Tag: fiction

An Invisible Sign of My Own, by Aimee Bender

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Cover ImageFinished 3-20-09, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2000

The clock said noon so I went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator but the food inside looked too complicated and I peered into the cupboards but I didn’t want turkey soup, or garbanzo beans, or tuna, and I wandered into the bathroom, and without even really thinking about it, unwrapped the spare package of soap that I kept in the cabinet beneath the sink.

I bought the same brand my mother did.  A bright white bar, rocking on its back, friendly.  I brought it to the living room couch, and held it for awhile, smelling it, and there was a knife sitting on the side table from the previous day’s apple, which seemed convenient, and after a few minutes of just holding and smelling, I picked up the knife, sawed off a portion of the oval, set it sailing inside my mouth, and bit down.

Chapter 1

Mona Gray is a mess.  She is confused and confusing and bizarre and bizarrely lovable.  She has just turned twenty and decides to buy herself an ax for her birthday, which she takes into her elementary class and hangs it up on the wall.  Not surprisingly, this will lead to a few problems down the road.  She feels separate from the world, almost invisible, and this propels her to destructive and absurd behavior.

All of this, as becomes apparent, is due to her father giving up on life when she was young and pulling her mother into his ever insolar world.  The only person who ever really saw her, flaws and all, was her math teacher, but he fails to see enough and she resents him for it.

But now Mona has a chance of normalcy (the normalcy is relative) with a new job, students who challenge her, and a man who appreciates her unique appeal. 

The book is charming in a twisted way.  It was a fun, quick read.  I think my favorite part was the first chapter which is a fairy tale her father told her when she was ten.  It was wonderful.  The only problem with the book was that all of the central players were so far removed from anyone that I know that it was difficult to really relate to Mona’s troubles.  I was happy to read her story, but not as personally involved as I might have been. 

Aimee Bender has a unique voice and I look forward to reading more from her.

 

The Zero Hour, by Joseph Finder

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Cover ImageFinished 3-17-09, rating 3/5, fiction, pub. 1996

“I assume you know who I am.”

Baumann shook his hand and nodded.  “Certainly, Mr. Dyson,” he said.  “I do know a bit about you.

“Glad to hear it.”

“I’ve recently had some spare time to do a little research.”

Dyson chortled, as if to share Baumann’s joke, but Baumann was not smiling.  “Do you know why you’re here?”  Dyson asked.

“No,” Baumann admitted.  “I know that I’m not sitting in Cell Block Ninteen in Pollsmoor Prison.  And I know that you made the arrangements for my jailbreak.  But to be entirely honest, I have no idea why.”

Chapter 8

The Prince of Darkness, aka Baumann, is a terrorist for hire and a fugitive American billionaire has just sprung him from a South African prison .  Mr. Dyson has lost his his family and the use of legs thanks to the U.S. government and he has hired Baumann to plant a bomb that will bring down Wall Street.  Baumann gets to work in making his way from Switzerland to the U.S. and finding all of the pieces to the dangerous and complex mission.

FBI Secial Agent Sarah Cahill finds herself involved in this plot because one of her informants has been murdered and she has asked all the right questions.  She is put in charge of a small task force given the large duty of figuring out not only who, but what is going on.  She also has to relocate to New York City with her eight year old son.

This is a fast-paced thriller and I had a hard time putting it down.  This is a good look at international terrorism and national security before 9-11.  There are many references to the first World Trade Center bombing and what happened in Oklahoma City.  So, the the book isn’t wrong, it’s just that the world, especially the US, has changed.

There are a few negatives.  One of the first chapters in the book is a pretty graphic one with a dominatrix and a submissive.  The excruciating detail was unnecessary, but fed into the very macho point of view of the book.  Sarah’s character was easy to root for, but she did something in the middle of the book that seemed so out of character that it was hard to understand her after that.  I was a little disappointed in the ending.  Baumann is the main character, Sarah is given equal time, but she is not nearly as interesting.  The end fizzles out because all the sudden it turns into Sarah’s story.

It does seem like a lot of complaints, but it was well-written and I was anxious to see how it would end, so it probably evens itself out.  I also think that men would rate this higher than women.

Shoot the Moon, by Billie Letts

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Cover ImageFinished 3-9-09, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2004

“That’s why I came here.  I want Gaylene Harjo to tell me her side of the truth.”

“She can’t do that.”

“She can’t or she won’t?”

Teeve leaned forward, reached across the table and put her hand on top of his, but he pulled free of her touch.

“Gaylene’s dead.”

She waited for some response, watched for a reaction, but could see nothing more than the muscles clenching in his jaw.

“She was murdered.  The same night you disappeared.”

Chapter 5

Mark Albright, a Beverly Hill veterinarian, has come to DeClare, Oklahoma looking for his birth mother.  Only after the recent death of his father did he learn that he had been adopted and his mother’s name was Gaylene Harjo.  Once in the small Oklahoma  town of his birth he finds that he and his birth mother are at the heart of a 30 year old mystery.   His birth name was Nicky Jack and he was presumed dead when he was 10 months old.

The town is full of quirky characters and villainous men.  The stoner Kyle, abuser O Boy, and the helpful Teeve all bring Mark closer to the truth of the murder and his father’s true identity.  He also finds himself drawn to his very pregnant cousin, Ivy, and he is able to help her understand the repurcussions of  her own pregnancy.

The story grabbed be from the very start and I was entertained all the way through.  There were so many interesting characters and the charm of small town life made this a fast and fun read.  The mystery of the murder itself was not that hard to figure out, but Mark’s true father was a surprise (and disappointment) to me.

The story had so much potential and for the most part it delivered, but at the end there were still too many unanswered questions.  And it was missing depth for me.  Mark was a little too cool for me to really understand.

This is the first time I’ve read Billie Letts and I look forward to reading more.

Billy Budd, by Herman Melville

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Cover ImageFinished 3-4-09, rating 2/5, fiction, pub. 1924

Now there can exist no irritating juxtaposition of dissimilar personalities comparable to that which is possible aboard a great warship fully manned and at sea.  There, every day among all ranks, almost every man comes into more or less of contact with almost every other man.  Wholly there to avoid even the sight of an aggravating object one must needs give it Jonah’s toss or jump overboard himself.  Imagine how all this might eventually operate on some peculiar human creature the direct reverse of a saint!

Chapter 11

Billy Budd, called the Handsome Sailor because of his unmatched good looks, is an innocent soul on a warship full of hard men in the late 1790’s.  Through his genial and sunny disposition he wins them over, except for one.  John Claggart, the master-at-arms, showed Billy his smile, but secretly hated him.  This hate, born out of jealousy, would lead him to do an unthinkable thing to Billy and therefore seal his own fate.  Captain Vere, for his part in the story, tried to be fair, but even he was outsmarted by circumstance.

The story itself was good, but it was wrapped up in 114 pages of a hard to read draft.  This book was not published during Melville’s lifetime, and it did not see print until he had been dead for over 30 years.  The only other Melville work I’ve read is the short story Bartleby the Scrivener and I remember enjoying it.  Maybe I would have enjoyed this if it had been shortened.  Or maybe I just don’t appreciate Melville.  I almost gave up around page 10, but thought I could suffer through 114 pages.  I will remember the story itself, but do not plan on reading  more of Melville.

God on a Harley, by Joan Brady

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Cover ImageFinished 2-25-09, rating 3.5/5 , fiction, pub. 1995

How had I become so unhappy with myself and the way my life had turned out?  Why couldn’t I find solutions to the problems that were holding me back from a joyous life?  I know for a fact that I am at least a fairly intelligent person and I’ve even known stupid people who are a whole lot happier than me.  Why couldn’t I find a way to fill the emptiness in my life?

Chapter 2

Christine Moore was a 37 year old nurse who had just moved back to New Jersey and was fighting the apathy and bitterness she felt about life.  Then she meets Joe, or God if you are old school, and she begins a path to a less complicated, more fulfilled life.  He starts popping up in her life in the flesh and sometimes on his Harley.  Unfortunately, at some point she feels that she is in love with Joe/God.

“It’s simple,” he said.  “I’m getting you ready to live.  I mean really live.  Meaningfully.”

Chapter 3

This is a slim new age fable that may help you see your life in a new light.  At its core it is about learning to love yourself and making changes in your life.  After reading this yesterday all I wanted to do was purge old stuff out of my closets and live with less stuff  (and it is still a work in progress today).  It is a charming and hopeful book and a nice gift for any woman who has ever had her heart stomped on and has lost faith in herself or God.

It’s probably not for everyone and for most it is not going  to change your life, but it may make you look at your choices from a different perspective.  I thought it was a little hokey, but Christine felt real enough to make it a nice read.

Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown

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Cover ImageFinished 2-24-09, rating 4/5, fiction, pub. 2000

“…Faith is universal.  Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary.  Some of us pray to Jesus, some go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles.  In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than oursselves.”

Langdon wished his students could expreess themselves so clearly.  Hell, he wished he could express himself so clearly.  “And God?” he asked. “Do you believe in God?”

Vittoria was silent for a long time.  “Science tells me God must exist.  My mind tells me I will never understand God.  And my heart tells me I am not meant to.”

Chapter 31

This is the book where we meet respected Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon for the first time.  (You may have also heard of him in a little book called The DaVinci Code)  Langdon is called to Switzerland to investigate the brutal murder of a physicist that appears to be the work of the mysterious and defunct group, the Illuminati.  Here he finds out about a new energy source that is being used for the first time as a weapon.  Langdon and the dead physicist’s daughter, Vittoria, head to Rome where they have very little time to find the hidden anti-matter that could take out all of Vatican City.

Vatican City is preparing for the enclave to elect a new Pope.  The camerlingo, head of the Catholic Church until the new Pope is elected, welcomes Langdon and Vittoria and opens the tunnels and secret documents of the Vatican to them so that they can save the city and the Cardinals kidnapped by the Illuminati.

This book is essentially a treasure hunt, with clues and hints, that leads the reader through Vatican City and Rome.  At its core it is a book trying to bring together the two opposing forces of science and religion.  But most importantly it is a page-turner.  A 700+ page edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.  

I liked it.  I finished it it one day (obviously I did very little else!) and think it is going to make a fun movie.  Maybe a better movie than the DaVinci Code because it has a more revered and known setting.  But, it did have a problem.  It was a good 100 pages too long.  It’s like Brown tried to cram as many twists and turns into the book as possible when it really wasn’t necessary.  There was a point in those last hundred pages when it just went too far in trying to shock and everything after that was a little tainted to me. 

I do recommend it.  It’s fun and fast and interesting.  My husband liked it better than the DaVinci Code.  Except for the backdrop of Italy I didn’t, but it was still worth it.

Joy School, by Elizabeth Berg

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Cover ImageFinished 2-17-09, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 1997

This is the thing about strong people: you can mostly be scared of them but sometimes the way they are makes you feel safe.

page 108, hardcover

Katie and her father have moved to Missouri from Texas just as Katie is entering the insecurity and wonder of her teen years.  Her mother is dead, her sister is pregnant, her father is distant, and she is mostly ignored at school.  She thinks maybe the only people who like her are the cafeteria ladies because they always give her seconds.  Then she meets Jimmy, the much older manager of a gas station and her luck seems to be changing.  She begins spending more time with the married Jimmy and even finds a few friends along the way.

Katie’s story covers all of the universal feelings of youth.  Loneliness, awkwardness, confusion, and fear all come together for the perfect storm we call  puberty.  I was touched by Katie and when she was uncomfortable or horrified, so was I  because the memories all came back to me.  She was heartbreak and humor at once.  She had me laughing out loud (her first experience at the drive-in was priceless) and also cringing at her optimistic view of a future with Jimmy.

I love this book.  There is something distinctive about the words Elizabeth Berg chooses and I am immediately engaged.  I recognize myself in her characters and I think you will too.  If you haven’t read her, you should!

This book stands on its own as a wonderful read, but it is a sequel to Durable Goods.  I did not know this until I was finished reading it and it really made me mad.  I think you should read this book, but I also think you should read Durable Goods first (even though I haven’t read it myself!).

Highly recommended.

The Red Siren, by M.L. Tyndall

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The Red SirenFinished 2-15-09, rating 3/5, inspirational fiction, pub. 2008

Charles Towne Belles. Book 1

Dajon’s exuberance sank to the floor.  “Your daughters?”  his voice squeaked.

“Why yes.  There is no better man than you to be their guardian in my absence.  With the Spanish and Indian attacks of late, not to mention the savage nature of some of the settlers, they need a naval officer to protect them.”

No promotion?  Dajon’s breath halted in his throat.  He wiped the sweat from his brow.  A guardian?  Of women?  Every encounter he’d ever had with females had ended in disaster.

Chapter 2

It is 1718 and the Westcott sisters – Faith, Hope, and Grace- are in the Carolinas with their father, Rear Admiral of the British Royal Army.  Having already married off their oldest sister to an abusive brute, Faith is afraid of the same fate befalling her, so she has secretly been a pirate captain for over five years.  She hopes to amass a fortune so great that neither she nor her sisters will be forced into marriage.

When the Admiral must go back to Europe he leaves Captain Dajon White in charge of his daughters.  Dajon’s duty in the Navy is to protect the Carolina shore from pirates and this causes much concern for Faith, who finds herself drawn to Dajon.  Dajon has been duped by the lady pirate before and he suspects Faith, but his growing feelings for her cloud his judgement.

I did enjoy this historical inspirational romance.  It had adventure and danger and a wonderful message of God’s forgiveness and redemption.  Faith had lost her belief in God when her mother died, and it wasn’t until the God-fearing Dajon entered her life that she began to reconnect with God.  Dajon was a good man and it was nice to see chivalry and honor in a hero.

While I liked it, I did not love it.  I found all three sisters a little selfish and too modern for the times.  And I found it difficult to envision Faith as the captain of a pirate ship.  The way in which men were betrayed in this book made me question how this pretty girl commanded a ship full of obedient men.

If you like historical romances or inspirational fiction I think you’ll enjoy it.

I received this from LibraryThing to review.

Craft & Technique, by Paul Raymond Martin

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Finished 2-2-09, rating 3/5, writing instruction, pub. 2005

High tension dialogue calls for fewer beats (less stage business).  More beats will elongate a scene, as when characters get to know each other  over dinner.

Never resolve one conflict before presenting another.

The first idea that occurs to you for resolving a plot problem will be the first to occur to the reader as well.  So think again.

In fiction, as in real life, what is suggested is far more powerful than what is revealed.

This is just a sampling of the tips you will receive in this small book.  It looks and reads like the gift book Life”e Little Instruction Book, but is chock full of advice for writers, most specifically fiction writers.  There are more than 300 thoughtful reasons to buy this book.  It covers characterization, dialogue, plot, fiction techniques, style and voice.

There was no groundbreaking insight here, but I did enjoy it and think it worthwhile.  The suggestions were good and forced you to look at your own work and possibly find weak spots.  Some of what was covered I’ve read other places, but in this format it worked to jump start my thoughts and ideas, instead of making me want to take notes.

Included are quotes from established and diverse authors such as Mark Twain, David Sedaris,Virginia Woolf, Elmore Leonard, Vladimir Nabokov, and James Michener.  There were also a few exercises sprinkled throughout and some solid suggestions for name choice and editing dialogue.

This is not an instruction book.  It is more of an inspiration book.  I read the whole thing in a hour or so and came away with a few new insights and ideas and a renewed excitement to start writing.

This is a wonderful gift for the writer in your life.  It is published by Writer’s Digest Books and is on sale -50% off- for $4.50 (link here), which is a good deal for a thoughtful gift.

Free Books for February ’09

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blog-books2

Leave a comment, tell me which book you want and I’ll get the book to you for FREE either by mail or personally if I’ll see you soon.  The first one to request each book wins.  These paperbacks have all been read a time or two.

Once you’ve ‘won’ the book I can get your shipping address if I need it.  Also, you can come back and get a free book every month if you want. 

1. The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver.  My review is here.  for John

2. Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  One of my fave romance authors.  for Keira

3. Until You by Judith McNaught.  My other favorite romance author.  for Keira

4. Deception Point by Dan Brown.  Before the DaVinci Code, he took on NASA.  for Katie

5. The Husband by Dean Koontz.  Koontz is always great.  for Gayle

Thanks for helping me clear some room on my shelves.  Happy reading 🙂