Love Medicine

I haven't been very good about blogging about what I read these days, but it's true my reading pace has slowed considerably. I still enjoy reading, though I don't have quite as much time to do so. I also haven't been "wowed" by many books lately for whatever reason. Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine was no exception. It was well written, like all of Erdrich's books, but wasn't super gripping. It took me a while to get through it, but overall I did enjoy it.

It's a beautiful, literary novel that tells the stories of men and women who live on the Chippewa reservation in North Dakota spanning over several generations. The stories weave in and out of one another in the way that Erdrich does so skillfully. It's her first novel, but didn't remind me of a first novel due to the grace and fluidity of the storytelling. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes slow literary novels that have rich characters. If you want something faster with a solid plot line, this book is not for you.

The Secret History

I found Donna Tartt's The Secret History at a used book sale and grabbed it as it is mentioned in a novel that I love. The book is a Christmas gift from one character to another in About a Boy. I knew nothing about the book aside from it being alluded to in that Christmas present exchange scene, but bought it, and let it sit on my shelf for months before picking it up to see what it was about. I flipped inside and read the first page and decided it was the perfect book to follow The Casual Vacancy.

The novel is about a young man who goes to college and finds himself intrigued by and then pulled in to a group of students. They are studying classics together, the group of 4 of them, the narrator becoming the fifth student. All their classes are taught by the same professor and there are no other students in any of the classes. The small group comes to change the way they think and their morals. It's a difficult novel to sum up without giving too much away as the novel's power comes from the way it unfolds. It is described as a psychological thriller. I haven't read many psychological thrillers so am not entirely familiar with the genre, but found the book extremely well written and well paced. It wasn't that fast paced, addictive kind of read, yet still was so enjoyable and gripping that I didn't want to put it down. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read.

The Casual Vacancy

I was curious to check out J. K. Rowling's new novel, The Casual Vacancy. 

I'm a fan of the Harry Potter series so knew what this woman is capable of delivering. I knew that her adult novel was going to be nothing like the books that made her oh so rich and famous and was excited to see what she would produce. I was less enthusiastic when I saw the cover. (Of course I know you can't judge a book by its cover, but an ugly cover does make me pause and become more reluctant to pick it up.) And so it was a while after the book was released that I actually read it.

I quite enjoyed this book. It's not exactly a page turner, but was a nice blend of serious and comic, both literary and readable. It begins with the death of a local politician and the lives of people who knew him start to unravel. There is a diverse cast of characters and the reader is given a glimpse of each of their lives. Rowling does so with such skill and her writing voice is addictive. Sometimes I found myself more into the way she writes than the actual story. It's definitely not a light read as there is a healthy dose of melancholy, but overall a worthwhile read. I hope she writes another adult novel and I will certainly not wait so long to read it-- regardless of how ugly the cover may be. 

The Evolution of Mara Dyer

I was so ecstatic to learn that the sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was out that I set aside a great book I was reading in order to devour it. As I began reading I realized how much of the first book I had forgotten, but still I pressed on. I wasn't crazy about the flashbacks to her grandmother in India with whom she appeared to have an inexplicable link, but the writing wasn't bad and the flashbacks were sparse. I found myself a tad annoyed with Mara in this book (it was how insistent she was that she was sane when the craziest things were happening) and yet I continued. And the further along I got in the book, the more difficult it was to put down. The novel took a turn that I certainly didn't see coming and it was gripping, though I had a hard time buying it, which soured my feelings on this sequel. I still want to read the next book, likely as soon as I can get my hands on it, as I like the characters and I enjoy Hodkin's writing, and know she can deliver a book that gets you to keep turning pages. Though I've lowered my expectations after this book, I'm hoping the next installment will not disappoint.

Flight Behavior

I'm a huge fan of Barbara Kingsolver's work and was psyched to learn she had a new novel coming out, Flight Behavior. Yet, I waited (im)patiently for the novel to be available at the library. I began reading it with the anticipation of a book you've waited too long for and found immediate satisfaction, which only lasted the first chapter or so. I began to get bored with the novel; it wasn't really grabbing me, and had I not waited three months for it, I would have abandoned it. Instead I pressed on and was glad I did. Once I hit page 100 or so I was into it again. The novel is about a small town that experiences a miraculous occurrence, one that is a direct result of climate change. Though I do love when authors tackle social or environmental issues in their work, had it not been for Dellarobia's storyline, I wouldn't have enjoyed it much. Dellarobia is a young woman who has two young children and a marriage that came too soon. She is the person who stumbles upon the 'miracle' and the events that follow change her. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and think fans of Kingsolver won't be disappointed.

Jane Eyre

I drive a lot for work, sometimes logging as much as eight solid hours a (work) week in my car. I have written on my other blog about how questionable my driving can be when I am jamming to music I love, so I decided to seek out a book on CD for my listening pleasure on those frequent out of town trips. I was scanning titles at the library and came across Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, a book I absolutely loved and have wanted to reread for ages, but never actually have. I figured it was the perfect way to "reread" it.

And I wasn't wrong. It was delightful to listen to the British actress read the novel and I was captivated much more than I think I may have been if I had picked up the book. I know how my mood can interfere with my enjoyment of even the most wonderful book, which of course Jane Eyre is. If you think about the historical and social context in which the book was written, you realize what a radical book it must have seemed. It is the story of Jane, a young woman who strives for more than she is told she can or will get in life. Her passion and drive are inspiring and I couldn't help but love this character. It's not exactly a page-turner as the nineteenth century pacing is so different than what we're used to today, but I still found myself loving it enough to look forward to uninterrupted time in the car. It made several arduous trips bearable as I was grateful to have Jane as a companion, narrating her story to me. I had remembered little about the book besides that I loved it and I must say my love for it grew with this second 'reading.'

Love In Infant Monkeys

A couple of months ago I responded to a flyer of someone new to town looking to start a book club. I suppose officially I joined, but have yet to make it to a meeting and still haven't met anyone in it. I am hoping to remedy this situation this month as we discuss the first book selection I've actually finished--Lydia Millet's Love in Infant Monkeys. Millet's writing is simple, yet flawless and her collection of short stories all revolve around famous people and animals. The stories are inspired by actual events, yet are all works of fiction. The collection is slim and the stories are quick but interesting reads exploring the relationship between man and animal.  My favorites were the title story and "The Lady and the Dragon." There were none that I did not like, though I wanted to like "Tesla and Wife" more than I actually did. Nothing in the collection blew me away and yet I found it a fast, enjoyable read.