The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox

 

Look at that luscious cover!  Look, it is historical fiction set in France during the battle of Waterloo!  This is going to be fascinating!

However, this was a miss for me.  I am so sad.

The back of the book promises the struggle toward reunion of two sisters who have lost each other and barely remember the other exists.   I thought I'd be reading of two parallel lives and the somewhat witchy magic they each have with flowers.  I looked forward to how and when they would find each other, especially in those times - how strong must their bond be!

But.  This ended up being a secondary plot to our main character Cornelia's life and loves.  She does escape her disinterested Uncle who only wants to marry her off, only to be thrown into a war camp for her ability with local herbs for healing.  She falls in love twice, at the same time, and they all love each other.  (I was not prepared for that!)  She gets into serious trouble when her "affinity" for flowers is seen in a spectacular way.  There was a lot of back and forthing between the sisters' current lives, but it was not enough for me.  

So this brings up lots of questions about the back of the book that I plan to discuss in a separate blogpost.  It is not often I find a book that tricks me with its hook.  But it does happen.  Has it happened to you?  And is there anything we can do about it without all kinds of spoilers?  Stay tuned.  I might just be stirring the pot about reading and how we choose what we read....

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

 

Hilarious.  Homey.  Honest.  I loved every second of this book about books, and about a small Southern town where everyone knows everyone's business, politics, loves and especially hates!

Lula Dean is that busybody who thinks she is always right, and when she decides to focus on the books in the library that are "not proper" for kids to read, she stirs the town pot.  She puts her own Wholesome little free library in her front yard, and doesn't notice when a young activist switches out the books wrapped in her dust jackets with all those very same banned books.  When neighbors begin taking and reading these books, hilarity ensues.  Written reminiscent of Jan Karon's Mitford series in style, each chapter moves to a different resident to show us how they are affected by the goings on of their neighbors.  Bringing up ancestors who owned slaves, a young boy who thinks his mama is dying (she's not), the town "it" girl who stayed to raise a family and makes a stand, the local boy turned movie star who comes home to confront his redneck brother, the local respected businessman who the postman knows is a collector of specific historical items, and more, Miller hits us where our hearts and beliefs are with this commentary on censorship, burying our past vs celebrating our progress, and how reading can change everything.

I also listened to Miller's book The Change and found it thought provoking as well - a story of the powers, physical and mystical, of women who are comfortable in their own skin.  That was a far fetched murder mystery - I liked the tone and the characters of Lula Dean better!  

Prize Women by Caroline Lea

 

This one has been on my stack for a while.  Someone gave it to me; was it you, Anne?  Anyway, I was told this would be interesting.  And that was very true!!

As is this story!  Well, based on true events, that is.  The Will of an arguably eccentric rich man in Toronto in 1926 leaves his monetary fortune to the woman who bears the most children in the 10 years after his death.

WHAT?!?!

Let's step back for a minute.  The birth control pill was not approved for widespread use until 1960.  Women were pretty much considered their husbands' property until, well, debatable.  Let's just say there was not much choice about whether they "wanted" more children in those days.  Big families were common.  

Enter this last Will and Testament.  Of course, the media went crazy as the time drew near to pick a winner.  And the moral questions surrounding this abounded.  Women having children JUST to win the money?  How terrible!  But, the truth was, these women would have had these children anyway, right??  Hmmmm.  Who wanted the money really?  The women?  Or the men who it would legally belong to?

Add a friendship that is born from need, grows for years as two women help each other raise their children, and end up competing for the prize.  Tension is tight as their feelings for each other grow in a time when that type of relationship is not accepted, and then the friendship implodes.  Both women need this money in order to feed their kids.  Who should win?  What if a baby dies at two weeks or, or is stillborn??  Does that child count?  Do children born out of wedlock count?  

I did some historical digging after finishing this story and the reality of it is fascinating and sickening.  This was not the only section of his will that was controversial - he was apparently a great jokester in life and his Will continued this legacy.  I could not put this one down.  It is sad to read of the poverty, the desperation, and the spousal abuse.  There is a hopeful ending, if you will, so do not despair!  A great read about a true event.  Thank you to whomever it was who gave me this book!  I did enjoy it.

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci

I picked this book for my book club.  I love Baldacci's Memory Man series, The Camel Club, Atlee Pine, Absolute Power, etc etc etc.  So, I thought, YES!  Let's read a Thriller!!  Here is his new one!

The Joke was on me.

This is straight up Historical Fiction, about WWII.  Yes, my clubbers laughed at me because as much as I love Historical Fiction, I am notorious for NOT wanting to read ANY more books about WWII.  This is one reason I loved The Women so much because it was about a time in history not many authors care to write about (The Vietnam War).

So for the first few chapters, I was distracted.  This is not a typical Baldacci.  If I had picked this up not knowing the author, I would never have guessed this to be his work.  The tone is not at all his voice; the sentences are prim, short, and actually more like a woman's work!  However, once I got past all of these preconceived notions and just read the story - wow.  I was quickly invested in the characters:  14 year old Charlie Matters, 15 year old Molly Wakefield, and a widower and bookseller, Ignatius Oliver.  Especially Charlie - a little thief with a big heart.  How they all meet, where they all are in their lives and during the London Blitz, what their futures could possibly hold - as well as all the interesting tidbits I learned about life (and death) during this specific time of the war - really held my attention.  This is a relatively easy read, but the subject matter is still WAR.  This is a great Found Family story.  Lots of subplots as each character has their own baggage/secrets.  The ending, particularly with the story of Molly's dad, was a bit contrived, but the Ending ending was near to perfect.  If you like WWII stories, add this one to your list!  But it is thrilling for very different reasons than your typical Baldacci.  You have been warned!!

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

 

This story will not be for everyone.  There is a bit of science fiction, a bit of fantasy (or not??), and a lot of questions about what you believe.  But what I really loved here was the ZINGERS!!  Haig has a great sense of humor, and so many of these short chapters ended with one, and I loved it.  Very unexpected.  

I listened to this one, and the British performer who gave us Grace Winters was very good.  Stiff upper lip and all.  I loved that the main character is a 72 year old woman.  The format is unusual and gives a nice little twist at the end.  You do have the mystery of what happened to Grace's friend, why was she left a house in Ibiza, and who the heck is Alberto Rivas?  But this is much more than a standard murder mystery.  Grace brings her own losses with her to Ibiza, and discovers a Truth so amazing that you have to experience to believe it.  A good story about taking chances, especially at the latter stage of life, and being brave enough to go for a new beginning.  There is a lot going on here, the side plots definitely keep you interested - lots of music references, island life, regrets and family drama.  I do think it could have been edited down a bit in some places.  But I will never look at a red bike the same way again!! Or, a bluebird either!  

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

 

Our July book club pick is not my usual genre - romance!  But my fascination with hand lettering and calligraphy brought this one to my attention.  Set in New York, a young woman with a past and a rebellious nature is caught out in a mistake that had consequences for one of her clients in way unimaginable.  When that client confronts her about it, his good looks and serious demeanor are distracting and unforgettable.  The author describes NYC the way Meg sees it - in loops and swirls and tall "l"s - her creative and visual way of seeing the world is in direct opposition to Reid's shy, somber, almost miserable focus on numbers and math - he's a bit of a prodigy.  But he is also distracted - by work, by Meg, by his dislike of New York.  This story had just enough detail and subplots that I was not "grossed out" by the Love trope at all as they get to know each other.  Other relationships were just as important and Meg keeps her focus, for the most part, on her life.  Heads up for two graphic open door scenes; I will not be giving THIS romance to my teenage niece for SURE!  And I am a little sorry that I will not be at the book club meeting for this one - Luan is going to be SO HAPPY!!!  And I think a few faces might be pink. Hahahaha!!!  But we are all adults here, so they may not bring it up at all.  I love the title here.  It is a love letter to Love, to NYC, to growing up and learning how to fight for the ones you care about to stay in your life when the going gets tough.  Bravo.

James by Percival Everett

 

My beloved Book Club read this book before it won the Pulitzer.  We are so ahead of the times!

Briefly, this is a retelling of sorts.  This time, we get Jim's perspective of his time with Huckleberry Finn.  And wowza, is that perspective different!

We had mixed reviews.  Some members found it hard to read.  The language, the treatment of slaves as less than human, the way the slaves found ways to survive and hope despite all of it.  My comments here are not really a review but more of a jumble of reactions!

Huck's recognition that slavery/ownership is wrong is a strong theme here - he is a cast off too in some ways, and knows from experience what it is like to be overlooked, beaten, and treated less than human.  The scene where Jim find's Huck's dad's body is heartbreaking  - Jim does his best to protect his young friend. 

Jim's written idea that only your peer can stand up for you - for your equality - made me stop and think that through.  You (a slave) cannot say that you're equal to them (whites) because in their eyes you are NOT equal to them.  So somebody else has to tell you or them that you are equal.   Also, this whole notion of the black code, where Jim changes his language, switches in front of white people to keep up white people's belief that slaves are uneducated and stupid. I listened to the audio version of this one, and the "switch" in front of white people really came out strong.  Something this white girl never thought about. To be black, and smart, were never two things that could both be true as far as the white people were concerned.  After all, that would make their slaves human.  

James, once rid of Huck, spends his time reading and worries that he'll be caught reading and writing.  And he says he reads so fast that his brain didn't have time to stop and think through what he had read.  Was he reading fast because he was afraid of being caught and didn't want to waste a moment?   

"With my pencil, I wrote myself into being."  As if he needed tangible proof that he indeed lived.  Otherwise, there would be no tangible evidence of his existence after he was gone.

James Faber - he got that name off the side of the pencil!!  But oh, that pencil was crazy expensive.  Poor young George.

"I ain't no N Word, but I is a slave."  Whoa.

A slave can be defined by a piece of paper, by law, but a N word is a slur, an insult, the worst derogatory that a black person can hear about himself.  What was really meant by N word in those days?  And did white people see a difference between the two terms?  Doubtful, and shameful.  Could a Freeman be an N word?

And, towards the end, that heartbreaking choice Jim must make.  A lot to talk about there!!

So, definitely a LOT to unpack here.  Brilliant and brave, even if the ending did stretch the imagination a bit and diverged from the original story.  If you liked The Kitchen House, this book is for you.  And I would say, this story is a good reminder of where we do NOT want to be ever again.