Review: The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

As I helped my friend M clean out her bookshelves for a move, I picked up The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler . I looked at the cover and thought "hmm...haven't I read this? I have certainly heard of it". ...Author Anne Tyler has written many books. How have I missed this author? She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her 11th novel, Breathing Lessons, for goodness sake. (my next read, BTW !) AND The Accidental Tourist was made into a movie starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. (already in my NetFlix queue) Really, never saw it and I love those two. (Remember Body Heat ?!)

So, I began the book and couldn't put it down. The story is about a travel guide writer, Macon Leary,  who does not like to travel. He visits the same countries over & over , up-dating the guides that he has already written. He travels all over world and yet never seems to see "the sights" He never ventures too far from his hotel room, checking out restaurants ( even a Burger King in France) that wouldn't be the first ones I would visit. Never anything exciting. Much like his personal life.

When his twelve year old son is killed in a random act of violence, his marrriage unravels.  His wife moves out and he ends up very weird & lonely. When it comes time to travel, he needs to kennel his dog, Edward. He meets Muriel, the quirky dog trainor who works at the kennel and by sheer audacity, she gets under Macon's skin.  She sucks him into her quirky lifestyle & crazy family and after a while, without his even knowing it, his life begins again.

This book is rich and full of all kinds of "characters". And in the end, it makes you wonder about your own life. Are you just accidentally living it?

Highly recommended.

Review: Devil Sent the Rain by Tom Piazza

essay: a short piece of writing on a particular subject

 

Tom Piazza is an essayist, author of novels and  a TV writer. He lives in New Orleans and has alot of insight into the still unsettled lives of the people who live there. He also is "in-tune" with the music industry, particularly the blues musicians. These two topics are included in the essays of his new book Devil Sent the Rain.

One essay stands out for me. He tells of living in New Orleans after the hurricane and spending four years rebuilding his home. He comes home one day to find that he has been robbed. Of course, he would like to catch the peron who did it, but he says that they probably have a wretched life already. He then tells us that a worse fate for hundreds of families in the city is that in an effort to rebuild a bigger & better hospital , the city will "take" a hundred rebuilt homes and demolish them. A different kind of robbery.

I was very interested to read one essay about his meeting Norman Mailer and developing a friendship that lasted until Mailer died. Another good essay was about Bob Dylan's transition from folk songwriter/singer to rock'n'roller.

Many good essays in this book, worth the read.

Review: The Book of Life by Stuart Nadler

 This is a book of short stories by an author that I have not read before. I jumped right into the first story and all I can say is wow.

"In the Book of Life"  is the tale of an older Jewish businessman, seemingly with everything going for him. Longtime friend as a business partner, longtime marriage, grown kids. So you tell me...why have an affair with the daughter of your business partner?  

"Catherine & Henry" is the story of a love affair that is put to the "test". She tests his fidelity by putting a young, beautiful model right under his nose. Henry failed the test...but so did Catherine.

It is funny that after I read two stories, I thought, hmm...these are stories about life...what is the title of this book? Flip to cover, ah yes ! The Book of Life.

Just weird, happy, sorrowful, filled with regrets kind of stories. Like life.

Highly recommended.

 

Well, summer is over and I spent it reading some wonderful books. Now, into fall with more wonderful books. I am eagerly awaiting Gregory Maguire's last novel in the Wicked series, due out in November. If you have not read these books you are truly missing out.

 

Review: Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

If you want a good summer read, always pick up an Elin Hilderbrand book and you won't be disappointed. The fact that she lives on Nantucket and writes about characters on Nantucket is such a good start! Silver Girl is the story about a family of privilege, who takes a huge fall from grace. Meredith Delinn is married to a very sucessful investor, Freddy Delinn. Maybe he is just a little too sucessful. How can his investment company return so much more money than any one else's, especially in this market? She turns a blind eye to all the signs and lives the high life while raising her two sons. When Freddy Delinn's scheme gets exposed and billions of dollars in investor's money is lost, the Delinn's become the most hated people on earth !! While her husband sits in jail and she remains under investigation, she places a call to the only person she could trust, her childhood friend Connie. They had been estranged for years, but it was worth the chance. A bit reluctantly, Connie took Meredith to Nantucket to get away from her troubles. Unfortunately, Meredith brought trouble with her to Nantucket.

We still have a few weeks of summer left, so I recommend you go out and buy this book, plunk down on the beach and read !!!

PS-I was lucky enough to go to the movies last week with a bunch of gal pals to see The Help. The movie was good. I thought the actors did a great job, loved Viola Davis as Abileen. Cecily Tyson as Constantine and Sissy Spacek as Missus Walters added a spark to the already great cast. If you  have read the book ( a MUST read !!), the movie will seem a bit light- hearted with a few good laughs, but it did follow the premise of the book. So please go out and see it, I am sure it will be up for a few nominations come award season !

Review: Q by Evan Mandery

" You must not marry Q". Those were the words that set a whole lifetime full of regrets in motion for Mandery's character in this new novel. The person who delivered those words, sets this story in motion. 

The reader never learns the name of the main character, as the story is told in the first person. But I didn't realize I didn't know his name, until I was ready to write this review.  He was always "I". And that one letter/word becomes an important part of the story. I am sure this must all sound very "out there". And this book is kind of science fiction-y, but it doesn't feel that way. I am not a science fiction lover. BUT I loved this book.

The main character is a 20-something aspiring author /college professor hoping for tenure. He falls in love with Quentina Deveril. Q happens to be the love of his life. As they get into the final stages of wedding planning, the author is visited by a very sad looking 55 year old man, who happens to be his own 55 year old self ( I-55), transported back in time with the help of a time machine. "You must not marry Q".

Crazy, huh? Except it doesn't feel that way as you read along. This young man goes on a roller coaster ride through-out his life, the paths dictated by his older-selves (I-57, I-60, I-80.....) coming back to visit and changing the coarse of his life over & over & over.

All because he didn't marry Q.

Long after you read this book, you will still be thinking about it, which is the gift of a good book.  

I so enjoyed this book and I swear I may read it again because it is so thought provoking. This is a perfect book for a book club. Anyone who has read it and wants to discuss, please get in touch!!

Also, I am still watching oldie but goodie movies. Prizzi's Honor last weekend. Boy was that good. Loved Jack Nicholson & Kathleen Turner in it. I know Angelica Huston won an Academy Award for Best Supporting, but I really think Turner should have nabbed it !!

Review: Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi

This is not the latest book by Hegi , just one of many that she has written. I will eventually read all of her books because I think Ursula Hegi is one of the most gifted writers on the planet. Sacred Time starts out with Anthony , aged 7, just wishing & hoping for some GlassWax and stencils so that he can decorate his family's Bronx apartment windows for Christmas. He also informs us in the same sentence that his Uncle Malcolm was in jail again, this time for stealing office equipment. So begins this tale of a large Italian family living in New York City. Hegi is a genius when it comes to layering characters with time, relationships, tragedies and triumphs. As you read along , each chapter with one character's thoughts and perspectives, you begin to see how one innocent wish of a young child turns tragic for a whole family. As the years pass along in the book, you will be swept up into the subtle and then  "in your face" ways something like this will change every member of a family.

I love the way Hegi writes. Flash backs, characters talking over each other & finishing anothers thoughts...just like real life. It keeps you invested in her story until the last word. She has written so many books: Stones from the River ( my first and an Oprah pick) Children & Fire, Floating in my Mother's Palm, The Vision of Emma Blau and Salt Dancers, to name only a few...Salt Dancers is one of my all time fave books. You can start there, or anywhere. You will become a fan.

Review: Yureka...Struck Gold ! L'Oreal Million Lash Mascara

I am very excited to have finally found a mascara that doesn't flake. L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lash. Lasts all day, minimal clumping ( I use a q- tip just to take care of those little nuisances) & keeps my lashes curled. I am just coming off a test of a Lancome and a Sephora mascara and they were definitely NOT worth the price. Both flaked, clumped, took the curl out and wore off  by days end.
 Not so this new one by L'Oreal, and it is only $7 a tube. The case is good sized & brilliant gold and it clicks shut when you tighten it. (I am thinking it won't dry out as others do)  I am not usually a fan of the new plastic applicators , but this one works !! You can get it at any department/drug store or on-line at Amazon.com.

I have recently read a good book by author Kate Kerrigan called Ellis Island. It is a love story based in poverty-stricken Ireland in the 1920-30's. When Ellie Hogan's new husband ( and childhood love) is injured and cannot walk nor work, she heads to New York where an old friend has secured her a  job as a maid for an ultra-rich woman. In NY she is surrounded by luxury unimagined in Ireland and soon becomes accustomed to the wealth and sophistication of the city. As she sends home most of her earnings so that her husband can have a much needed operation, she begins to think maybe she will not return to Ireland. OR maybe her husband will join her in America. Enter a new, rich and handsome American love interest and Ellie is faced with a classic decision. For love or money?

I did like this book but I wish the author hadn't made the ending so easy for her character. I didn't think there was a big enough internal struggle for Ellie, between staying in NY and living a great life or returning to her husband in Ireland and living in dismal poverty. I really felt like the ending   fizzled a bit.
Worth the read though !