I wasn't sure when I got into this novel if I was going to like Milo, but his compassion and sense of right and wrong grew on me until I was completely smitten. Milo is a man with issues, big issues related to obsessive compulsive disorder, issues that he is finding it increasingly difficult to hide from his wife, Christine, who is currently enjoying some "space." Milo, a sweet home health nurse, finds himself with increasing frequency needing to open jars of Smucker's grape jelly just to hear the seal pop, sing karaoke (99 Luftbalons), and bowl strikes. He watches movies over and over hoping against hope that the endings will somehow be different, even though he knows in his heart that they won't.
When Milo is walking his dog in the local park he comes across a bag containing a video camera and several tapes. When no one claims the bag he decides to take it home and watch some of the tapes, becoming engrossed in his quest to discover the identity of the camera's troubled owner, whom he calls "Freckles." Information gleaned from the tapes and his increasingly strained relationship with Christine lead him on a road trip that he hopes will solve Freckles' problem but will also change his own life dramatically.
If you are familiar with the novels of Matthew Dicks you will open this book expecting quirks and stress and characters who are lovable but just a bit scary, not to mention numerous Hartford, CT area locations. You won't be at all disappointed. I think that Memoir of an Imaginary Friend is my favorite of this author's books, but Unexpectedly Milo is an OCD adventure that you shouldn't miss.
BIBLIOPHILY
Friday, May 29, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
THE LITTLE BEACH STREET BAKERY (Jenny Colgan)
On the surface this looks and sounds like fluff. A young woman with a failing relationship and a failing business is forced to look for a new life with very little prospect of financial comfort. She ends up running a bakery on an island in an unfashionable town in Cornwall and eventually brings the place and its inhabitants new energy and happiness and, of course, falls in love. Colgan reminds me of Katie Fforde,. They share that rare talent of taking a simple, maybe even trite, chick-lit story and infusing it with such appeal that you can't put it down. There is something inspiring about women who are self-sufficient and hard-working, and both Fforde and Colgan write about just that. Somehow the setting, the ambiance, and the characters all come together into a wonderful story. Maybe there aren't any murders (although there may be sadness and loss) or other major crimes, but characters with a positive outlook and a compassion for others go far in creating wonderful story. Maybe some prefer mayhem and gore in their reading, but give me a little bakery by the sea and a bunch of quirky, wonderful characters and you'll have me hooked every time!
LEFT NEGLECTED ((Lisa Genova)
Wow! We are lucky that we have easy access to so much health-related information through books and databases, but to me nothing gets to the heart of understanding an issue like following someone, even a fictional person, on their journey of recovery. Of course reading fiction cannot in any way compare to the stress and heartache of actually living through a brain injury, but the reader has the advantage of seeing through the patient's eyes and feeling their frustration and sadness.
Susan Nickerson is a happily married superwoman, juggling a fast-paced, successful career, which requires 80 hours a week of her time, plus 3 children (named, oddly enough, Charlie, Lucy, and Linus), an equally career-oriented husband, and two homes. Susan and her husband, Bob, have been on the fast-track to success and wealth since school. Every moment is scheduled, every break used to catch up on email or phone calls or children's activities. One day, while reaching for her cell phone during her drive to work, Susan crashes her car and sustains a traumatic injury to the right side of her brain, an injury that results in hemispatial neglect, also called left neglect. When Susan awakes from an 8-day coma she discovers that the left side of her world has disappeared. her awareness of the left side of her body, her ability to notice things to the left or to draw the left side of a picture, has disappeared. She will need months of therapy to regain all or part of her ability to perceive the left side of her world.
Genova, a neuroscientist, has again (as in Still Alice) afforded her readers the rare opportunity to share in the experiences of a patient from the inside out. She does this SO well! I plan to read all of her novels and look forward to many more in the future. If you haven't read any of Genova's books, you should run down to the library today and check one out.
Susan Nickerson is a happily married superwoman, juggling a fast-paced, successful career, which requires 80 hours a week of her time, plus 3 children (named, oddly enough, Charlie, Lucy, and Linus), an equally career-oriented husband, and two homes. Susan and her husband, Bob, have been on the fast-track to success and wealth since school. Every moment is scheduled, every break used to catch up on email or phone calls or children's activities. One day, while reaching for her cell phone during her drive to work, Susan crashes her car and sustains a traumatic injury to the right side of her brain, an injury that results in hemispatial neglect, also called left neglect. When Susan awakes from an 8-day coma she discovers that the left side of her world has disappeared. her awareness of the left side of her body, her ability to notice things to the left or to draw the left side of a picture, has disappeared. She will need months of therapy to regain all or part of her ability to perceive the left side of her world.
Genova, a neuroscientist, has again (as in Still Alice) afforded her readers the rare opportunity to share in the experiences of a patient from the inside out. She does this SO well! I plan to read all of her novels and look forward to many more in the future. If you haven't read any of Genova's books, you should run down to the library today and check one out.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
THE DROWNING MAN (Margaret Coel)
Are you like me in that there are certain types of books that just don't appeal to you? I "feel" this way about novels set in certain places and cultures: Asian, Native American, jungles, and desserts, to name a few. It almost never fails, though, that as soon as I pick up one of these (usually for a book club), I end up loving it! It happened with Pearl Buck's The Good Earth and Da Chen's Colors of the Mountain, and now I've fallen in love with everything about Margaret Coel's Wind River Reservation and The Drowning Man. Father John O'Malley is a perfectly believable and appealing priest (I can say this because I'm a life-long Catholic and have known a lot of excellent priests), the kind that every parish needs. O'Malley's relationship with Vicky Holden is human, true, and appropriate. He is obviously a man with a calling to God and service, and the fact that he aids the police in solving crimes makes him even better!
The theft of an ancient sacred petroglyph from the Wind River reservation is devastating to the Arapoho who live there, especially since it appears to be an inside job. Travis Windsong is in prison for the murder of the man with whom he is believed to have stolen a similar piece from Wind River 7 years ago, but he has always insisted on his innocence. Vicky is asked by Travis's grandfather, Adam Lone Eagle, to represent him in a possible new trial, and soon Vicky is convinced that there is a connection between the two thefts and the murder. Someone obviously doesn't want the old case re-opened or Travis's guilt questioned.
Margaret Coel spends time each year on the Wind River reservation doing research and spending time among the Native Americans who live there. Her thorough research shows in this excellent novel, especially in her depiction of conditions and attitudes on the reservation. She also researches her Catholic clergy and the sub-plot involving the elderly pedophile priest add a lot of additional human interest to the story. Will I be reading more of these? I believe I will!
The theft of an ancient sacred petroglyph from the Wind River reservation is devastating to the Arapoho who live there, especially since it appears to be an inside job. Travis Windsong is in prison for the murder of the man with whom he is believed to have stolen a similar piece from Wind River 7 years ago, but he has always insisted on his innocence. Vicky is asked by Travis's grandfather, Adam Lone Eagle, to represent him in a possible new trial, and soon Vicky is convinced that there is a connection between the two thefts and the murder. Someone obviously doesn't want the old case re-opened or Travis's guilt questioned.
Margaret Coel spends time each year on the Wind River reservation doing research and spending time among the Native Americans who live there. Her thorough research shows in this excellent novel, especially in her depiction of conditions and attitudes on the reservation. She also researches her Catholic clergy and the sub-plot involving the elderly pedophile priest add a lot of additional human interest to the story. Will I be reading more of these? I believe I will!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
I BRAKE FOR YARD SALES (Lara Spencer)
Some people train for marathons. I train for flea markets and antique shops! It's tag sale / Brimfield / thrift shop / auction season, prime time for browsing "junk" and becoming inspired to redecorate, refurbish, and re-imagine all sorts of stuff. Spencer's book takes the reader on a tour of hints and tricks for finding and transforming "finds" with paint, fabric, and elbow grease, then using them to create a beautiful home. Spencer, as you probably know, is an anchor on Good Morning America. She is also a decorator and host of Flea Market Flip on HGTV.
This isn't really a "how to" book. There are no step by step instructions for turning an old telephone table into wall art or refinishing a dilapidated coffee table. Instead, we are given a great overview of styles and resources with a lot of before and after pictures to inspire us to create our own unique looks. Spencer's humorous, conversational style and in-depth knowledge of the wheres and hows of finding and transforming ugly old things make this a really fun read for anyone who enjoys rescuing and loving other people's cast-off treasures. One great feature of this book is that Spencer is very honest about when to seek professional help (for refurbishing, I mean...the antique addiction might be job for mental health professionals) and what can realistically be done at home. She's even realistic about costs.
With sections featuring things like how to haggle and bargain, the language of decorating, estimated yardage for re-upholstery, and steps for successful painting, this is a great resource for any thrift store or flea market junkie. It doesn't hurt that the photos (by Michael McNamara) are terrific. Spencer has a light-hearted and personable writing style. I keep hoping that I'll run into her at Brimfield, but it hasn't happened yet (maybe this week?). Keep this book close at hand for reference and enjoyment if you are, like me, addicted to stuff with potential and a history.
This isn't really a "how to" book. There are no step by step instructions for turning an old telephone table into wall art or refinishing a dilapidated coffee table. Instead, we are given a great overview of styles and resources with a lot of before and after pictures to inspire us to create our own unique looks. Spencer's humorous, conversational style and in-depth knowledge of the wheres and hows of finding and transforming ugly old things make this a really fun read for anyone who enjoys rescuing and loving other people's cast-off treasures. One great feature of this book is that Spencer is very honest about when to seek professional help (for refurbishing, I mean...the antique addiction might be job for mental health professionals) and what can realistically be done at home. She's even realistic about costs.
With sections featuring things like how to haggle and bargain, the language of decorating, estimated yardage for re-upholstery, and steps for successful painting, this is a great resource for any thrift store or flea market junkie. It doesn't hurt that the photos (by Michael McNamara) are terrific. Spencer has a light-hearted and personable writing style. I keep hoping that I'll run into her at Brimfield, but it hasn't happened yet (maybe this week?). Keep this book close at hand for reference and enjoyment if you are, like me, addicted to stuff with potential and a history.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
A DESPERATE FORTUNE (Susannah Kearsley)
Susannah Kearsley will always, I think, be one of my favorite authors. I love the alternating plot lines and the incredible historical research. I always finish her books feeling like I have learned something about history. This story alternates between present day France and 1732 and, as usual, Kearsley brings both worlds to life beautifully.
In the present day, Sara Thomas has been hired by a famous author to decipher an encoded journal written by a 21-year-old woman named Mary Dundas in the 1730's. Sara's background in computer science and her expertise in problem solving make her (she also has Asperger's) an ideal choice for the job, so she travels to France with her protective cousin to begin work. As she breaks the code she discovers that Mary Dundas led a life of unexpected excitement and intrigue. After being reunited with her long-estranged brother, a Jacobean sympathizer, Mary is sent by him to France to pose as the sister of a man being protected by the Jacobites and who is accused of being the central figure in a London financial scandal. Hugh McPherson is the dark, mysterious man who travels with the group, seeming not to blink an eye at killing or lying to protect them. I enjoyed Mary's reaction during her early days with the group. After nearly every observation of or thought directed at McPherson she mentally adds the phrase, "Don't kill me."
In the afterward Kearsley talks about finding a grave for a baby girl, named Mary Dundas, who lived for only a few weeks. Through this novel Kearsley created a life for Mary that she never had the chance to live. We see only a few short months of Mary's life, and of Sara's, but I keep wondering what happens next. Maybe someday we'll find out! Kearsley's knowledge of the Jacobean period, including travel conditions, politics, and social mores, make for fascinating reading, definitely better than a dry history textbook!
In the present day, Sara Thomas has been hired by a famous author to decipher an encoded journal written by a 21-year-old woman named Mary Dundas in the 1730's. Sara's background in computer science and her expertise in problem solving make her (she also has Asperger's) an ideal choice for the job, so she travels to France with her protective cousin to begin work. As she breaks the code she discovers that Mary Dundas led a life of unexpected excitement and intrigue. After being reunited with her long-estranged brother, a Jacobean sympathizer, Mary is sent by him to France to pose as the sister of a man being protected by the Jacobites and who is accused of being the central figure in a London financial scandal. Hugh McPherson is the dark, mysterious man who travels with the group, seeming not to blink an eye at killing or lying to protect them. I enjoyed Mary's reaction during her early days with the group. After nearly every observation of or thought directed at McPherson she mentally adds the phrase, "Don't kill me."
In the afterward Kearsley talks about finding a grave for a baby girl, named Mary Dundas, who lived for only a few weeks. Through this novel Kearsley created a life for Mary that she never had the chance to live. We see only a few short months of Mary's life, and of Sara's, but I keep wondering what happens next. Maybe someday we'll find out! Kearsley's knowledge of the Jacobean period, including travel conditions, politics, and social mores, make for fascinating reading, definitely better than a dry history textbook!
THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON (Sarah Addison Allen)
Well, I said that I was going to read more of Sarah Addison Allen's novel, so I did! I love any novel that involves baking!
Seventeen-year-old Emily Benedict comes to live with her grandfather, the Giant of Mullaby, after the death of her mother, Dulcie. Shocked to discover that her mother lived a life that she never shared with her daughter, Emily sets out to discover who her mother really was and why her past, including the existence of her grandfather, was kept a secret from her only child. Emily knew Dulcie, as a advocate for justice, a defender of the poor and downtrodden, a woman whose purpose in life was to create a better world. Apparently the citizens of Mullaby remember Dulcie differently, as the popular girl who could make or break anyone in town with a glance, the woman who destroyed a life and a family for her own pleasure. As Emily begins her journey of discovery of where she came from, she also has to come to terms with changing wallpaper, ghostly lights, and secrets involving her new friend Win Coffey and his disapproving family.
Addison fills this novel with the smell of cakes, baked by Julia Winterson, who is desperately trying to earn enough money to pay off her late father's debts by running his barbecue restaurant and selling bakes good. Her two year plan is settle the debts and return to Baltimore, where she plans to open her own bakery. She is kind to Emily and welcomes her to Mullaby, but is distracted by relationship problems related to her own past.
Some people have suggested that this novel is best suited to teens, but I disagree. I think that it has a little bit of something for every age and enough magic to attract anyone who believes, even just a little bit.
Seventeen-year-old Emily Benedict comes to live with her grandfather, the Giant of Mullaby, after the death of her mother, Dulcie. Shocked to discover that her mother lived a life that she never shared with her daughter, Emily sets out to discover who her mother really was and why her past, including the existence of her grandfather, was kept a secret from her only child. Emily knew Dulcie, as a advocate for justice, a defender of the poor and downtrodden, a woman whose purpose in life was to create a better world. Apparently the citizens of Mullaby remember Dulcie differently, as the popular girl who could make or break anyone in town with a glance, the woman who destroyed a life and a family for her own pleasure. As Emily begins her journey of discovery of where she came from, she also has to come to terms with changing wallpaper, ghostly lights, and secrets involving her new friend Win Coffey and his disapproving family.
Addison fills this novel with the smell of cakes, baked by Julia Winterson, who is desperately trying to earn enough money to pay off her late father's debts by running his barbecue restaurant and selling bakes good. Her two year plan is settle the debts and return to Baltimore, where she plans to open her own bakery. She is kind to Emily and welcomes her to Mullaby, but is distracted by relationship problems related to her own past.
Some people have suggested that this novel is best suited to teens, but I disagree. I think that it has a little bit of something for every age and enough magic to attract anyone who believes, even just a little bit.
YOU CAN TRUST ME (Sophie Mckenzie)
It's been a while since I read a psychological thriller, but this one caught my eye when I cataloged it for our collection. It was both suspenseful and emotional, involving parents and children, ambiguous murders, close friendships that may not be all that they seem, and, most important of all in a suspense novel, terror! This is, I believe, McKenzie's first novel. I am not going to suggest that she is the world's next Maty Higgins Clark, but she could be, There were a few aspects of this story that were a little bit unrealistic. Could Kara's long-ago murderer REALLY have managed to spend so many years without anyone suspecting that something about him/her was just a little bit off?, Could Julia REALLY have kept her close relationship with Damien a secret from Livy, her best friend, and why would she? Nonetheless, overall it was a terrific story. Livy, the main character, is a wife and mother who is thrown into investigating the sudden death of her best friend while dealing with her daughter's pubescent moods and suspicions that her husband may be unfaithful. Livy has a full plate in this fast-paced thriller. You may not be able to put it down! I'm looking forward to McKenzie's next book.
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