Love, Love, Love

I'm a huge fan of William Boyd (Sweet Caress, Waiting for Sunrise, etc.), so when Love is Blind came out, I was very excited to get my hands on it!  This is one of those novels that captures you form the first page and you actually want to read it slower because you don't want it to end.  It's utterly engaging and gorgeously written, with elements of love, adventure, ambition, jealousy, and creativity.  It tells the life story of Brodie Moncur, a skilled piano tuner of little means from a Scottish village, who finds himself on a European adventure touring with a famous pianist during which time Brodie falls deeply in love with his employer's mistress.  Intrigue and entanglements ensue.  This was one of my absolute favorites of 2018!  

Oh, Klahoma!

I'm always amazed by the unexpected connections and pairings in the books I read.  I happened to pick up two novels that both take place in Oklahoma, and they were both intriguing page-turners in their own right.

Where the Dead Sit Talking, is Brian Hobson's debut novel, and was simply one of my absolute favorite books this year.  His eerie, perfectly paced, brooding, intimate coming-of-age tale is set in rural Oklahoma in the late 1980s.  Sequoyah and Rosemary are both Native American teenagers living in foster care with the Troutt family.  The two are drawn together and a mysterious air takes hold. This is an absolute must read!  

Wildlands, by Abby Geni, is a fascinating and disturbing tale about family, loyalty, and individuality.  The book tells the story of a family of kids left to fend for themselves after they are orphaned as a result of a tornado in their small town in Oklahoma.  Not only is the story riveting, but the writing is stunning as well. 

Indelible Irish

I had a serendipitous reading experience last week in which I picked up both John Banville's The Sea and Sebastian Barry's The Temporary Gentleman at the library, not knowing much about either book or either author.  Both are contemporary Irish writers with many novels under their belt.  I happened to pick these two books with no previous recommendations.  Both roped me in immediately with gorgeous language and unique plots.  Barry's novel is told from Jack McNulty's perspective as he looks back on his difficult marriage and his career as a soldier, engineer, and UN observer which took him all over the world.  It weaves in anecdotes from where the protagonist currently sits, in 1950-s Ghana, reflecting on his life.  I couldn't put it down. 

Banville's The Sea is a slim novel that explores the way grief, love, and childhood memories intersect, with the ever-changing but steady sea as a backdrop.  Banville used a number of words in his novel that I had to read more than once because I wasn't sure if they were real or invented, such as "quietus" and "bosky," which kept me on my toes.  Every single page contained memorable passages, but these were a few of my favorites:

How wildly the wind blows today, thumping its big soft ineffectual fists on the windowpanes.  This is just the kind of autumn weather, tempestuous and clear, that I have always loved. 

Also, she understands me to a degree that is disturbing and will not indulge my foibles and excesses as others do who know me less and therefore fear me more. 

My expression was uniformly winsome and ingratiating, the expression of a miscreant who fears he is about to be accused of a crime he knows he has committed yet cannot quite recall, but is preparing his extenuations and justifications anyway. 

A Siren Call

Ron Rash is one of my favorite Southern writers.  Alongside One Foot in Eden and Serena, The Risen does not disappoint.  It's a siren call - the appeal of something alluring but potentially dangerous. Two brothers, Bill and Eugene befriend an intriguing, free spirited young woman, Ligeia, who is visiting relatives, all within the backdrop of small town North Carolina.  The book is set in current day, but flashes back to when the characters first met in 1969, and follows the very different trajectories of the brothers since that fateful summer.  As the truth surrounding a longstanding mystery bubble to the surface, so do the tensions between Bill and Eugene.  It's captivating, atmospheric, poetic.  Ron Rash is at his best with The Risen.

As Good as Larry Watson

I've been a fan of Larry Watson ever since I read Montana, 1948, so of course I was very excited to see that he published a new novel recently, entitled As Good as Gone.  Watson is a master at engaging the reader quickly, with his interesting characters amidst the eastern plains of Montana.  His writing is a niche blend of mystery, novel, and Western, that I greatly enjoy.  While As Good as Gone kept me reading, I found it a bit lackluster in comparison to American Boy and Montana, 1948, which seemed more fully realized.  Then again, why not just read everything Watson has written?  His smart writing and great dialogue are sure to entertain!  

Two Debut Reviews

Esme Weijun Wang's debut novel The Border of Paradise captivated me from the first few pages.  Set in mid twentieth century Brooklyn, Taiwan, and a high Sierra town in California, it explores the impact of mental illness on multiple generations of the Nowak family, and portrays how it brings the family close together and tears it apart.  Taking the first person perspectives of the different family members is not a new approach but is done in such a fresh and intimate way in Wang's deft hands.  I was curious about this very talented young writer, so I went to her website which is quite unlike other author websites I have visited.  She describes how the three themes on her mind in recent times are creativity, resilience, and legacy, all of which are touched upon in her novel.  It's evident after reading the novel and visiting her website that she someone bristling with creative ideas, and has published many essays and embarked on other artistic projects.  Highly recommended!

Yaa Gyasi's debut novel Homegoing has been hailed as a revelation - some have even gone so far as to suggest it is and will be the best book published in 2016.  This is one of those books (and I've had this feeling before, for example, when Zadie Smith published White Teeth and Chimamanda Adichie published Purple Hibisicus) in which I wonder what I was doing when I was 26 years old!  What Gyasi has achieved at such an early stage of her age is very impressive.  She's written a gorgeous, heartbreaking novel that spans eight generations and multiple geographies (coming full circle to Ghana, with many stops in between including Harlem and Alabama). What I find particularly interesting about her novel is that despite its breadth, each chapter almost stands alone as a vignette that explores deeply the characters' lives.  To achieve both breadth and depth is rare.  It's an essential read on slavery and its legacy.  

NYC: Gangsters in the Guilded Age

If you are looking for a fast-paced, intelligent caper, look no further than Charles Belfoure's House of Thieves, which captures 1886 New York City high society as well as its underworld.  Family secrets, deceptions, crime, glamour, gangsters, heists - it's all contained in this very entertaining novel, centered around John Cross, a successful architect, and his son who finds himself in over his head with gambling debt.  Part historical fiction, literary thriller, and family character study, this is a book you will stay up late at night to finish! 

Our Spoons Came from Woolworths

I had read Barbara Comyn's Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead many years ago based on a suggestion at Green Apple Books, and the whimsical title Our Spoons Came from Woolworths caught my attention on a recent bookstore jaunt.  Comyns infuses both works with a sense of outlandishness and eccentricity, and a potent blend of the tragic and the comic.  Our Spoons Came from Woolworths tells the story of a young artist, Sophia Fairclough. who marries an artist named Charles, and becomes pregnant shortly thereafter.  Living a bohemian but spartan life in 1930s London, the young couple must navigate balancing artistic interests with familial responsibility, while living in poverty.  This is a novel that doesn't shy away from a woman's frank perspective on marriage and motherhood.  Fascinating, indeed.

Remembering Stegner

I recently read an essay by Wendell Berry in which he discusses and praises Wallace Stegner's first novel, Remembering Laughter, published in 1937. It is very different from Crossing to Safety and Angle of Repose, both of which I read years ago. 

The novel centers around Margaret and Alec Stuart, a prosperous couple living on a farm in Iowa.  When Margaret's younger sister Elspeth arrives to live with them, a chain of events are set in motion that ultimately leads all three of them to live separate and unfulfilled lives.   This was a very beautiful book - exquisite writing, crystal clear scenes, a brilliant capturing of unspoken grief, hurt, and love.  This is an early contender for one of my favorite books of 2016. 

The novel reminds me of other books featuring love triangles, such as One Foot in Eden and Ethan Frome - might be interesting to read these books back to back.  All are brilliantly written!  

Come On Eileen

Eileen, Ottessa Moshfegh's debut novel, was the first book I read in 2016.  It's a sinister, dark, intriguing story of a young woman who lives with her alcoholic father and works at a boys' prison in a wintry New England town.  With an aura of Hitchcock, Poe, and Highsmith, but in a voice all her own, Moshfegh weaves an unforgettably twisted bildungsroman, as Eileen discovers her own strengths and vulnerabilities, and also unearths the lengths she will go to escape the grit and claustrophobia of her life. It's unnerving and compelling, even cringe worthy, and I couldn't put it down.  Plus, I'll never think of icicles in the same way again (luckily I'm not often contemplating them given my California life)!

My favorite book from January

My plan to read slim books in the month of January so as to start off the year by making a good dent in my "to read" list backfired to a certain extent, as I didn't find that many books that I'll remember or that had a great impact on me.  My favorite book from this past month was Larry Watson's Montana 1948, a short but great read that reminded me both of Ivan Doig and Richard Ford's writing. Told from the perspective of David Hayden, a boy coming of age in fictional Bentrock, Montana, the book explores themes of loyalty - to one's values, one's family, and one's job, and how these can create conflict within a nuclear family and a town.  I'm officially a Larry Watson fan now!

Words on War

I recently read Tobias Wolff's memoir In Pharoah's Army as well as Phil Klay's collection of short stories, Redeployment.  It's fascinating to read these books within the same few weeks, as they both illustrate the effects of war and have many commonalities.  Wolff writes of his decision to enter the army, his experience in Vietnam, his relationship with his father, and his adjustment to life as a civilian.  Klay writes about Iraq and Afghanistan, and his stories focus on both being in the thick of daily life in a war zone, as well as what people's lives are like after returning from war.  Both Klay's debut and Wolff's memoir are very well written and engaging, and provide a great deal of insight into the intimate challenges faced by soldiers.  Recommended!

Irish Anguish

I've wanted to read John McGahern's The Barracks for quite some time now - glad I finally got around to it.   The story centers around the life of Elizabeth Reegan, a woman who has lived a varied life but ends up back in the Irish village in which she grew up.  Married to her husband, a widower and a police officer who hates his job and wishes to be his own boss someday, she tends the home and takes care of his three children.  It's a bleak tale in which Ms. Reegan must fight for her life against breast cancer, and addresses the futility and fleeting freedoms of life.  This is an insular, unsparing book, and beautifully written.  Some compelling passages:

"He brought a wonderful ease with him sometimes into the house, the black hands of the clock would take wings."

"She was shackled, a thieving animal held at last in this one field."

"There never had been even any real discussion, not to speak of understanding, and while each of them alone was nothing there might be no knowing what both of them might find together." 

"Always easy to love something or somebody when you know you don't have to endure them anymore, when the goodbyes are being waved, and you can have your dream and choice of them instead of their solid, individual and demanding presence."

A Tightly Woven Tale

I have no recollection of how Larry Watson's Let Him Go ended up on my "to read" list (possibly an IndieBound next list suggestion?!) but I'm glad it did.  It's the kind of book you'll want to read quickly, as it immediately draws you in to the action the characters, and their intent.  It's spare and atmospheric writing, reminding me in ways of Kent Haruf and Peter Heller's The Painter.  And I feel that I've read this kind of plot before, but I just can't remember in what book (family members attempting to rescue kids and bring them out of harm's way, etc.). 

The story centers around Margaret and George Blackledge, who set out on a journey to find and protect their grandson, who, after their own son's death, is being raised by their daughter-in-law and her boyfriend, Ronnie Weboy.  The Blackledges know something is amiss with the Weboy family and despite their age, have a determination and pluckiness that propel them to possibly put themselves in harm's way to make sure their grandson grows up in a safe environment.  Set amidst the backdrop of small town North Dakota and Montana, this is a book you'll want to read in just a few sittings, and then put more of Larry Watson's books on hold at the library.  At least, that's what I'm going to do!

The Wild West, Two Ways

I recently read two books back to back that prominently feature the American West, in two very different ways.  The first was Molly Gloss' Falling From Horses, which is a straightforward and really touching story that follows the lives of two young people setting out to California to try to carve out a life for themselves in Hollywood - one as a screen writer and the other as a horse rider in Western movies.  The year is 1938, and Lily Shaw and ranch hand Bud Frazer meet on the bus as they travel to Los Angeles for the first time, and ultimately become life long friends.  We learn about Bud's difficult past regarding his sister and his family, and about his coming of age in Hollywood.  It was the first book I read by Gloss, and I plan to try another one.  The writing style reminded me in a way of Kent Haruf.  

The second book was John Williams' Butcher's Crossing.  Set in the 1870s, the book tells the story of young Will Andrews, who drops out of Harvard and heads West to explore his own "wildness" and learn more of the natural world.  He finds himself in Butcher's Crossing, Kansas, where he decides to put together an outfit of four men who will travel on a buffalo hunt.  The book perfectly captures the restlessness and sense of adventure of men in those times.  The men encounter difficulties along the way, and ultimately end up snowed in, in a valley in the Colorado Rockies for the winter, as they were so caught up with the greed and excitement of killing buffalo that they lost track of time.  

Both of these books caught me off guard - they were well written, captivating, and just plain old fashioned great story telling.  Both are recommended!

A Breath of Fresh Texas Air

William Goyen's The House of Breath (published in 1950, and Goyen's first work) was recently listed as a recommended book in Texas Monthly magazine, of which I am a subscriber. I also finally figured out how to use "LINK +" with the Oakland Public Library system, so was able to get this book on loan from another library system.  It was a book like none I have ever read before - the narrative structure and writing style is wholly unique to Goyen.  It is poetic and evocative, and brims with memories of small town life in Charity, Texas.  The style reminded me a bit of Faulkner and a bit of Garcia Marquez.   These days I'm more drawn to realistic fiction, so I didn't love the unconventional style but I appreciated some of the beautiful phrases in the book.  Here are some of my favorite passages (with spelling as it appears in the book):

"Everything then, working with and upon everything - with accompanying resistance and damage and error but turning out something changed, finished, prepared to receive something more, to take in and take on something more:  pain, wisdom, love.  This great, mysterious chemistry going on - praise it."

"Aunty just got up from her chair on the gallery and said in at the front door, "Seven years bad luck little feist," for the broken mirror.  (Oh, she had it, seven and more.)"

"I'd lie there in my bed and want to die, and think - is this what parents have to come to, a creepin at night through room and room with a shotgun after the ghosts of their children who've gone away and left them lonely and sleepless and chokin in the night?"

"O what's the meanin of it all?  There must be some meanin somewhere - it cain't all be just this rabblement and helter-skelter."

"We ought to see it that we make good memry for ourselves, like a slow and perfect stitchin, as we go along, and embroidry a good and lovely memry out of all the tread we one day have to set, alone, and unravel, stitch by stitch."

"You didn't want to flicker around East Texas, you wanted to blaze in the world, to sparkle, to shine, to glisten in the great evil world."

The Book of Unknown Americans

Cristina Henriquez's The Book of Unknown Americans weaves together the interlocking stories of a group of Latino immigrants living in the same run down apartment complex in Delaware.  Through the eyes of these characters, we come to feel what it would be like, for example, to be dropped off in a less than idyllic setting (with thoughts of the "American Dream" quickly pushed aside), with hardly any possessions and no knowledge of English.  The book centers around the story of Alma and Arturo Rivera, who come to the United States seeking medical help for their impaired daughter who had an accident in Mexico.  Despite Arturo's efforts at work and Alma's efforts to protect her daughter and create a feeling of home, there are no simple answers or quick fixes, and in fact, some of these characters face even more tragedy in the U.S. than they did at home.  Henriquez doesn't sugar coat the lives of her characters, and in avoiding doing so, she brings the reader face to face with the realities of many "Unknown Americans," in all of their heartbreaks and struggles.

Kaui Hart Hemmings - master of hilarity and heartbreak

Hemmings' The Descendants finds the perfect balance between hilarity and heartbreak, and she does it again in The Possibilities. The novel follows Sarah St. John's grieving the loss of her 22 year old son, Cully, who died in an avalanche near Breckenridge, CO. Hemmings takes us into the inner workings of Sarah as she comes to grips with this devastation in her life, as she navigates her relationship with her own father, Cully's father who comes back into her life, and a young woman who holds a secret that links her to Cully and therefore to Sarah.  Set over the course of just a few days, this novel explores the messiness and beauty of familial ties and love.  Hemmings is a brilliant talent - I recommend starting with The Descendants, as I think this is her stronger of the two!

A Mouthful of Murakami

Murakami is one of those rare authors with a cult following, and I've read all of his works and wait in anticipation of his next book (I hear there is a new one coming not too long from now)!  I was thrilled to go to the library to pick up Murakami's new book, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.  The novel tells the story of Tsukuru and his group of friends in high school, all who have a color in his last name except for him.  Feeling the most colorless and bland of the bunch (similar to other Murakami protagonists), Tsukuru goes off to college to study engineering and while there, learns that his friends want nothing to do with him anymore and cut him off completely.  Tsukuru, now 36, is hoping to form a serious relationship with a girl he has recently met, but she encourages him to find out why his friends cut him off as this seems to be preventing Tuskuru from forming a deep, trusting relationship with her.  Tsukuru decides to meet up with his friends to discover why they cut him off years ago.  This is classic Murakami - impossible to put down but I couldn't really tell you why.  On the one hand, Murakami often pays attention to very small seemingly bland details (we hear all about characters daily rituals and ablutions), but also writes in somewhat of a dreamlike manner.  All in all, I love Murakami's writing.  This wasn't my absolute favorite of his, but it was interesting and engaging.   

Two Great First Novels

Ron Rash is one of my favorite contemporary Southern writers.  His novel Serena and his short stories Burning Bright, are very memorable and readable.  One Foot in Eden, Rash's first novel, is an atmospheric tale of love, loyalty, and family ties that takes place in rural Appalachia in the 1950s.  It was totally riveting - couldn't put it down!  Billy and Amy Holcombe, a young married couple, try to get pregnant, but after failing to do so, Amy makes a decision that yields her a son, Isaac, but ultimately costs her more than she could have imagined.  

Tobias Wolff is one of those authors where each of his works must be savored, as he is spare in words and not as prolific as some of his contemporaries.  His first novel, The Barracks Thief, explores the relationships between three young paratroopers before being sent off to the Vietnam War.  While narrow in breadth and short in length, Wolff shows off his ability to create flawed characters that we root for and with whom we sympathize.

I highly recommend Rash and Wolff!