Earth's the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg

February 18, 2023

Earth's the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg

Arthur Moses is a sophomore in high school, a sweet caring boy, when he meets and falls in love with Nola McCollum. But Nola has enough boyfriends and just wants to be friends with him. Arthur loves nature and enjoys caring for plants and watching the birds, and he talks about everything with his older brother Frank who is also his best friend. Frank shares his thoughts and problems with Arthur as well, including his dream of becoming a writer, his relationship with his English teacher, and their abusive father. When their father finally lands a job and things begin to look up, a terrible tragedy rocks the family. Arthur has to learn how to continue living and deal with his grief and loss, while discovering the kind of life he wants for himself.

A lovely heartwarming story about love in its many forms, loss and grief, and the meaning of family. Readers first met Arthur in Berg's previous novel The Story of Arthur Truluv, where Arthur is an 85 year old man who lost his beloved wife and now goes every day to sit by her grave and talk to her while he eats his lunch. This is a prequel to that novel, providing backstory about how Arthur and Nola met and the events that shaped the man he became. I found it almost impossible to put down, which is surprising since it is almost entirely about relationships and there is little action. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A town like Arthur's in the 1940s

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

March 2, 2022

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

In June 1954, 18 year old Emmett Watson returns to his family home after serving a prison term at a juvenile work farm for involuntary manslaughter. His plan is to pick up his younger brother and then head for California to start a new life, and possibly find their mother who left them years ago. Their plan is to drive the Lincoln Highway. But two convicts from the work have followed him home and they have plans of their own. 

I loved the author's two previous books, so nobody was more surprised than me that I didn't love this one. Emmett wasn't the protagonist or even the main character, and they don't travel on the Lincoln Highway. There's a road trip but it goes toward the east coast. There are a lot of silly antics by silly side characters. The plot (if you can call it a plot) is silly, too. The whole tone of the book was off somehow - even when there is a scene that involves a beating or murder, there is a clownish tone. I just didn't connect with any of the characters or the story. Although it got a lot of positive reviews, I'd give it a miss.

The Unwilling by John Hart

February 23, 2021

The Unwilling by John Hart

The French family has had their share of sorrow: son Robert was killed in Vietnam, and his twin brother Jason came home drug-addicted with a serious case of PTSD that landed him in prison. His mother has disowned him and is pinning the family's hopes on youngest son Gibson, about to graduate from high school.

Jason encounters Gibby at the local quarry where everyone goes swimming, and wants to reconnect with him. He proposes spending a day of fun and adventure together, but he shows up with two skanky young women. One of the women taunts the inmates on a prison bus and later is found murdered in a horrific manner (even if you're a skank, you don't deserve to be murdered). With no suspects, the police focus on Jason (who has a criminal record). Jason disappears, and Gibby and his girlfriend are determined to find him and help him clear his name. Their search leads them through the underworld where they meet bad people and learn bad things.

John Hart is a great writer and I have really enjoyed his previous books. This one was somewhat flat for me, partially since some of the characters were like caricatures. Jason is a macho sort, almost too macho, the kind who would say "if you don't do this, you're not a man." Likewise, X the criminal is so bad that he's like a supervillain in a comic book.

If you haven't read John Hart before, I would suggest reading Down River instead.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Edinburgh Twilight by Carole Lawrence

April 16, 2020

Edinburgh Twilight by Carole Lawrence

A young man is found dead in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, an apparent suicide, but Detective Inspector Ian Hamilton isn't so sure.  As the number of victims mounts, Hamilton realizes that there is a serial killer on the loose in Edinburgh.  With the murders increasing in frequency and scope, the detective finds himself desperate to interpret the few clues left by the ruthless and organized sociopath.

This is the first title in a historical series set in Edinburgh in the late 19th century, in the early days of forensic science.  Like all good detectives, Hamilton is a damaged man carrying secrets from his past.  The point of view changes with the chapter and sometimes it's hard to figure out what character is speaking or thinking at the moment.  But overall it is quite a good historical mystery.

During the shelter-in-place period here in Illinois, I've been doing what work I can from home, doing things like working on book orders, writing book reviews, and staying in touch with my staff.  I have also been sewing face masks for friend and family.

Last night was a movie night - Hulu is streaming some older movies for free.  I watched Blazing Saddles, which is randy, tasteless and certainly not politically correct but still hilarious.  It's similar to Blades of Glory, which is about two male competitive figure skaters who are banned from competition for brawling at a competition, but then team up as pairs figure skaters since the competition rules don't state that a pair has to be a man and a woman.  Predictable and stupid, but some parts are just so damned funny.  

Stay well!

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

January 30, 2020

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Loosely based on the author’s life growing up in Queensland in Australia, this is a story of coming-of-age meets survival.  Eli Bell and his older brother August live with their mother Frances and her boyfriend Lyle, both heroin dealers, in the suburb of Darra outside Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.  August is mute following a childhood trauma, while Eli searches for what it takes to be a good man.  Lyle is the only father figure that Eli remembers, and he loves Lyle deeply and wants to believe that Lyle is a good man, despite his profession. But unexpected events force Eli out of childhood, as he attempts to navigate a world of crime, drugs, and domestic abuse.

Normally I don’t care for books with juvenile narrators since the point of view is usually pretty narrow, but Trent Dalton has written a pair of very engaging characters in Eli Bell and his brother August.  Eli's voice is full of poetry and unexpected humor, a combination of adolescent adventure and adult experiences.  Most of the characters are based on people that Dalton knew as a child - I did love the inclusion of Arthur “Slim” Halliday, an actual criminal best known for his jail escapes, who Dalton knew when he was a child.  However, I don’t think the episodes of magical realism added anything to the narrative, and the last 50 pages of the book stretch the reader’s belief a little too far.  Other than that, the first 400 pages of the book are a wonderful read, not always pleasant or happy, but always heartfelt.

What Have You Done by Matthew Farrell

November 7, 2019

What Have You Done by Matthew Farrell

Liam Dwyer goes out for an evening of drinking with his brother, has a blackout and can’t remember what he did, how he got home or why he was in the bathtub.  Or where his clothes are.  The morning after Liam’s binge, his ex-lover Kerri is found murdered in a seedy hotel room, and his blood and his fingerprints are all over the room.  As a forensic detective with the Philadelphia Police Department, Liam is called to the scene to collect evidence.  Liam’s brother Sean Dwyer is a homicide detective with the Philadelphia Police Department.  He and his partner are on another case, pursuing a local black gangster named Cutter Washington, who they believe is responsible for the beating death of a local store owner.

Since both Liam and Sean knew the murdered girl, Sean convinces Liam that they shouldn't say they knew her right away, otherwise the detectives assigned to the case would zero in on them and not look for the real killer.  Liam agrees since he can't remember where he was the night before.  Sean and Liam decide to conduct their own investigation, trying to beat the clock before anyone finds out about their connection to the victim.  Liam claims nobody else knows about his connection to Kerri, but is that really true?

This was an entertaining mystery.  While it doesn't have an unreliable narrator since it's written in the third person and from several points of view, almost all of the characters are lying.  I had a good idea who murdered Kerri about 1/3 of the way through the book, but I kept reading to find out how it was done.  There are some flaws but mystery readers will enjoy it.  The cops don't come off very well, since most of them are doing some pretty shady things.