The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

This is a lovely tale. It's full of grit and honor, and what a man will do to prove himself, even if only to himself. Hemingway has a simple way of putting you right into the action. This entire story had me tugging along on that fishing line right along with the old man. The ending is absolutely beautiful, though it is full of sorrow it illuminates the resiliency of humankind. For those of you new to literature I recommend this book, it is an easy read, it's short and poignant. And it is one of Hemingway's best novella's. This book was as deeply enjoyed by me as the deep waters it adventures out into.

jlw

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

Travel to India, a beautiful torn place, and follow the lives of beautiful and torn people. Every novel is an escape but this one...I had to catch myself and remember that I wasn't really there. Kiran has magically penned a story that opens a door to her world. Feeling the hopes and fears of another culture paints a better picture than years of study. Kiran reveals the different pains of her people...sending family to America for betterment, coming back home to war, hating your own culture, loving your own culture, falling in love with someone, coming out of love into hate for someone, living in India but refusing to become India, fighting for an India you may lose but can't live without. I'm not sure if she could have covered anything more. And she painted it all so well that you never feel overwhelmed with the distress of too many characters. This wonderful book should be read by all Americans...Let's remember how not very different we are from each other though we exist on opposite ends of the earth and let us honor those differences we do have.


jlw

Avalon by Anya Seton.....Katherine by Anya Seton

I've finally finished it, my travels from England to Iceland and then to the even colder Greenland. I've sailed with Erik the Red and watched in horror as King Edward was assassinated. It truly is an adventure. Like other Anya Seton novels, it follows true history and is painted beautifully with Anya's insight into the ancient people she writes about and the period culture.
But there was something lacking in this novel that is found profusely in her novel Katherine...Rarely did I feel sympathy for Merewyn. I was not close enough to her thoughts, I didn't feel her heartbeat faster nor did I feel her satisfactions. Though the novel is written well and enjoyable, I think it lacked zoom in on the main character. Yet, because of the emotional detachment it is not a book that creates stress for the main heroine. This makes it an easy read. I still give it four stars! Just knowing that Anya Seton traveled all these places herself, dug up the historical facts, and weaved together a well put story gives this novel well-deserved respect. Yet, because I rave so much over Katherine, I'm adding another review to this post.

Just look at this face! I fell in love with the book before I ever opened it up!
This is the first Anya Seton book that fell into my hands. Surprisingly it was written before Avalon. One would think that as time goes on an author would get better...but possibly Anya wrote this when she was younger and therefore more passionate. And "passionate" is exactly what the whole of this novel is based on. It satisfies the romantic early on, which is good for a novel of 500 pages. AND it's full of intimacy through the middle. I can't give away the ending but...it really does justice to the turmoil that you experience with Katherine throughout her lifetime. This book will get a reread...It is the highest honor that I give to a book. It was so worth my time that it will be picked up again and each page adorned with my eyes and painted to life by my heart. Where five is the highest - Six Stars!


jlw

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Santa brought this to my eight year old daughter. She is enthralled by it. I've never seen her carry a book around with her so much. She takes it to bed, she takes it to school. She even has a following of "field guide owner wannabe's" amongst her friends. The book itself is rich in art and imaginative descriptions, some in cursive. My child who usually shies away from reading anything too hard has dove head first into these pages. Every new discovery she makes she wants to discuss together before bed, and this enthusiasm has lasted greater than twenty days! Not only does it give her energy to learn new things, but it promotes creativity - she draws up her own creatures and envisions their habits. For anyone who is wrapped up in the Spiderwick Chronicles, this book makes a great addition to the fantastical world we love to jump into with Tony and Holly.


jlw

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

This book made it to my all time favorite list. I have a weakness for stories of imperfect, sometimes a little psychotic, families and their mishaps. But this book in it's entirety was no where near a mishap. Elegant and mysterious, you will twist your own thoughts of love around and around, unsure of what is right or wrong while you travel through the lives of Esme and Iris. The beginning is entrancing, the middle enriching, and the ending completely a surprise! Rarely do I get a surprise ending anymore, you learn to read these out in a story, but this novel left my jaw hanging wide open and my eyes bugged out, wishing I could turn around and talk to someone about it right then. It was an ending I didn't know I wanted. But of course it was ten thirty at night and my husband was snoring :) If you are not a big reader, but feel like you want to get into books...start with this one. If you are an avid reader and want adventure and surprise...Maggie O'Farrell has written you a masterpiece.

jlw

When the Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe

This is a rare find. Written by a Filipino about the Philippines during World War II. It really has no competition. The author collected most of her information from her father, friends and family. She delicately weaved in some of the tales she was told as a child about spirituality and ghosts and old beliefs into the elaborate threads of the Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, American and Arabian influence of the Philippine culture.
Besides all that, it is an intricate story. Tess has you wrapped up in every character, breathing with them, bleating out their painful story. Not only does she give us insight into the politics of the warring countries but insight into the pain of humanity and it's struggle to beat the odds. I realized while reading this that a culture so different, really is not so different from me.

jlw

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Sarah Addison Allen's debut mainstream novel. Rich in down home comforts with glittering threads of mysticism. I enjoyed it as much as Tyler Hughes enjoyed the meals brought to him by Claire. The characters are colorful and weaved together thoughtfully. I happen to be a lover of old homes and so this book struck a special note with me. It leaves out the deeper undercurrent that I usually crave in a novel, and though she tapped on deeper humanity I always felt it was just that...a tap. Yet, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Cheerful, it is like a sweet sugary apple cobbler: it doesn't leave you feeling any wiser but it sure is satisfying to the taste buds.

Sarah's new book Sugar Queen will be coming out May2008.

jlw

Who put the B in the Ballyhoo by Caryln Beccia

As soon as I lifted this book from it's neatly arranged pile at Barnes and Noble I fell in love. It's full of color and wonder that immediately brings out that child smile inside. I had to get it for my girls! No question! Their eyes had circus stars shining in them as we enjoyed the pictures as much as the circus advertisements. And there is reading that the adult can enjoy on each page about interesting circus history and facts. I happened to find this just before our trip to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, which was an invaluable cherished time for me and my kids. But this wonderful little book takes you to a circus that only exists now between the covers of books. I'm so glad to say that I've been there...won't you go too?

jlw

Is that Better?

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