mermaids

Sitting Practice

by Caroline Adderson

The novel opens with a horrific car accident that leaves a brand new bride paralyzed from the waist down. The husband is unsure of how to help. This is not the marriage he signed up for. Turn the page and the reader is hurtled forward in time. The couple has relocated, opened a cafe, and seems to have accepted life with a wheelchair.

The plot eventually picks up again. The couple still has issues to work out. Life in the cafe includes some mildly interesting and quirky characters. I was grateful that the story was brought to a conclusion, wrapping up quite a few loose ends.

After the last page, I felt those characters still had more to say. That is an indication of good character development. I wanted to know if the sister ever found a satisfying, healthy relationship. Did the couple ever have a child of their own? Did the little boy outgrow his quirkiness or was it symptomatic of a mental disorder? I like a book that ties up the plot line, but leaves me curious about what happened next.

Sitting Practice was not the most gripping book I have ever read, but it was certainly better than most I have read for as an early reviewer.

Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk

I am dreadfully late with this review because it took forever to finish this book. It was not a “page turner” by any stretch of the imagination.  Arlington Park is yet another novel about disgruntled middle class mothers.  There was nothing new in terms of plot.  The characters lacked depth and interest. 

Quite honestly, I get tired of the whining. These women live in nice houses, have healthy children, and husbands who, while not perfect, try to provide a good life for their families.  They think their lives are boring because they have bought into the myth of “having it all.”  Motherhood is not glamorous, but it does have its rewards if one chooses to see them. 

Rachel Cusk does have a pleasing writing style.  She brings the setting vividly to life.  However, her character development is superficial.  It would be fun to see what she could do with a more interesting topic.  The story of the unhappy housewife has been done to death. 

Lucky by Alice Sebold

I procrastinated on writing about this book.  I could not decide between “read it” and “don’t read it.”

In Lucky, Alice Sebold shares the story of her rape when she was in college.  Sebold was on her way back to her dorm one night when she was dragged into a tunnel and brutally raped.  Sebold did not have the “benefit” of alcohol or drugs to dull her senses to what was happening to her.  No, she was fully awake and aware.  Her amazing storytelling skills bring you into that dark tunnel with her.  Her words are powerful and will stay with you for a long time.  She survives the attack, but has to figure out how to go on living.  This is no “made for tv” movie with a happy ending.  Her friends and family do not have scriptwriters providing them profound words of comfort.  Those around her try to help, but they are struggling to deal with the shock and horror too. 

In many ways, I think everyone should read this book because the writing is so incredible.  It takes away the Hollywood sanitization of such a brutal crime.  The book shares how a real family tried to cope.  It is honest and full of raw emotion.  Sebold left nothing out.  For those reasons, I caution against reading this book.  The emotions can be a heavy burden.  The images can be difficult to shake from your memory. 

Knitting by Elizabeth Bartlett

Unless you have a profound love of knitting, do not read this book.  Even if you do love knitting, read this book only if you are desperate for reading material or want a cure for your insomnia.

Sandra and Martha’s paths cross by chance.  The author forces the relationship.  There are infinitesimal details about Martha’s knitting, to the point one begins to question, “Is this a novel or a reference book about knitting?”  At several points, the author alludes to the characters’ complexity, suggesting a deep, dark secret or impending epiphany.  The author never seizes the opportunity to let the characters reveal themselves.

The plot never had a chance to be sensational.  In the hands of a more talented author, Knitting might have been mildly engaging.  There were several points where the plot could have taken an interesting twist or developed into something of substance.  I plodded through with the hope that the story would get better.  I was so happy when it was over so I could end the misery.

Chatter by Perrin Ireland

The snippets on the book jacket make reference to the political backdrop of the story. Had I not read those snippets, the political references would have gone largely unnoticed. The references were too brief and vague. They seemed to have little impact on the characters and the storyline. The political references did nothing to move the story along or reveal anything about the characters.

The writing style is sparse. Characters are brought in with no introduction and little explanation. I think it was the author’s intent to make the reader feel like he is eavesdropping on someone else’s conversation. If so, it might be an interesting writing convention, but it is a very unsatisfying read.

I found it highly improbable that two people could so easily be distracted from such important conversations. Yes, in real life, conversations are interrupted. However, these people could barely finish a sentence before changing topics. The appearance of a “never mentioned” adult daughter would take precedence over any other conversation in my household.

Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein

This book was sent to me as part of the Early Reviewers Program at Library Thing.

Because of the shared DNA, identical twins have been invaluable to scientific studies.   Finding a set of identical twins separated at birth is the scientific equivalent of hitting the daily double.  It provides a unique opportunity in drawing the line between nature and nurture.  An ethical scientist will look for instances where twins have been separated by circumstances.  The thought of a scientist purposefully creating those circumstances sounds like fiction.

Identical Strangers is a memoir of Elyse’s search for the truth about her birth and adoption.  She learns that she has an identical twin sister, but that is the lease shocking news she uncovers.  The story that unfolds proves that sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

The tale is gripping.  It could be powerful in the hands of a more gifted writer.  Interspersed throughout the book is scientific  research on twins.  I  found this to be  both interesting and helpful in understand the full impact of the story.  The quantity and level were quite appropriate.  It would have been more interesting if more emotion was present in the writing.  The story of Elyse and Paula’s birth and adoption is gut wrenching, but the authors did little to make the reader feel the powerful emotions.

Despite the weak writing, it is a story worth reading.  The truth is so unbelievable that I had to research it on the internet for verification.

759 pages in 3 hours.  I did the math and it is scary.  That is roughly 15 seconds per page.  That is not a typo….15 seconds per page.  The testing at school concurs that he really does read that fast and has equally scary comprehension of what he reads.

I won’t give away any plot points.  J was very pleased with the book, both individually and as a conclusion to the series.  There were a few things he did not like, mostly because he liked those specific characters.  He said Rowling did a great job of wrapping it all up in the end.

J fully admits that the first time through, he reads a book a bit more quickly to find out what happens in the end.  He will go back and read it again at a more leisurely pace to revel in the writing style.  When you read a 759 page book in 3 hours, you can take the time to read it again and again.  This week, he read the first six books again to refresh his memory of all the tiny little details.  I really need to replace the first 3 books because they are falling apart from being read so many times.

Although I have not read the books (gasp, I know), I am sad to see the series end.  J is a tad younger than the characters, but he has sort of grown up with them.  Besides, the teacher in me could not be happier about how many children were turned onto reading by these books.  It is a good day when the release of a children’s book is a worldwide media event.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been in J’s hands for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  He is on page 360.  No human should be able to read that fast.  It must be good because he is laughing out loud at parts.  Of course, C makes him stop reading and explain what is so funny.  If J were not stopping to give us a running commentary of the book, he might be done by now.  Ok, maybe not quite done, but is absolutely freakish that he can read that fast and comprehend it all.

We went to a Potter party at Barnes and Noble last night.  No, we did not wait around until midnight to get the book.  I went to a closer bookstore this morning to pick up a copy.  In and out in 10 minutes.  :)  Anyway, we went to Barnes and Noble last night because they had live owls!  They had the same group for the last book release.  The group rescues injured owls.  The ones that can be rehabilitated are released back into the wild.  The ones that can’t are used for educational programs.  The owls were so beautiful and majestic.  I wanted scoop up the little tiny ones and bring them home.

Barnes and Noble also had trivia questions posted around the store.  There was a contest for who could find all the questions and answer them correctly.  Had we been willing to stick around long enough, I think the boys could have answered them all.  Of the ones we found, the boys knew them all.  They helped out a few people who were struggling with some of the more obscure questions.

We saw lots of people we knew.  Some of the costumes were very good. No, I did make costumes.  We did not even attempt to dress up.  We went primarily to see the owls.  All in all, it was an enjoyable evening.

If my Palm TX was a boyfriend, we would have broken up a long time ago.  I have a low tolerance for being stood up.  With an extremely good (and plausible) reason, I might have let it go the first time.  A second time?!?!  Inconceivable.

My Palm TX stood me up again today.  Before J and I went to the library, I hot synced so my list of books to read would be up to date.  When we get to the library, I turn on my Palm and tap “Documents” only to be greeted with an endless reset loop.  Three soft resets finally allowed me to get to the applications menu, but every time I tried to open a document, it went back into a reset loop.  Had J not been standing right there and had I not been in a library, a tantrum might have occurred.  In my head, I had quite the spate of words.  It was not the first time it has stood me up.

I tried counseling.  As suggested by user forums, I have done countless hard resets and reloaded all the software.  Palm says the problem is third party software.  What is the point of having a PDA if you can’t use third party software?  I think my Palm TX is just a bad boy who cannot be reformed.

So, do I dump this bad boy who only shows up when he feels like it?  The problem is when it’s good, it is really good.  I feel like the belle of the ball by having so much data at my fingertips - a full calendar, so many phone numbers, driving directions and maps, emails, book lists, sewing stuff, photos, games, and so much more.  When the data is inaccessible, I feel like a wallflower pressing buttons in a vain attempt to get a response.

One option is start a new relationship with another PDA.  A friend almost convinced me to get Treo -a phone and a PDA all in one nifty gadget.  Do I risk the rejection again?  Am I jinxed when it comes to PDA’s?  I have broken two and this one treats me like someone’s ugly cousin from out of town.  How much more money do I pour into these gadgets?  The thought of going without a PDA sounds so austere, but I am tired of being ignored.

Keeping the House by Ellen Baker

Most of my reading selections are based on the recommendations of other people. Through trial and error, I have learned who has similar taste in books. I read Keeping the House as part of an Early Reviewers program. Without the recommendation of a trusted source, I was not sure what to expect from this book. Though I had my doubts along the way, this book did not disappoint.

Keeping the House opens in 1896 with Wilma arriving in Pine Rapids with her new husband. When Chapter Two flashed forward to Dolly in 1950, I feared how Baker would handle two story lines and time shifts, but Baker handled it beautifully. Dolly is also a newlywed arriving in Pine Rapids to set up her first home. She becomes intrigued with the abandoned at the top of the hill. Naturally, it had been Wilma’s house. As Dolly learns more about Wilma and her family, we also learn Dolly’s story.

The story of Wilma and her family is filled with heartbreak, unfulfilled dreams, and secrets. Her children fight in World War I and her grandchildren in World War II. The plot line is not terribly original, but Baker makes you care about the characters. Dolly becomes so engrossed in learning about the house on the hill that she perilously neglects her own marriage.

Some readers might have difficulty understanding the female characters’ views on marriage. Their views are spot on for the time periods of the book, which is why they seem so alien to the modern woman. Baker did a satisfactory job of supporting their views as typical of the times. However, I feel she needs to make a stronger effort to convince a younger audience that women really did behave this way.

Overall, the story is engaging. The characters are believable and real. No one is truly good or bad. They all struggle with their own issues. I found it refreshing that the ending was not entirely happy. It would have been easy to tie up all the loose ends in a neat little bow. I think it is more interesting to leave the ending a little messy, just like real life.