted from all the 
shoveling you’ll have to do. After a ten year hiatus during which he worked with emerging writers at a Connecticut Women’s Prison, Oprah-blessed writer Wally Lamb’s new book HIFB is a long, engaging story about Caelum Quirk, a high school English teacher whose connection with the 1999 Columbine incident sends his life in unimaginable directions.
There are numerous plotlines in this story that spiral out from that fateful day, most importantly how it affects Caelum’s wife Maureen, a school nurse that was trapped in the library during the siege. Still suffering from PTSD, Caelum and Maureen move back to Connecticut from Colorado. The move is spurred not only by the Columbine aftermath, but also because Quirk’s Aunt Lolly has died and left him with the family farm. Like every good family farm, this one has lots of secrets that are revealed to Quirk. Maureen’s PTSD turns ugly and she soon becomes addicted to pain medication. Tragedy occurs again for the Quirks and without giving too much away, let’s just say there are many prison scenes and it isn’t just because it’s where Aunt Lolly used to work. Caelum’s story is complicated and rich and Lamb does a good job with making it seem authentic; his main character is flawed and he doesn’t always seem like the hero of the story.
My only complaint about HIFB was not necessarily the length, but the inclusion of Aunt Lolly’s Quaker great-grandmother’s life that Lamb explores as he finds out even more family secrets through his descendant’s belongings hidden up in the attic. This ended up becoming a story within the story and distracted me from the original Caelum one that was so enjoyable. I’m guessing after years of writing experience, editors probably don’t give Lamb the same red pencil treatment as other writers and that is how this section remained so long.
Overall, this one deserves a B+, though some other reviewers have not been as generous. So if you’re preparing for another snowstorm rather than a Hawaiian getaway, get your name on the hold list for HIFB or check out our rental collection next time you stop by your favorite library branch. Donations to my January Hawaiian getaway can also be dropped off at your local branch 
December 26th, 2008
Katharine
British novelist Catherine O’Flynns’s What was Lost is my buried treasure. 
Set in 1980’s England this story revolves a young girl named Kate and her mysterious disappearance and how it relates to the local shopping mall Green Oaks. That one sentence description doesn’t do this outstanding first novel justice though, here’s more about it.
Ten-year old Kate Meany lives with her grandmother and dreams of being a private investigator. Her best friends are a 22-year-old son of a shopkeeper Adrian and a stuffed monkey that she takes on her stakeouts. Kate’s grandmother wants to send her to a boarding school, but Kate would rather keep hanging out with her friend Teresa at her public school. One afternoon when Kate reluctantly goes to take an admittance test for the boarding school, she disappears. The ensuing investigation points towards Adrian, who had accompanied her on the bus the morning she went to take the test. Adrian soon leaves town and “what happened to Kate?” is never resolved.
Fast forward twenty years to the Green Oaks shopping mall where Adrian’s sister Lisa is working a dead-end record store job. She’s not happy, hasn’t talked to her brother in ages and has horrible relationships with the people around her, until she meets one of the Green Oaks security guards Kurt who has plenty of tragedy in his life also. Their friendship brings great change in their lives and also helps solve the mystery of what happened to little Kate years ago.
If you are a fan of Kate Atkinson, this book is very similiar. O’Flynn’s writing is excellent and this first time novelist won the Costa Book Award and also was highly reviewed by the Guardian. During this holiday shopping time when unfortunately many of us end up in malls, this book may make you look at people who are working and shopping there alittle bit differently this year.
December 18th, 2008
Katharine
I read Beth Kanell’s debut YA historical fiction book The Darkness Under the Water. Why re-read good old Judy? Both Blume and Kanell will be part of this week’s Wisconsin Book Festival and I intend to see them both speak.
Many people associate Vermont with pleasant outdoor vacations and tubs of Ben and Jerry’s, but Kanell’s book introduces us to a time in Vermont’s past that wasn’t so idyllic. An unsettling part of our U.S. history, the eugenics movement, is fictionalized in The Darkness and will show young readers how an attempt at social Darwinism shaped a young girl’s town and life during the early years of the Depression.
Molly Ballou is part French-Canadian and part Native American (Abenaki tribe) and this poor, ethnically diverse teenager’s life is turned upside down when multiple tragedies define the summer she turns sixteen. Not only have state nurses come to town to evaluate children, but Waterford, VT is also dealing with a logging industry that is changing the river environment and beautiful Vermont landscape around them. On top of this, Molly is haunted by the ghost of her little sister Gratia who died years ago in a river accident, which lends a spiritual twist to this debut novel.
Much of the book is standard YA material; family tragedies, opposite sex relationships and lots of challenging life lessons to show you are ready for adulthood. Kanell’s book goes beyond this standard fare by also adding historical context throughout Molly’s story. My favorite history reference was when young Molly goes into the library and the librarian has the “new” Nancy Drew set aside for her. There was also a scene where Molly attends a dance for the first time and sees other young people trying out the new Charleston dance step. These historical tidbits were nice touches and made the book seem realistic. There were some parts to the story though where the narrator’s voice sounded alittle stiff and the ending seemed contrived, but overall this was a good YA debut for Kanell.
Besides a graphic home-birthing scene, the content of The Darkness is pretty non-violent and would be a good choice for fifth and sixth grade readers that have enjoyed the Dear America or Little House series. The book also touches on some important issues about race and families that would be great starting points for some mature conversations, ones that Judy Blume books were starting twenty years ago. Go ahead read Are you there God, It’s Me Margaret it will be bring back some memories and you will be amazed at how well Blume, the original YA guru, gets it done. See you at the Book Festival!
October 14th, 2008
Katharine
First time novelist Hillary Jordan’s novel Mudbound caught the attention of Barbara Kingsolver and won the 2006 Bellwether Prize for Fiction, an honor that she founded to award “literature of social change.” It caught my attention in the positive reviews it got in BookPages and in an NPR story.
Mudbound is set in 1940’s Mississippi as a young black soldier is returning home to his sharecropping family only to find new owners have taken over the land, the McAllans. Henry McAllan’s little brother Jaime has also returned from flying bombers over Germany and both men are carrying alot of post-war baggage. Pappy is Henry’s cantankerous father who is forced to live with Henry and his wife Laura as they begin their marriage on the desolate farm. The story unfolds chapter by chapter each told in a different character’s voice (except for Pappy, but his heinous actions speak volumes) and Jordan does an excellent job weaving their stories together.
My favorite types of novels are ones that open and close with the same scene, bringing the reader full circle in a complex and engaging story. Mudbound is just this type with Pappy’s impromptu funeral starting and ending the book. The in-between is a tremendous story about love, race, war, and family. This heartbreaking and emotional tale would be ideal for a book group discussion or as an companion to a history lesson about pre-civil rights tensions in the South.
Jordan’s writing was pure southern storytelling and it made everyday examples of social change come to life. Pappy was the only character in the book not evolving with society around him, unless you count him changing into worm food. Put this one on next year’s book group reading lists now and find out why Pappy was such a bad guy.
October 2nd, 2008
Katharine
Absolute Brightness was recommended to me by my niece, a ferocious reader, who once read New Moon between turns of a Scrabble game at my house. The girl loves to read. She has good taste too, this YA book turned out to be one of the best I’ve read in years, second only to my favorite books by John Green.
Phoebe’s life has been shaken up, her parents recently divorced and now her never before seen cousin Leonard has come to live with them. Phoebe’s mom owns a hair salon right next door and Leonard soon becomes a popular fixture with her mom’s clients. He loves to dress up, loves show tunes and though he’s never officially confessed to it, loves boys more than girls.
The first part of story is about how Phoebe deals with her flamboyant cousin and how it affects her relationships with family and friends. The book turns in a whole different direction when Leonard suddenly goes missing. The police become involved and Phoebe’s own new love interest starts heating up at the same time. Does Leonard show up? Will she go further than first base with her new boyfriend? You’ll have to read it to find out.
Author James Lecesne not only writes good books, but has done other great work in the teen community. He founded the New York based Trevor Project and most recently started a non-profit organization After the Storm to work with teens that survived Hurricane Katrina. Lecesne writing credits also include work with the show Will and Grace and Further Tales from the City PBS series. Hopefully Absolute Brightness will be the one of many YA novels from Lecesne. But I have to say, John Green still remains my favorite. **P.S. Paper Towns will be out October 16th!**
September 2nd, 2008
Katharine
I read blogs daily, I figure it’s a better habit than two cigarettes and coffee every morning. Two of my favorites, Heather Armstrong of Dooce.com and Rebecca Woolf of Girlsgonechild.blogspot.com have both recently made their debut in the old school publishing world of books. Often cynical, but always heartfelt and humorous these two bloggers seemed ripe for a book spin-off and these works fill in the gaps about stories hinted at in their daily blogs. Here’s a bit about both…
Armstrong’s book Things I Learned About My Dad in
Therapy is a compilation of her own and fellow young family bloggers’ take on what their fathers contributed to their lives. The stories that stuck with me most were the ones written by males about their fathers. Men raised without hugs and I love you’s had turned into sensitive caring husbands and all wanted to do something different with their own children, a somewhat cliche idea, but good lessons none the less.
In Woolf’s Rockabye: From Wild to Child she explores her every tiny emotion about getting pregnant and married and falling in love with her new son. Her uncertainty and non-conformist attitude permeates through her memoir. From choosing a less than conventional wedding ring to raising her child a few blocks from the Hollywood sign it’s clear she is anything but an average Suburban mom. Her story involves lots of love from family and friends and paints motherhood in a positive light, even if it is an unplanned pregnancy.
Obviously fans of these women bloggers will pick up their books to find out more about their favorite online celebrities. Both have quite a following, Armstrong was even on the Today show a few weeks ago. Hopefully by putting these titles out there as good reads it will draw others to their websites. So here’s to reading blogs, a great way to pass the time and it won’t give you cancer like that other stinky habit.
July 15th, 2008
Katharine
Even if you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Sex and the City (SATC) was a smash hit for HBO and their latest theatrical release has landed them box-office success also. But what did the other writers from the show do while the movie was being made? Evidently one of them chose to write a book. Liz Tuccillo (co-author of the cult hit He’s Just Not That Into You) own novel How to Be Single came out this summer. It could turn out to be THE “chick lit hit” of the summer and a must have beach read. See what you think.
Julie Jensen, 38 and single, gets a call from her newly seperated friend Georgia pleading for a night out on the town to celebrate her new found singleness. Julie rallies her troops, former attorney Alice, reclusive Ruby and new age Serena all come together for an evening of fun and mayhem. What results from their evening besides a trip to the ER (alot happens in the first chapter) is a self-prescribed journey for Julie. She decides to take a sabbatical from her job to research a new book, what does it mean to be over thirty and single not only in America, but all over the world? Her quest ends up being a whirlwind adventure where she meets women from Paris to Rio, from Bejing to Bali (and of course a fetching married Parisian man who just might be the one). Julie ends her trip in Iceland with her old friends Georgia, Alice, Serena and Ruby in tow and reflect on what’s has happened in their lives the last few months.
HTBS reminded me of the Oprah selection Eat, Pray, Love in the way it took the protagonist literally around the world on her journey to self-discovery. This book, however, wasn’t about one but five very different women and how they were dealing with the same “single” issue. And it deserves the gold medal “chick lit hit” seal of approval. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it follow in SATC footsteps and make it to the big screen sometime in the future.
July 8th, 2008
Katharine
The book Diary of a South Beach Party Girl by Gwen Cooper tells the semi-autobiographical story of Rachel Baum, a Floridian native, who as a recent divorcee decides to turn life into a Studio 54 evening that never ends. For those fans of bad girl memoirs, this one will be a fun summer read.
Rachel moves to South Beach in the 1990’s just when it is reaching its’ seedy heyday. Parties here have names and VIP sections with complimentary bottles of champagne and lines of cocaine laid out for their guests. The story is a whirlwind of party descriptions and name droppings of South Beach celebrity partiers. Rachel ends up falling for one of these SoBe celebs John Hood and this love affair weaves through the book and ends quite dramatically. Rachel’s quiet day job as an events coordinator for different non-profit groups finally becomes quite at odds with her decadent partying life style and she has to make a choice. South Beach Party Girl or Responsible Adult?
My major complaint with this book was the repetition of party and clothing descriptions, they all started to run together. The drunk, cocaine fueled all-night dancing stories started to get old after awhile, perhaps a good editor could have shaved some of those scenes. Although the writing was good, the plot was like an adult Gossip Girl story at times. I felt like I needed a stint at a rehab after finishing this one, but it was still worth the ride.
June 27th, 2008
Katharine
I am a HUGE fan of stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler. Arguably one of the funniest women on television, her raunchy and outrageous comedy keeps me in stitches. Her second book Are You There Vodka, It’s Me, Chelsea is a compilation of crazy events from her life. Here are the censored** plots of a few of the stories:
1. Chelsea is set up with a red-headed man, not her usual type, but she learns to love him. She takes him over to her crazy Aunt’s house for supper who then proceeds to make fun of his red-headedness and much more. Chelsea vows never to introduce another boyfriend to the family.
2. Chelsea is dog-sitting for a friend and decides to invite her lover over for a rendevous. The dog and boyfriend and her have an “incident” and Chelsea finds out something very interesting about her new beau.
3. Chelsea is invited to a birthday dinner for a friend of friend she hardly knows who has no one to hang out with on her birthday. Unhappy to be a part of this evening, Chelsea decides to re-gift a game that was given to her by someone else at the dinner party. Chaos ensues.
The stories are hilarious, but I’d rather hear her tell them than read them. Her comedic style doesn’t translate into type as well as say someone like David Sedaris. That said, I will of course always read Chelsea’s books, (come on Chuey where is yours?) but I would rather see this sassy lady in person or on television doing her material. Rock on Chelsea Handler, can I be on your show?
(**this book is NOT for children. adults only)
June 20th, 2008
Katharine
I’m not talking about a new type of flower for spring planting, but the recent Pulitizer Prize winning book The Brief Wondorous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Diaz’ style blends together a work that is part literary, part historical fiction and part street literature with spanish slang added to the mix. This mash up of writing genres and styles somehow works; one sentence may be a two page description of Oscar’s unrequited love and the next a caustic remark by a drug dealing uncle. The style is unique and makes for an excellent novel.
Oscar Wao is an overweight Dominican comic-book reading nerd virgin, quite a contrast to most of the strapping young men in his New York neighborhood and certainly in contrast to the way his mother grew up in the D.R. The plot of this book weaves back and forth from the U.S. and the D.R, explaining how Oscar’s family ended up here and following his tumultous life as an outsider. Oscar’s family has deep scars and the book uncovers what makes a dsyfunctional one stay together through it all. The narrator of Oscar’s life isn’t made clear to the reader until about two thirds of the way through the book which keeps you guessing who’s telling the story at first, which makes the read all the more engaging.
Diaz’s groundbreaking style received rave reviews from the New York Times and other well known critics. It gets a thumbs up from this part-time novice reviewer also. Even if you don’t normally venture into “literary prize winning books”, this just might be the one to change your mind.
May 22nd, 2008
Katharine
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