2005 Book Reviews
 Among the Best I've Ever Read |
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Not Worth the Time |
"A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton |
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Sue Grafton starts out her alphabet series well with this book that introduces her witty, very happily single Kinsey Milhone. Kinsey got into a lot of trouble and managed to get herself out. Good read and good start. I like the highly intelligent female PI. |
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After the Dance: A Walk through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti Edwidge Danticat |
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| This book, the author’s account of Carnival in her native Haiti, is slight but atmospheric, like the best sort of travelogue. It was enjoyable to read something about Haiti that is not overwhelmed by despair; there is a sense of perspective in this book that I appreciated. She made me curious to read more about Haiti, perhaps the novels of Rene Depestre, which she describes in some detail. After the Dance would make a great documentary film – maybe someone will do it someday. Better yet, maybe someone will make a movie of Danticat’s novel The Dew Breaker – that would really be something. | |
 Edwidge Danticat
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America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin, David Javerbaum |
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| This fake textbook may be heavy, but it’s still my favorite beach read of the summer. I recommend reading it all the way through, but you can always just look at the fun charts and sidebars if you’re short on time. Equally informative as my real high school history book but much more enjoyable. Favorite quote: “If ‘con’ is the opposite of ‘pro,’ then isn’t congress the opposite of progress?” | |
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an Excerpt
Jon Stewart |
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Artistic License by Katie Fforde |
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Katie Fforde introduces a classic romance story bad boy Rory, and good guy Ben, and gives them both to her heroine. In a funny story, she must decide where her heart lies and how that fits with her business plans. Good beach read. |
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The Ax Donald E. Westlake |
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| I was completely taken with this book – the story of a man who devises a rather fiendish plan to regain employment after being laid off in mid-life from this job at a paper company. The writing is brilliant and the plot is clever. What’s more, with the lightest touches, Westlake manages comment on the nature of our economic system and the kinds of values and responsibilities we believe in and those we live by. I stated this book expecting an amusing thriller and was surprised to discover something quite profound. | |
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an Excerpt Donald E. Westlake |
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"B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton |
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Good mystery novel by Grafton. I’m enjoying the character development of Kinsey and how we find out a little more about her with each book. |
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| Bel Canto Ann Patchett |
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| An amazing story about a group of wealthy hostages and the relationships they form with their captors. While the hostages and captors alike are drawn to the world renewed soprano singer, I loved the character of the translator, who connects all the people of the house. | |
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an Excerpt Ann Patchett |
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The Big Bad Wolf Tells All by Donna Kauffman |
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| Very interesting with a strong female character, Tanzy, who writes a column about her love life. Soon a stalker follows her because of her column and she has to put up with a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Funny and has a good, exciting ending. | |
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| The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home George Howe Colt |
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| An interesting juxtaposition of past and present – Colt shares the history of his family’s summer home intertwined with his experience of his last summer there. He offers an insider’s perspective on the changing fortunes of “old money” through the generations. | |
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"C" is for Corpse by Sue Grafton |
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Interesting plot with a very surprising ending. Good buildup of clues. Especially enjoyable how Grafton writes in such a way that the reader can follow and solve the mystery. |
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| In Camelot's Shadow Sarah Zettel |
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I love Arthurian era fiction and this was an enchanting tale of Risa and Gawain. The novel has a good balance of war and magical plots with exploring the sometimes confusing relationships of the people involved. Good attention to detail makes it easy to envision the scenes as they unfold. |
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Read an Excerpt Sarah Zettel |
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Catch Me If You Can by Donna Kauffman |
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| The third in a series about the Morgan brothers, this book tells about the last one falling in love. Much of it is predictable and clichéd but it has some funny moments. The setting in Scotland makes the book more enjoyable. | |
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The Cigar Roller Pablo Medina |
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| A story about a Cuban man who lies paralyzed in a Florida hospital, unable to speak. All he has left is his memory, and the book alternates between a detailed account of his hospital life and his past life in the cigar factory and with his wife. | |
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an Excerpt
Pablo Medina |
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The Cinderella Rules by Donna Kauffman |
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| Cinderella Rules takes a modern day woman and makes her over with the help of three “fairy godmothers.” The relationship dispute of the two men for Darby didn’t seem that tense, but the end had a lovely twist where everyone turned out for the better. | |
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"D" is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton |
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When reading all of these in order, one can pick up on small hints in previous books which is great for continuity’s sake. When a man stiffs Kinsey for money, she goes after him, only to find out his past contains many secrets and many people who would love to kill him. Kinsey just has to figure out which one did it. |
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Devil in the White City Erik Larson |
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| This book, which interweaves the story of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with an infamous crime of that era, is hugely entertaining! At first I objected to the somewhat breathless style and over-dramatic imagery, but after a while I just leaned back and enjoyed the fun. I learned a tremendous amount about Chicago history, city politics, architecture, and a number of famous personalities (such as the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead). The story of the Ferris Wheel alone is worth the price of the book! Also, I had not realized that the Fair has such a lingering effect on the look of America. I highly recommend this book. | |
| Read an Except Erik Larson
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Dog Handling by Clare Naylor |
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Funny, romantic book, perfect as a beach read. Ben seems like the perfect guy, handsome, sweet. The setting is scenic (Sydney, Australia in the summer). Liv makes a lovely heroine of a romance novel and Alex’s actions throughout make the perfect subplot. |
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Dragonflight Anne McCaffrey |
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| The second book of the Dragonriders of Pern picks up a few “Turns” after the first left off, and focuses more on interpersonal conflicts that the first. The action is almost non-stop with constant scheming, defiant acts of bravery or foolishness, and dangerous Threadfall. The moral seems to be in favor of change and progress, though sometimes the means may seem repulsive (can grubs save the world?). A delightful read. | |
| Anne McCaffrey
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| Dragonquest Anne McCaffrey |
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| I read Anne McCaffrey’s books some years ago and was always drawn to the world of Pern and those magnificent, compassionate dragons. However, I had never read this, the first book of the Dragonriders, and enjoyed seeing how some of the characters I knew and loved came to be. Wonderful, spell-binding reading. | |
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Anne McCaffrey |
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| Dreams of Stardust Lynn Kurland |
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| Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and Ms. Kurland has written an excellent tale. The unexpected wit in what could have otherwise been a mediocre romance makes this a delightful read, full of surprises at every turn (or more accurately, every venture through the gates of time). Fun to read and hard to put down. | |
| Lynn Kurland
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"E" is for Evidence by Sue Grafton |
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In a different turn of events, Kinsey takes herself as a client to clear her name of insurance fraud. She ends up delving into her own history and that of another family’s to find a chilling truth and madness lurking behind an unsuspecting façade. Entertaining with plenty of suspense. |
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| East Side Story Louis Auchincloss |
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I always enjoy Louis Anchincloss' portraits of wealthy WASP society (how pleasant it would be to sit next to him at a dinner party!) and East Side Story is no exception. The book is basically a collection of short stories featuring different members of a large New York family, the Carnochans – and the format of the book seems particularly well-suited to the author’s special talents. Although some stories succeed better than others as literature, they are all fascinating as examples of keen social observation and commentary. I like Anchincloss’ lucid example of sensible prose, but I occasionally find his dialogue a little stilted, sort of like an old-fashioned play. However, that is a small flaw in an otherwise elegant book. |
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an Excerpt
Louis Auchincloss
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| Elegy for Iris John Bayley |  |
This book forms the basis behind the Oscar-winning 2001 film "Iris." In "Elegy," Bayley recalls his 40 year-long romance with the late Booker Prize winner Iris Murdoch: from the first time Bayley saw Murdoch as she rode a bicycle outside his Oxford apartment in the early 1950s, to Murdoch’s descent into Alzheimer’s disease in the late 1990s. "Elegy" is not for readers who prefer straight narrative story telling, as the book meanders between Murdoch’s illness and the earlier parts of Bayley and Murdoch’s marriage. Bayley also describes Murdoch’s favorite hobby of swimming in natural waters. He writes of their first kiss in a pond as Oxford students; of a vacation where they were caught naked by Italian villagers and police; and finally of Bayley’s struggles to take his wife’s clothes off as Alzheimer’s robs her of the ability to control her own movements. Murdoch evolves from being a world-renown British novelist to being an Alzheimer’s sufferer who can’t remember writing books but still remembers her husband’s unselfish, undying love for her. I have never read any of Murdoch’s novels. Nevertheless, I highly recommend “Elegy” if you want to dive into the literary imagination. You will emerge refreshed and renewed in love and hope. |
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| Read an Excerpt John Bayley
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Katherine Tam |
Enslaved by Ducks Bob Tarte |
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| The relationship between man and animal takes a humorous twist as a couch-loving, nap-adoring, Zoloft-popping writer accumulates a menagerie of pets that require seemingly constant care. A fun, quick, heart-warming nonfiction read. | |
| Bob Tarte |
Jennifer Randall Hotz |
"F" is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton |
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Kinsey works on an old case in hopes of clearing someone she thinks has been wrongly convicted. Old secrets prefer to stay buried, though, and she finds plenty of people would rather her stop investigating. The end has a surprising twist that will make you gasp. |
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Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul by Tony Hendra |
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| The problem with this book, an account of the author’s life and his relationship with a beloved monk, Father Joseph Warrilow, is that while Father Joe is a pleasure to read about, the author Tony Hendra is not. Hendra is so given to self-dramatization, hyperbole, and extremes of emotion that he soon becomes tedious; however, the book is saved by the grace and inner beauty of its subject (which is probably the point!). I’m glad I didn’t give up on it, because the last chapter has huge impact. Hendra succeeds in making extreme goodness interesting; one only wishes one could have met Father Joe. | |
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"G" is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton |
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An old case of Kinsey’s comes back to haunt her as she realizes that someone she put in jail has hired a hitman to kill her. Kinsey tries to solve her own case as well as avoid being killed. The introduction of Dietz as her bodygurard is an interesting twist and I hope a character that we’ll see later. |
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Honor Lost Norma Khouri |
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| Although this book had absolutely no stylistic flair, it was fascinating simply because of the subject – an honor killing in Jordan. Although the author is perhaps too uncritical of western-style romance, nonetheless the story of a young woman who falls in love only to be spied on by her brothers and murdered by her father is appalling! Shocking, also, is the way in which such a culture forces women to be manipulative and dishonest. Too bad a more subtle and skillful writer couldn’t have gotten a hold of this story; however, as it is, it’s highly compelling journalism. | |
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an Excerpt
Norma Khouri
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| How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents Julia Alvarez |  |
| Recounts one family’s experience leaving the Dominican Republic for New York. What makes Alvarez’s book unique is that she tells the story backwards, beginning with 40 year old Yolanda’s independence clashing with her protective Dominican relatives, and ending with the father’s involvement in the dictator’s assassination. | |
| Julia Alvarez
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| Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery Stephanie Barron |
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| An entertaining mystery that imagines Victorian author Jane Austen doubling as an amateur sleuth on the trail of a murderer. While some of detective Austen's attitudes seem a bit too modern to be believable, Barron's pleasant writing style makes this an enjoyable beach or pool-side read.
Stephanie Barron Jennifer Randall Hotz |
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| The Known World Edward P. Jones |
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| I have to admit that I gave up on this book very near the end. The subject – slavery in the American south – was fascinating and important, but the style was tedious. I think the problem was that the author had too many plot strands; just when a story line would start to get interesting, he would drop it for another. He never stayed with any character long enough to fully develop his or her personality, so all seemed a bit vague and even difficult to keep apart. It made me realize how difficult it is to write a book that simply keeps the reader interested; on that level, this book did not succeed with me, although the worthy subject might still make it worth reading (and, admittedly, the author may have managed to pull everything together in the end, and I was just too lazy to persevere!). | |
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an Excerpt
Edward P. Jones
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| Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning: 1977, the Yankees, and the Battle for the Soul of a City Jonathan Mahler |
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| This book focuses on events in New York City in 1977, a year that author Jonathan Mahler regards as a turning point in city history as the old “liberal establishment” is replaced by a “new establishment” with an “entrepreneurial spirit.” This book, which looks sympathetically at Ed Koch, George Steinbrenner, and Rupert Murdock is distasteful. Not recommended.
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Jonathan Mahler
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David Venturo |
| Last Night by James Salter | |
| These stories, generally about love and loss, are both lyrically beautiful and sharply observant. They suffer to some degree from a melancholy evenness of tone which in no way subtracts from the pleasure of reading them but did make them blur a bit in one’s memory…in fact, they would probably gain from rereading. I had a slight objection to Salter’s way of presenting dialogue, using a dash rather than quotes; it seemed a little affected and sometimes confusing. However, I would definitely like to read more by this author – perhaps a novel. | |
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| Living a Life that Matters: Resolving the Conflict Between Conscience and Success Harold S. Kushner |
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| This lovely little book, by the best-selling author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, offers a beautiful, comforting philosophy of life told through a Judeo-Christian perspective, and especially the Biblical history of Jacob. | |
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an Excerpt
Harold S. Kushner |
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| Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles Tony Bramwell with Rosemary Kingsland |
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| This memoir provides an insider’s first-hand account of life with the Beatles beginning when they were still schoolboys. Bramwell, born in 1946 grew up in Liverpool in the 1950’s and early 60’s, a slightly younger contemporary of the Beatles. In this largely affectionate book he traces their rise from teenaged rock ‘n’ rollers to international celebrities and major musical figures. Most compelling are his earliest recollections of the Beatles before they were famous and his account of Brian Epstein, the Beatle’s manager, for whom Bramwell worked as an assistant. The book is chronologically organized and largely anecdotal. Its later pages contain a scabrous portrait of Yoko Ono and her pursuit of, and life with, John Lennon. Bramwell remains a significant presence in the recording industry as a publicist and promoter.
Review by David Venturo |
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Tony Bramwell
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Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith |
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| I had never read any of this series and I was completely charmed by Morality for Beautiful Girls. I loved the writer’s style, the sense of physical atmosphere, and the ruminations of the main characters, which often made me chuckle with delight. The “mystery” plot didn’t amount to much and seemed more of a device to push the story forward; in that regard Smith is no Agatha Christie. However, I definitely plan to read more in this series. | |
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| The Peabody Sisters: Three Women who Ignited American Romanticism Megan Marshall |
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| I enjoyed this riveting new biography of the Peabody sisters, who came of age in Salem and Boston during the first half of the 19th century. The book provided a fascinating and extraordinarily well-researched portrait of a family of an era…one can easily imagine how invigorating it was to live among so many great men and women and to feel such enormous intellectual excitement in the air! The story of the youngest sister, Sophia, a talented artist who married the breathtakingly handsome Nathaniel Hawthorne was particularly interesting. I wanted to read more about their extraordinarily happy life together, but unfortunately, the book ends when the women are in their late 30’s and early 40’s. | |
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Peabody Sisters
Megan Marshall
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| A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence Ray Raphael | |
| The author relates, “The American Revolution did not start when the British marched toward Concord on April 18, 1775; it started the previous summer when farmers throughout Massachusetts flocked to their county seats to prevent the Crown-appointed judges from holding court.” Here is a wealth of primary sources – diaries and letters – from everyday, ordinary citizens. The struggle between Loyalists and Patriots was often bitter, sympathies were divided. Women, in particular, suffered cruelty and humiliation. While we hear much about the Revolution leaders, the full strength of the people was the force that brought about the changes at that period of American history. A good read for buffs and students.
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an Excerpt
Ray Raphael
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Prisoners Once Removed: The Impact of Incarceration and Re-entry on Children, Families, and Communities Jeremy Travis and Michelle Wald |
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The subtitle of this excellent book describes well its contents. This interesting and readable book makes clear the devastation and suffering of children, families, and communities brought on by the easy-sell “tough on crime” mandatory sentencing and “war on drugs” politicking. |
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| Read an Excerpt Jeremy Travis, Michelle Wald
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| The Procrastinator’s Guide to Wills and Estate Planning Eric G. Matlin, Attorney-at-Law |
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| This is one of the most helpful and well-organized recent books on estate planning – and I should know since I procrastinate by reading books on this topic. Highly recommend for folks like me. | |
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Eric G. Matlin |
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| Realm of Light Deborah Chester | |
| The final book of the Ruby Throne trilogy, Realm of Light, is probably the best of the three. The characters must confront their past, present, and future in order to save their world from darkness. Personal sacrifice and a sense of destiny are interwoven with intense love and compassion. A timeless battle of good and evil ends the tale, though who wins will only be revealed by reading the book. | |
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Deborah Chester
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| Reflecting the Sky S. J. Rozan | |
| Based on this book, I feel that S. J. Rozan would like to be but is not the equal of mystery writer Sue Grafton. The central character, Lydia Chin, lacks the compelling personality of Kinsey Milhone, and the writing style is serviceable but not brilliant. Also, the dynamic between Chin and her partner Bill is “cute” (lots of clever repartee!) rather than psychologically interesting, although I may feel this because I haven’t read any of the other books in this series. The most appealing thing about the book, which takes place in Hong Kong, is the local color. The plot was moderately interesting but not good enough, in my opinion, to make up for other flaws…all in all, an okay but not inspired mystery. | |
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Read an Excerpt S.J. Rozan
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| Reign of Shadows Deborah Chester | |
| An interesting intermingling of two seemingly unrelated stories; Ms. Chester is a master of getting the reader emotionally involved with at least one character. Enjoyable enough that I’ll check out the next book in the trilogy, out of curiosity, but not among my favorites. | |
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Deborah Chester
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| The Rule of Four Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason |  |
| Although a well-written story with an interesting mystery plot, I never felt myself really get drawn into the story. After the first chapter, I was seriously tempted to give up on it; however, due to its reputation and Princeton setting I persevered. The plot surrounding the .;… is quite intriguing, thought I felt like character development on Gil and Charlie was lacking in places. All in all, worth reading, but not at the top of my list. | |
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Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
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| Runaway Alice Munro |  |
| Alice Munro is one of the world’s greatest short story writers; each story has the expansive quality of a good novel and the intensity of poetry. I read several of these stories in The New Yorker, but it was a great pleasure to read them again. I particularly loved “Tricks,” which despite its almost unbelievable plot twist, works beautifully. | |
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an Excerpt Alice Munro
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| Saturday Ian McEwan |  |
| McEwan’s latest novel, published this spring, focuses on the actions and thoughts of London neurosurgeon Henry Perowne over a 24 hour period from early Saturday to early Sunday one weekend in February 2003. Despite the lyricism of its conclusion, the novel disappoints – the pronounced coincidences of its plots working at cross-purposes with the generally flat and dry style. | |
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Ian McEwan
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David Venturo |
| The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: The Search for Dare Wright Jean Nathan |
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I highly recommend this compelling biography of the author Dare Wright to anyone who remembers The Lonely Doll book series, or, for that matter, to anyone interested in children’s literature, photography, fashion, feminism, creativity, or family relationships. Although the book is slight and the story it tells is bizarre, it opens up interesting questions about complex issues; in many ways, it would be ideal for a women’s book group, since the minute I finished the book, I wanted to call up all my friends and talk about it. The photographs alone are fascinating, and made me appreciate the close relationship between Dare Wright and Cindy Sherman, for example. |
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Dare Wright
Jean Nathan
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| Shadow War Deborah Chester | |
| The second book in the Ruby Throne trilogy stats by focusing almost exclusively on the story of Caelan, leaving the reader to wonder is Elandra is still important and what is going on in her world. The two tales are finally intertwined in this volume and we see a much deeper development of the main characters. The events are fast-paced and filled with hints of things to come. Hard to stop reading. | |
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Deborah Chester
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| Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Lisa See | |
| The heartbreaking tale of friendship between two women in nineteenth century China. See examines women's relationships in all of their complexity, looking at women in relationship to themselves, each other, their husbands and children, and society. Told with delicacy and restraint, this tale of love and betrayal will stay with you for a long time. | |
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Read
an Excerpt Lisa See
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Jennifer Randall Hotz |
Stevenson Under the Palm Trees by Alberto Manguel |
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| This very short book, a novella based on the life of Robert Louis Stevenson, is nicely written and suggestive of interesting ideas, but it’s too slight to make a big impression. The extremely expressive woodcuts that illustrate the book are by Stevenson himself – a nice touch. | |
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Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt |
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I found this book, which is both a description of what is actually known about Shakespeare and a brilliantly imaginative interpretation, beartufully written and totoally riveting! It made me wat to reread tha plays and sonnets and also left me with a clearer understanding of the Elizabethean era. I particularly liked the chapter on “The Merchant of Venice.” This book deserves all its popularity – s superb example of literary critisim and scholarship for the layman. |
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| Stephen Greenblatt
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Katherine Tam |
| The Working Poor: Invisible in America David K. Shipler |
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This excellent book examines the lives of U.S. workers at the edge of poverty in a manner that proves absorbing and convincing to the reader. Highly recommended for all. |
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David K. Shipler
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| Ya-Yas in Bloom Rebecca Wells | |
| Ya-Yas in Bloom is an entertaining addition to the story of the Ya-Yas. However, it reads more like a collection of short stories than a novel. I did find it interesting to have certain characters such as Baylor more developed that in previous books. | |
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an Excerpt Rebecca Wells
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| The Year of Pleasures Elizabeth Berg | |
| This is an enjoyable read but not Berg’s best effort. The story seems to move too quickly – the year in the title is really much less than that, making the story unbelievable. Berg’s usual humor and poignancy make it still worth reading. | |
| Read an Excerpt Elizabeth Berg
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