Peel My Love Like an Onion by Ana Castillo

September 30, 2019

Peel My Love Like an Onion by Ana Castillo

I always try to read at least one novel that celebrates the yearly heritage months.  Peel My Love Like an Onion was my choice for Hispanic American Heritage Month 2019.  Set in Chicago, the main character is a Mexican-American (or Chicago-Mexican, as she calls herself) woman who had polio as a child and was determined to become a flamenco dancer.

Carmen Santos (aka Carmen la Coja, or Carmen the Cripple) suffered from polio as a child, which left her with a withered leg.  At her school for “special” children, a dance teacher encouraged Carmen to try flamenco as a way of strengthening her weak leg.  To the teacher’s astonishment, Carmen decides she wants to be a professional flamenco dancer.  She perseveres and is taken on by a professional flamenco company run by a male dancer named Augustin, who soon becomes Carmen’s lover.  She becomes famous in Chicago’s dance community, partly because of her unusual disability and partly because of her beauty, and she embraces the flamenco culture as a way of life.  Her family is always in the background like a Greek chorus, causing Carmen to feel guilty that she isn’t a better daughter.  But after 20 years as a dancer, Carmen’s polio resurfaces and not only forces her to retire from dancing, but to reconsider and recreate her life.

Carmen's love affairs are multi-layered and complicated, as are her feelings for her family, and some of her choices are hard to accept.  This title would make a good book club title since there is a lot of material for discussion, especially for either Hispanic American Heritage Month or Disability Month.  It’s also a very reasonable length for book clubs at just over 200 pages.

Ribbons of Scarlet

September 28, 2019

Ribbons of Scarlet

Overall, the rights of women were ignored during the French revolution – liberty, equality, and fraternity were intended for men, disregarding the rights of the half of the French populace.  Ribbons of Scarlet presents the other half of the story of the French Revolution.

A free-thinking philosophy student, a poor fruit seller, the king’s pious sister, the wife of a politician, a passionate young idealist, and a celebrated beauty – these are the stories of six real women who lived during the French Revolution.  Although they are from all levels of society and superficially have nothing in common, history comes to life through their eyes and lives as they are swept up in the politics and the revolutionary thoughts and actions of the age.  I found myself stopping frequently to look up biographical information on the characters.  (Be advised that their stories do not end happily.)

This is the fifth collaborative book produced by the History 360 Co-op, and each section is written by a different author but the transitions are seamless (authors are Stephanie Dray, Heather Webb, Sophie Perinot, Kate Quinn, E. Knight, and Laura Kamoie).  And the cover art is beautiful and meaningful in the context of the story.

Charlotte Corday - the prettiest painting I could find

Here are the characters in order:

The Philosopher – Marquise Sophie de Condorcet, my favorite character and section

The Revolutionary – Louise Reine Audu, known as the Queen of the Market Women

The Princess – Madame Elisabeth, the king's deeply religious younger sister known for her good works

The Politician – Manon Roland, married to the minister of the interior but she wrote his speeches

The Assassin – Charlotte Corday, assassin of Jean-Paul Marat, most likely the best known character

The Beauty – Emilie de Sainte-Amaranthe, a celebrated Parisian beauty and victim of the Terror, the saddest story in the book

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in return for a review.

Metropolis by Philip Kerr

September 26, 2019

Metropolis by Philip Kerr

In 1928, the Weimar Republic is limping along as Germany tries to rebuild from the war.  Berlin is a wide open city, the nights filled with all manner of vice and violence.  Detective Bernie Gunther is moved from the vice section of the Berlin police force to the murder commission.  He and his mentor are assigned to investigate a series of murders of Berlin prostitutes – the killer not only kills the women but scalps them, too.  They suspect it may be an ex-soldier, someone who got a taste for killing in the war.  But the prostitute murderer is quickly forgotten when someone who calls himself Doktor Gnadenschuss (German for mercy shot) begins killing disabled German veterans.  After following up a number of dead end clues, Bernie begins to suspect that the killer is someone he knows.

The book title refers not only to Berlin but also to the film Metropolis, which is set in a utopian city that is beautiful on the surface, but hides a bleak underworld of the disadvantaged and the criminal.  Interestingly, Bernie has a meeting with Thea von Harbou, an actual German screenwriter who wrote the script for the classic movies Metropolis and M: A City Hunts a Murderer - Bernie gives Thea suggestions for the plot of the latter film.

With Philip Kerr’s untimely death in 2018, this is the last of the Bernie Gunther mysteries.  Bernie is a noir detective usually based in Berlin but Kerr took us around the world as we explored Bernie’s life and career both before and after World War II.  I loved this series and I’m so sad it’s over – both Kerr and Bernie will be sorely missed.  I waited until I could get the audiobook version, since John Lee does a wonderful job with the narration as he has done with so many of the Bernie Gunther novels.

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

September 24, 2019

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

Olive, Again is a follow-up to Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Olive Kitteridge.  Per the author, although she thought she was done with her, Olive apparently had more to say.  Like the first book, this one is a series of inter-connected narratives about the people who live in Crosby, Maine, and the surrounding towns. Since Olive is at heart a storyteller and collects and distributes information about the people she knows, the story format is particularly appropriate.  Picking up where the previous book left off, the story follows Olive through the next ten years of her life.  Even though she is well into her senior years, Olive discovers that surprising and unexpected things can still happen to her, and that it’s not too late for her to learn things about herself.

This is character-driven literary fiction that is much more accessible than a lot of literary works.  Olive is a wonderful creation, outspoken and crusty and selfish.  Her exterior shell shows signs of cracking as she ages and she becomes more accepting of others’ flaws.  Even though this is a sequel, you don’t necessarily have to have read the first book to enjoy this one. 

Side note:  My reading has been on the slow side this week.  I had a lot planned for the weekend including marathon reading, but my 11 year old golden retriever Asia developed a seriously drippy eye.  The vet referred us to a veterinary ophthalmologist (yes, there are all kinds of specialty vets), who diagnosed an indolent ulcer in her eye and did a procedure that removed the ulcer from her cornea (don’t get squeamish, the cornea has no nerves – when your eye itches or stings, it’s the eyelid that’s feeling it).  He sent her home with the “cone of shame” for two weeks, antibiotic drops, and some pretty good drugs.  She’s tolerating it but would really prefer to scratch the heck out of her eye.  Then a family interested in meeting my foster dog Scout wanted to come over on Sunday, which meant making the house presentable for strangers to see.  They liked him a lot and decided to take Scouty home with them, so I hope it works out for all of them.  Paws crossed.

Asia in the cone:

Scout the (former) foster guy:

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

September 19, 2019

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper needs a fresh start, so she scams her way into a job as a clerk on a tunneling ship, the Wayfarer.  The crew turns out to be a collection of oddballs (the aliens are strange, but so are the humans) who depend on each other for – well, everything.  Rosemary learns that real family aren’t necessarily the people that you’re related to.

And one of the crewmembers appears to be in love with the ship’s AI, Lovey.

An absolutely great read!  Terrific world building, complete with an assortment of alien races, characters that you fall in love with and wish they were your friends, minute attention to detail that makes the story come alive.  Yes, there is a little inter-species sex but it’s tasteful and not graphic at all. You may cry a bit after the ship is attacked in Toremi territory (the small angry planet of the title).

Great fanart of the Wayfarer crew by SebasP

From the left:  Ohan, Ashby, Sissix, Rosemary, Dr. Chef, Kizzy, Jenks, Corbin

This is science fiction for people who don’t read or enjoy science fiction, not for the hardcore sci fi reader, and it's the first book in the Wayfarer trilogy.  I would put it in the same category as The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell; All Systems Red by Martha Wells; Ready Player One by Ernest Cline; The Martian by Andy Weir; and Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor.  I can't wait to read the next book.

Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey

September 17, 2019

Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey

When Florida-phile Serge A. Storms goes off his meds, anything can happen.  In this adventure, Serge decides that his latest calling is the law.  But never mind law school, Serge is going freelance in the style of the heroes in his favorite movies, writing wrongs and dishing out justice to those who would scam the innocent.  The plot is more complicated than some of Serge’s stories, with plenty of crooked lawyers, planted evidence, and double-crosses.  Characters from past novels appear, including Brooke Campanella, Mahoney, the Four G’s, and Coleman – we even get to meet Coleman’s brother, lawyer Ziggy Blade.  No matter how dire things seem, remember that Serge always wins.

Tim Dorsey’s Serge A. Storm series is sometimes classified as mystery or suspense but I think they fall into the adventure category (wild car chases, a zany knight errant who fights for the innocent, exploration of unfamiliar cultures, the hunt for treasure, a group of misfits who band together).  If you enjoy your mayhem mixed with some sick humor, this series is for you.  I listened to the audio version and the reader, Oliver Wyman, gets Serge’s voice just right.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

September 14, 2019

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

After their father’s sudden death, siblings Maeve and Danny Conroy are quickly evicted from the Dutch House, their family mansion, by their vindictive stepmother.  They aren’t even allowed to take the things that had belonged to their own mother who had abandoned the family when they were young children.  Periodically, Maeve and Danny park across the street from the house and just watch, trying to catch sight of their stepmother or stepsisters.  They are not sure why, since neither wants to enter the house or speak with the inhabitants.  The obsession with the Dutch House continues throughout their lives, as does the mystery of their mother.

With its meaning for each family member, the house itself is actually the main character, the common thread in the book, the thing that keeps pulling them back.  It’s like the house has some kind of magic, with glass walls (it’s noted several times that an outsider can see right through the house), a third floor ballroom, and a (hideous) dining room with a starry ceiling.  When their father purchased it, the house came complete with the furnishings, down to the artwork on the walls and clothing in the closets.  Another reviewer mentioned they were creeped out by the cover art, but the painting on the cover is actually part of the story.

The younger sibling Danny is the narrator, and Maeve is the center of the story of Danny’s life, since she stepped in to fill the role of their missing mother.  Danny has a rather juvenile world view in that he has never questioned or considered many of the things about his life (household help Sandy and Jocelyn being sisters, why his mother deserted the family, his impact on Maeve’s life), long after he should have been mature enough to figure things out.  There is a fairy tale aspect as well, with Maeve and Danny being a modern-day Hansel and Gretel, thrown out of their home by their wicked stepmother, spending their lives longing to find their way home, even having three fairy godmothers who look after them in the form of Sandy, Jocelyn, and Fluffy.

I loved this book, and I think it’s of my best reads for 2019.  Patchett does such a great job with characters and big family sagas.  The Dutch House reminded me a lot of Commonwealth, Patchett’s previous novel, switching back and forth between time periods and locations, and also of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt in the wide scope of the story.  In addition to the fairy tale theme, there is a lot of history repeating itself and things coming full circle.  I think this would be a great book club selection, since there is so much to discuss.  The only thing to be aware of is that the story is not told chronologically, so if your book group doesn’t like stories that jump around, this title is not for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in return for a review.

Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok

September 12, 2019

Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok

After her sister Sylvie goes missing, Amy questions family and friends to see if anyone knows where she is.  Although Amy has never been out of the state of New York, she travels to the Netherlands, Sylvie's last known location.  As her search continues, Amy begins to wonder if she really knows her sister at all.

I love me a domestic drama with lots of family secrets, also missing person stories, and even more, I love one told from various points of view.  This one ticked those boxes for me, but I still found the story disappointing.  I didn't like most of the characters because they weren't that well-developed or unique - the male characters were all creepy, and except for Grandma, the women characters were all shallow (Amy's first thought when she hears Sylvie is missing is who is going to pay off her student loans now).  There is drama and there are plot twists, but none of them were surprising or new.  Although it's described as a mystery, there's not a lot about it that's mysterious, and there are enough hints for the reader to catch on pretty quick about Sylvie's whereabouts.  I hope there is more plot and better characters in Kwok's next book.

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

September 10, 2019

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

Screenwriter Anthony Horowitz is once again approached by P. I. Daniel Hawthorne (both last seen in The Word is Murder) with a new case.  A wealthy and well-known divorce lawyer has been murdered by being hit over the head with an expensive bottle of bottle, and then stabbed with the bottle shards.  The number 182 is painted on the wall of the room where he was killed.  There are numerous suspects, all with secrets and good reasons to murder the lawyer, including the lawyer's husband, a couple of clients, and an old school friend.  Hawthorne wants writer Horowitz (who appears as a character in his own mystery) to once again be Watson to Hawthorne's Sherlock Holmes.

I loved Magpie Murders and was so disappointed that there weren’t really any Atticus Pund mysteries - Atticus Pund was a wonderful character.  While the Hawthorne mysteries are clever, they just aren't as good because P. I. Hawthorne is abrasive, racist, homophobic, and unlikeable.  Horowitz tries to make him sound mysterious but he’s not – he’s a secretive anti-social loner who treats other people with disdain.  There are a number of minor characters and side plots that really didn't add much to the mystery (the characters at the book club, Horowitz's agent, Lenny the informant, a couple of really brutal constables, etc.).  By the end of the book, even Horowitz is trying to break off his relationship with Hawthorne.

While this was an interesting mystery with a couple of good twists, I listened to the audio version and I disliked the reader – all of the characters except Hawthorne sound shrill and whiny.  I think I’ll stick to the print version for any future titles in the series.

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

September 8, 2019

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

The British press called them "surplus women" - hundreds of thousands of women unlikely to marry due to the vast number of British men of their generation who were killed in World War I (over 2,000,000).  Violet Speedwell is one of these women, working to support herself as a typist and create a life for herself in the cathedral town of Winchester.  She accidentally comes upon a group of cathedral broderers, women who do needlepoint to cover the kneelers and cushions in Winchester Cathedral and bring comfort to the worshippers.  Violet's decision to join the group brings her friendship and the support of community, while ultimately changing the course of her life.

Historical fiction is like mental sorbet for me:  in between the heavier works of literary fiction and complex thrillers, historical fiction like this is gentle and understated, soothing in the troubled times we live in.  I especially enjoy historical fiction that focuses on largely unknown or hidden facets of history, in this case, the lives of the surplus women and the time between the two world wars.  I loved the cover of this book, with the embroidery border that you don't notice at first.  While I don't think this title is as strong as Girl With a Pearl Earring, it's a great choice for a rainy or snowy afternoon, to enjoy with a cup of tea and a plate of shortbread cookies (NOT the hated Garibaldi biscuits mentioned in the story, sort of a sticky current sandwich cookie, LOL).

  

Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke

September 6, 2019

Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke

Texas Ranger Darren Mathews has gotten himself into a whole lot of trouble:  by protecting an old family friend, he may have committed a felony and implicated himself in a murder.  Worse, his shifty mama has something on him and is engaging in some low-level blackmail, while Darren's wife and uncle are getting up in his business.  Darren is assigned to the task force investigating the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT), reviewing telephone records and correspondence from incarcerated ABT members.  When the son of an ABT leader goes missing, he is assigned to assist local police in the search for the child.

A very enjoyable mystery, fast-paced and complex.  If you haven't read the first book in the series (Bluebird, Bluebird), you should read that one first, since there are frequent references to characters and events in the first book.  This was really the only negative for me, since it's been a while since I read the other story.  While Heaven, My Home could be read as a stand-alone, it was complicated even having read Bluebird, Bluebird.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in return for a review.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

September 4, 2019

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

In mortician Caitlin Doughty's experience, kids aren't afraid to ask the questions that that their parents are too polite to ask (even though they want to know the answers just as much).  Doughty gives the answers and explains the science behind what happens when someone dies.

Well-researched with extensive documentation, you'll probably find the answers to some of your own questions in here (and yes, your cat might eat your eyeballs - it's a natural instinct).  If you haven't read Doughty's previous book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, about her time working at a crematory, you should read that one, too.  I think she's a hoot and would be a lot of fun to have drinks with.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an e-ARC in return for a review.