Never Let Me Go

NEVER LET ME GO

by

Kazuo Ishiguro

I have read several other books by this author: The Remains of the Day and When we were orphans. I really enjoyed his writing style in those books. This book is totally different. It was an amazing story, futuristic, maybe even sci-fi. I don't want to reveal the story line. He reveals the story slowly as the story progresses, which makes the reader experience the dawning knowledge in a similar way to which the narrator is experiencing it. I would call it a moral wake-up call. Food for thought and I highly recommend it.

Another Lipman

The Pursuit of Alice Thrift

By

Elinor Lipman

This is the third book I've read by Elinor Lipman in a couple of weeks. This was just as engaging as the others. I'm starting to see a pattern in the author's writing. The main character is usually somewhat socially inept and grows through getting to know new and gregarious friends. There is usually an unusual and pretty happy ending, at least a hopeful one. This book had quite a bit of "funny business" but not in horrible taste. I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the next one waiting in line: The Ladies' Man. I might read something else in between. Then again...

Book hunts...

Today I went to Amazon.com to look for the book "Book Lover" by Jennifer Kaufman. I've been watching for it, but haven't seen it ever. They had 15 or so used copies, but they all would be shipped from England! Maybe it hasn't come out in the U.S. yet. Very mysterious. But, on second look, the first book on the list was $4 and was shipped from the U.S. I tried to use a $5 promotional code I have to use up before February 7, but I guess since it was used I couldn't. For some reason they didn't charge shipping, so I have my rare book coming in a week for only $4. Sweet!

Also, as I dug around in Goodwill for other things, I decided to take a quick swing by the book section, and somehow I spotted an Elinor Lipman book! Its called THEN SHE FOUND ME. It is apparently a movie! With Matthew Broderick, Colin Firth, Helen Hunt and Bette Midler. I've never heard of it.

I think I'll hold off on reading it though and read my library books first. I should try to read something else in between...maybe.

Elinor Lipman, my new best friend...

Isabel's Bed

by

Elinor Lipman

I just finished my second Elinor Lipman book (this morning with my coffee). I loved it! It is like a great chick flick, with lots of humor, surprises, relationships, and on and on. I don't really like to reveal too much of the story so if you want to know exactly what its about, you could go to Amazon and read some real reviews. Suffice it to say this would be a great "beach read" or the book you keep in your car to read while waiting for your kids. (but you won't want to put it down). Lipman has "her own uniquely irresistible voice". This book is 'no calorie chocolate' - just a little more, just a little more. Yum.

I have TWO more of her novels waiting for me at the library.
Rats, the library isn't open on Sunday.

The Inn at Lake Devine

By Elinor Lipman. I found this book at the used paperback store, completely randomly.

If you buy the larger trade size, you buy two ($3 each) and get one free.

I needed to find my free book.

The cover appealed to me and on the cover it said

"Delightful . . . [a] witty romantic comedy."

That sounded like something I would like.

. . .
I really enjoyed this book. So much so that I went back to the store before I even finished it, to see what else they had by Elinor Lipman. I found ISABEL'S BED. Of course I had to pick two more books, to get one free!
. . .
Here is a quote from the book that appealed to me:
. . .
"If ever a Jew wished that Christmas were a secular holiday, it was me at vespers on the eve of Robin's wedding. The choir, dressed as Edwardian carolers, entered from the back of the chapel., singing softly, their individual voices distinct as they passed me, then back to a blended whole. I saw white-gloved bell ringers in black evening gowns and tails. I fell in love with an entire brass ensemble of handsome men. Most beautiful and moving in a repertoire of beautiful and moving carols was "Silent Night," in German and English, by candlelight."
. . .
This was such a fun story to read. Here is another review comment: "a punchy little comedy of manners . . .Think Jane Austen in the Catskills." This one is a keeper to read again someday. I think you'll like it too. coincidentally, this was another cooking book!
...
She has at least five more novels, and I can't wait to read them all.

The Food of Love

The Food of Love

By Anthony Capella This was a very different kind of book. It was kind of a sleazy love story, but with a twist. It has a lot of Italian slang in it, with footnotes, as to what the translation is (rated X), and recipes in the back. The ladies in the plot were all pretty shallow - two dimensional characters. You just knew a guy wrote it! The food descriptions however, were exquisite! Even food I would never taste sounded beautiful. When I was looking for a picture of the book online, I discovered Anthony Capella's books all appear to center around FOOD! This one was his first Novel.

. . .

Read at your own risk!

A trip to King's Books

On Sunday, we took a rare trip to King's Books in Tacoma. Well, first we went to THE HUB, a nearby restaurant/pub for their delicious breakfasts! Then, once we were stuffed - we went book browsing. King's is a smallish used bookstore. They do have rare books. Walker enjoys looking in their foreign and classical section. They have lots of ordinary used books too. I went with my list, but only found one book to buy - not on my list of course.

One thing we enjoy there is their bookstore cats. They are the friendliest cats! Big and healthy too. Why do bookstores have cats? mice or ambiance?

King's is worth a drive once in a while. They don't open until 11:00 a.m. They buy books too. The Hub is fun (Bicycle theme and always new art on the walls + tvs and sports going in every room). There is an Irish Pub next door we have never tried but looks worth a try.

the other family

I have read other books by Joanna Trollope: The Rector's Wife, Marrying the Mistress. When I saw The Other Family at the used paperback store, (buy two get one free) I decided to give it a try.

Joanna Trollope's books are usually stories of domestic drama. They are stories of messy lives and human frailties. I felt like it could be a story from the Hallmark Channel when I was reading it.

I think I read this book in 24 hours. It is always fascinating to read British Literature: the girls call each other things like "stupid cow" and they eat "digestive biscuits". They refer to drugs that sound very exotic, but I suspect are Tylenol or sudafed. This story was a little depressing in places, the women were all so scattered and obnoxious to each other it was somewhat disturbing. But, in the end everyone sorted out their lives and several of them seemed to be on their way to happy endings.

The White Queen

The White Queen

by Philippa Gregory I finished this book last night, much to the detriment of my other projects at hand. Its been a while since I've read a new Philippa Gregory book, and this was not a disappointment.

...

The main character is called the White Queen, because she is of the House of York, whose symbol is a white rose. This is the first part of "the cousins war", "the war of the roses". So much intrigue, scrambling for position, switching of sides. The White Queen was told in first person, totally from the viewpoint of Elizabeth, the White Queen. Some reviews I read didn't like that viewpoint, but I thought it was perfect for this story.

...

One thing I really liked was the main characters had seven children and really loved them all. So many stories of that era portray servants raising the children and having little or no relationship with them. This is not to say that the children are not pawns - they definitely are useful for making alliances and making friends of enemies!

...

At the end of the book, the author explains what was fact and what was fiction, what was general theory and what was the author's idea of what happened. I learned quite a bit of history - putting the pieces together in the proper order!

...
I am looking forward to The Red Queen, which is the next book in this series. I don't have it yet, but I will find it soon I'm sure.
...
I have a lovely stack of books to choose my next read from. Its like having a box of Godiva Chocolates, and having to decide which one to try next! Yum.

More new books for my library

I got rid of a bunch of books I have had here and never read (tried, but not engaging enough). So, I gave them to Goodwill. Now I seem to have an empty place that needs to be filled! I found one book at the Seattle Children's Thrift Store, and three at the paperback store. I'm always on the lookout for new favorite authors. Maybe there is a treasure in this stack.
...

The Philippa Gregory book is one of her older ones, republished after the success of her History of the Queens of England books. I have read many of them, not quite as good as her more recent stuff, but still interesting.

Olive Kitteridge

I just finished reading Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

I have mixed feelings about the book, although I feel like I read it in record time so obviously it was interesting. It was basically a book of short stories about relationships with one character (Olive Kitteridge) having a minor role in each story. The characters were all from the same little town in Maine. Their relationships were sticky and complex. In the back of the book was an interview with Olive (fictional character) and the author which was interesting and different.

I really liked Elizabeth Strout's writing style and I am going to look for her books AMY AND ISABELLE and ABIDE WITH ME.

January 7th 2011

Four New Treasures!

My story starts yesterday. I went to Lassley's paperback shop because I estimated I had about 12 minutes before I needed to go pick Tori up after school. I dashed into the store and Eureka! I found THE WHITE QUEEN by Philippa Gregory (on my list!). I looked around for anything else on my list but no luck. Suddenly, a group of three little old ladies (like me) gathered around the checkout - they had never been there before and needed the process explained to them!

tick tick tick.

I looked around a bit more - POW two more people got in line with big stacks of books! That store isn't usually that busy! I had to interrupt, "would you mind holding these for me until tomorrow morning? I can't wait now?" whew, the nice lady said ok.

So, I went in this morning and got The White Queen (Philippa Gregory's first historical novel of the War of the Roses), A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock, maybe a gothic mystery. I looked it up on Amazon and saw good reviews for it; The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, another mystery, taking place in two different eras; and The Food of Love by Anthony Capella, also well reviewed as a light read of love and food in Italy. I got these all for $10. They are the larger paperback style. I feel very wealthy today with all this reading material waiting for me.

a version of the truth

a Version of the truth by Jennifer Kaufman

and

Karen Mack

Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack are my new favorite authors! They've only written three books though! I have to say they are rated PG 18, including some rather steamy love scenes. I love the writing style, so easy to read, unexpected and with a beautifully included background of great books to read. A version of the truth, is a story of a "late bloomer" who makes it good. Nature Magazine says "It's The Devil Wears Prada meets Walden Pond."
I also read literacy and longing in L.A. by the same authors (I read this one first). This book had extensive LIST in the back of all the books mentioned in the novel! It covers many pages! They have written one other book to date "Book Lover", which I haven't found yet. It may be too new to be in my favorite (cheap) haunts.

Sarah's Key

January 3, 2011

I read SARAH'S KEY by Tatiana de Rosney. I had heard of the book and found it at the Children's Hospital Thrift Store a few days ago. I read it in two days. It had a format of a chapter from 1942 and a chapter in present day France, with the two stories moving together towards the finale. A suspenseful story of the great Veledrome d'Hiver roundup of Jewish families. Highly recommended. The theme is "Never forget" and this is an unforgetable story.