The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coehlo

This is a tale. Just like any Paulo Coehlo novel, a really good tale. It is as deep as the blue on it's cover. I might be partial here in this review. First, I am a Coehlo fan, second I have been searching out certain forgotten and ancient pieces of worship, something I am driven to do, for nearly three years. This book happened to be one of the links in bringing understanding to some of the misatched pieces of information I have, like many other books have been. I loved the main character, I loved the plot, and though the ending is given away in the first chapter, still I loved the ending and found it surprising. After reading this it has taken me awhile to pick up a new novel, it leaves so much on your mind, so much to sort out that you can't really just pick up the next thing. Really a good story, heartfelt, motivates you to search out your own spirit and what connects you to it with out lectures and sermons and a map that says there is only one way. There is a lot of liberation in this book, it is bound to rub off on it's reader.

jlw

The Best American Poetry 2007

This is a clever collection of poetry gathered together by Heather McHugh and David Lehman. I mostly enjoyed it but must admit that some of these poems had me feeling very small and unsure if I knew what poetry was at all. But others took me to a place in the poets soul that I was glad I went to, wishing I could snap a few pictures like a bubbly tourist. Some of my favorite poems in this collection: Where He Found Himself by Stephen Dunn, Language Police Report by Denise Duhammel, What Every Soldier Should Know by Brian Turner, and The Home of the Brave by Joe Wenderoth. There were others that I enjoyed but too many to mention in my small paragraph here. Point being: they are all American and I see it as a beautiful collection of our varied differences, highlighting that year in history, taking us to a history not written in books but only written in that fleeting moment of time, shedding light on that passable soul of America. Even when I didn't understand the poem, I enjoyed it. So I highly recommend a pick up of this book. If only to get you out of your box.


jlw

The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson

This is a good book. Creatively written in letters from Olivia Hunt to the people she loves, she hates, and the people she works with. The Characters are colorful and lead colorful lives and remain true to themselves. I enjoyed the varied back drops in this story - Rome, Spain, California, New York. And I especially like the fact that the main character, Olivia, is a Hollywood Producer, an industry I know nothing about. The other big thing in this book is the devastating sickness of her sister. Being in health care myself put me at a disadvantage here. Elisabeth's research on the subject was pretty good but the few places where she made a mistake, on obvious mistake to me, was quite a turn off. However, the story was great and if you have no idea what a Hickman is then you will have no problem enjoying this book.


jlw

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

I had to buy the book, he's making history right now. But I have to be honest about my review. I couldn't finish it. Not to say that other people won't enjoy it, you may find yourself completely engrossed in it. The title lured me in, this moment in the campaign lured me in and as quickly as it lured me in I was turned off and filing this on a book shelf. He's an amazing speaker, but he's a complete political writer. After half of the first chapter (fifteen or so pages of name dropping and politic theories and how he came to his position) I flipped back to the ninth chapter about his family and enjoyed that...well, tolerably. The book is closed, not to say that the man himself is not amazing but that it's just not my cup of tea. In fact, since I like tea so well, I would have to say that this is more like a cup of barley juice rather than tea at all.
One thing I must add to argue with certain rumors spread about him, he loves his mama and much of what he bases his platform on are the hardships he watched his mama strive through.


jlw

The Gathering by Anne Enright

Haunting. A completely brittle and open look at grief. Anne Enright requires her reader to have vision, not to take all things literally but to step into memories knowing that memories can be misconstrued because of the love you have for people and because of perception. This story's main character, Veronica Hegarty, is trapped in a world of losing a beloved brother, Laim, and of trying to understand her patchwork family. She struggles with how to just simply be after living with piles and piles of years' worth of confusion that seems to all rise to the surface with Liam's body, floating there, obvious amidst the beauty of the water. There is no romance in this novel. There is no comforting warm firelight at the end. This book is a majestic weave of pain and love, a poetic interlude between the fate of birth and death. Profound...

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