BOOK REVIEW: "The Portrait of a Lady"

The Portrait of a Lady

By Henry James

Original Copyright 1881

Current Copyright by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Classic Literature

2 Bookmarks

Ahhh yes.  Just what you wanted.  A book that took me a full two months to read.  I'm sure this will be on top of everyone's reading list knowing THAT little bit of information.

I've actually tried to read this book before.  The last time I tried to read it, I only made it in about eight pages before I was bored silly.  But I was reminded that this is a classic; I decided there had to be some redeeming quality to it, so I gave it another chance.  Booooo on me. 

The Portrait of a Lady begins on the lawn of an old English country house, with some boring dialogue between a Lord, the owner of the house and his sickly son.  Not a lady in sight.  Eventually, the lady in question does show up; Isabel Archer, whose great plans in life involve NEVER letting a man make any decisions for her. 

Isabel is in the unfortunate position, however, of having every man she meets fall in love with her.  As these "gentlemen" fall all over themselves to do everything they can to woo the "lady" (who, by the way, never really seemed to have enough redeeming qualities to warrant such attention), she simply lets them down as gently as she can and moves on to the next man. 

The hilarity of that is evident when poor Miss Archer finally chooses a husband and really chooses the wrong guy for all the wrong reasons.  Unhappiness ensues. 

I never really "got" the purpose of the book.  And, frankly, was pretty disappointed with the conclusion.  There were a few chuckle-worthly paragraphs of dialogue and a few witty lines here and there, such as Isabel's attempt to avoid having to view a tedious collection belonging to one of her suitors by stating, "I don't want to know anything more - I know too much already. The more you know the more unhappy you are."  Or the description of her jealousy of her cousin, "She envied Ralph his dying, for if one were thinking of rest that was the most perfect of all.  To cease utterly, to give it all up and not know anything more - this idea was as sweet as the vision of a cool bath in a marble tank, in a darkened chamber, in a hot land." 

A truly disappointing waste of a large number of hours of my time. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Summer We Read Gatsby"

The Summer We Read Gatsby

By Danielle Ganek

Copyright 2010

Viking Penguin Books

Adult Fiction

3 Bookmarks

I've never been back East, let alone to the Hamptons.  But it certainly is fun to read about!  When a favorite aunt passes away and leaves her Hampton home to her two nieces, the half-sisters come together to make a plan for what to do with the home, a run-down cottage with a hefty tax bill.  Practical Cassie, the narrator, thinks the only thing to do is sell, while flighty Peck (the romantic, I should add), does what she can to convince her otherwise. 

The title of the book comes from a romantic experience Peck had in her youth with a young man who gave her a copy of The Great Gatsby.  Never forgetting him and carrying that torch for years and years, Peck finally runs into him again while the girls are trying to figure out what to do about the house.  In the meantime, Cassie runs into an old flame of her own and isn't quite sure how to handle it. 

With a mysterious artist holed up over the garage, a locked safe with no known combination, numerous Hampton parties, and a lively group of friends, the story never bores or disappoints. 

Fun book, although I frequently wished I was sitting on the beach while I was reading it! 

SONG OF THE DAY: What If This Storm Ends

What If This Storm Ends
(Part I of The Lightning Strike)
By Snow Patrol

Theme song for "Act of Valor", and is also featured in the trailer for Disney's upcoming "Epic".  Love me some Snow Patrol. 

RANDOM COMMENTARY: RHS Class of 1993 Reunion

Rigby High School
Class of 1993
20-year Reunion

In honor of our 20-year high school reunion, I'm helping the organizers by putting together some fun write-ups about some of our classmates.  Here's a link to the first one:  Whatcha Doin'? Where Ya Been?

Reunion scheduled for July 6th.  Details available at the above link. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship"

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship

By Lisa Verge Higgins

Copyright 2011

Hachette Book Group

Adult Fiction

4 Bookmarks

Oh what a fabulous find this book was!  Highly recommend this one to any reader who appreciates a friend, has an unrequited love, or has ever lost someone important to them.  Higgins does a fabulous job of tying together the lives of four friends who each bring their own experiences and circumstances to the table. 

When Rachel is diagnosed with a terminal illness, she does what she thinks best by giving a last request to each of her friends.  As the friends determine how to accomplish the tasks given to them, they find out some amazing things about themselves, but they also find out more about Rachel and who she was as a person.

Jo is faced with demons from her past as she turns her whole world upside-down to take over where Rachel left off.  A true rags to riches girl, Jo has to become a person she never thought she would be.

Sarah was my favorite character in the book.  The free-spirited Doctors Without Borders nurse who lives her life in the third world has spent 14 years longing for a man she once had a brief fling with.  When forced to find out once and for all if there is still any connection, she comes to a surprising realization.

For Kate, doing something to re-ignite the spark in her marriage has been an impossibility.  When Rachel tasks her with stepping well outside her comfort zone, Kate realizes she has more inside her than she ever thought possible.

This book would be great for a book club, or just a fantastic vacation read.  It was written with such love and care, it was easy to fall in love with every single character.  I was sad when I got to the last page. 

BOOK REVIEW: "Fear and Yoga in New Jersey"

Fear and Yoga in New Jersey

By Debra Galant

Copyright 2008

St. Martin's Press

Adult Fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

Yes, once again I have picked up a book solely because I liked the title.  I've never seen the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", but I have heard of it and thought this was a clever little plagiaristic twist. 

Okay, on to the story.  This is definitely a "story" story, about a New Jersey family living the life.  The mom, Nina, has just opened her own yoga studio, but is continually faced with bad luck, perhaps due to some unpleasant feng shui left over from the previous tenant.  The dad, Michael, has been laid off and his family faces financial turmoil as he deals with the emotional implications of being unemployed.  Their son, Adam, is a typical materialistic teenager who grows ever more jealous of a certain Jewish girl in his school who is showered with gifts and an enormous party for her bat mitzvah.  Adam decides he wants to embraces his half-Jewishness so he can have a big party and tons of gifts, too.  

The author throws in a set of meddling in-laws, some mob connections, a lawsuit and an overzealous TSA agent for a twisting and turning series of plot lines and side stories.  I was certainly never bored while reading this one, and actually, it was a bit tough to put down. 

With a little bit of a slapstick style, Galant brings the characters to life and winds the story up into a tornado before bringing it to its somewhat simplistic resolution.  It was a fun read!

BOOK REVIEW: "Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis"

Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis

By Crystal Zaborowski Saltrelli CHC

Copyright 2011

Self-published

Non-fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

So in the ongoing saga that is my health, after a recent visit to the emergency room and five weeks of testing, I was finally diagnosed with a condition called Gastroparesis.  I had never heard of such a thing and had to research to find out what it was, how it was going to impact me, and how I was going to manage it. 

A lot of the information available online was the same: since there is no cure, and very few treatment options, most guidance is really just about how to control the condition through diet.

I found a great website called Living with Gastroparesis and I ordered this book from the author.

The book is organized with different sections addressing the basics of the condition, treatment options, nutrition, lifestyle and coping.  I really liked the way the book was written in a question and answer format, since I have had many of the same questions myself.  The author, who suffers from the condition herself, has spent years researching it and learning how best to cope with the symptoms. She shares her knowledge and experiences in a very sympathetic and informational way.

Another section of the book that I found really useful was the recipe section.  Having some additional options for food choices was great! 

My only real disappointments with the book were that it was a bit simplistic (written at a very easy reading level, which may actually be a positive to some people), and also that it didn't have a "magic pill" for fixing all this (I think most people with chronic conditions are continually searching for such a thing).  For anyone with this condition, "Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis" is a must have.  May also be of interest to dieticians and nutritionists, as most don't know much about the condition.  Probably not really of interest to anyone else.

BOOK REVIEW: "Miss Wyoming"

Miss Wyoming
By Douglas Coupland
Copyright 1999
Vintage Contemporaries
Adult Fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

What a crazy ride this book was!  Summarizing will be tough, but I'll give it my best shot. 

Susan Colgate, former beauty queen and now paparazzi favorite, disappears from a plane crash in which every other passenger dies.  When she suddenly reappears a year later, it's bedlam. 

John Johnson, famous Hollywood producer is obsessed with Susan.  John, who stages his own little disappearing act, finds that living on nothing isn't to his taste.  When, at last, Susan and John meet in person, it's love (or something sort of like it) at first sight.  But Susan's existence is a crazy one as she deals with her former beauty queen circuit mother, the fact that she's hiding everything about the time she was away, all the while trying to tape together the remnants of her career. 

When John meets a video store clerk with a shrine to Susan (which he, of course, purchases immediately), things start to get a little intense. 

I won't ruin the ending because it's a pretty good one.  I liked this book.  The satirical nature of the story flowed fantastically from the "toddlers in tiaras" set all the way to the Hollywood wife of a rock star segment.  It was a fun read from Coupland, and just as typically quirky as you would expect from him. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Beach House"

The Beach House
By Jane Green
Copyright 2008
Viking Penguin Publishing
Adult Fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

Nan Powell is eccentric.  Everyone knows it.  Even she knows it.  She lives in an old, run-down house on a very expensive piece of land that has been in the family for more years than anyone can count.  And Nan has run out of money.  As she struggles to figure out how she's going to save her home (turning it into a pseudo-bed and breakfast), the story flips to the lives of the people who will eventually become her guests.

A couple of divorcee's with stories to tell, Nan's son Michael who has found himself in a difficult situation, and soon even a few children join in their new adventures.  And Nan has found that she is thrilled to have herself surrounded by so many people that she loves.

Throw in a sleazy real estate developer, a handsome landscaper, and  a long-lost husband, and you have quite a tale to tell. 

I thought this was quite a pleasant read.  Frankly, I wish I had been sitting on the beach while reading it (especially with the temperatures in the single digits today).  Kind of a mindless relaxation read (which is sometimes the very best kind).   

BOOK REVIEW: "1984"

1984
By George Orwell
Copyright 1948
Harcourt Brace and Co.
Classic Literature
2 Bookmarks

You know how sometimes everyone knows something you don't?  And they mention it, not really enough to tell you much about it, but just enough to remind you that you know nothing about it? 

For me, that's "1984".  I've heard references to it pretty much my whole life, but never had the opportunity (or requirement) to read it for some reason and never really knew the story. 

Yeah okay so I kind of knew the gist of it.  You know, big brother watching you all the time, etc.  But I didn't really think it was going to be so dark and icky.  And frankly, that's what it was. 

Having the telescreen in your house watching every move you make, no privacy (even of thoughts), no choices, no loved ones, no sex (WHAT????), it was all just a bit overwhelming.  And then on top of that, the constant brainwashing to avoid any "wrong" thoughts from appearing on your face. 

It was quite disturbing.

Which, I guess, is the whole point. 

I actually didn't mind the first two-thirds of the book so much, as the main character kind of wrestles with his inappropriate thoughts.  But once they "catch" him and he gets locked up and tortured, I was done. 

I know, I know.  The whole point of the book is to warn us of what the world could come to if we let those in power to continue allowing their power to grow.  I get that.  I really do.  I just didn't really care for the story.

If it isn't a requirement for English class, I don't recommend it. 

BOOK REVIEW: "Garden Spells"

Garden Spells

By Sarah Addison Allen

Copyright 2007

Bantam Books

Adult Fiction

4 Bookmarks

I don't normally read too many fantasy-type books, but this one had just the right touch of magic.  In Garden Spells, we are introduced to the Waverly family.  Each member has a special gift.  Evanelle has a tendency to give people things that they only later on realize they need (two quarters for someone who, days later, needs to make an emergency call; new sheets for someone who suddenly receives a surprise visitor, etc.)  Sydney is a Waverly sister with a knack for cutting hair in such a way that it brings out the very best in a person's apearance. Bay is Sydney's daughter.  She knows where things belong; where a fixture in a house belongs, where a person belongs. 

And then there's Claire.  Claire lives in a special home with a special apple tree in the backyard.  Anyone who eats one of that tree's apples will see the most important event of their life happen.  The herbs in Claire's garden are also special.  They help Claire to make delightful foods for her catering business that help people to see things in a different light; a woman who wants her husband to notice her more, a person who wants their friend to show more understanding, and discouraging unwanted attention from a new neighbor.

The author does a great job of weaving the mystical elements into the story without it feeling like a mystery.  This is just the world of the Waverly's and everyone in the small town where they live knows it.  It was a fun story, a quick read, and would be great for a women's book club. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Golden Prince"

The Golden Prince

By Rebecca Dean

Copyright 2010

Broadway Paperbacks

Adult Fiction

3 Bookmarks

What happens when a prince who is destined to rule England falls in love with a commoner?  This is a fictional tale about the controversy surrounding Prince Edward in the early 1900s and his refusal to accept the expectations of his position.  Prince Edward (David, as he is known to his family) falls in love with Lily Houghton and tries every possible way to disobey the king's command that he marry a princess.  His father, instead, sends him away and thinks he has put his son far from the tempting situation. 

But the distance only makes David more sure of what he wants.  He decides he will refuse to take the crown and will pass his kingly torch to his brother Albert.  Lily knows that David will make a wonderful king and decides that she, a simple commoner, cannot be the reason for David to give up his birthright. 

The result is unhappiness for all involved parties.  Prince Edward (David), although he is eventually crowned as king, refuses to marry the princess his parents had courted on his behalf. 

I don't care for stories that end sadly, but this one had so much that was based in fact that I truly enjoyed the historical nature of it.  Although we don't know the exact circumstances of this time in Prince Edward's life, we do know that he later on does abdicate the throne to his brother Albert, who becomes a great leader during World War II.  Nice historic touch to this one. 

BOOK REVIEW: "Love Walked In"

Love Walked In

By Marisa de los Santos

Copyright 2006

Penguin Books, Ltd.

Adult Fiction

3 Bookmarks

I hate stories with an "ick" factor.  And this wasn't your typical "ick" either.  This is a story about Cornelia Brown who is waiting for her prince to ride in on a white horse.  Well, more specifically, she is waiting for Cary Grant to show up in her life.  Fixated with the old, classic love story movies, Cornelia's dates just never seem to measure up.  That is, until Martin Grace enters her life.  Not only is he the spitting image of Cary Grant, but he is a true gentleman besides! 

Cornelia thinks she is in love, but there's just something that's not quite right. 

In the meantime, the story flashes to 11-year-old Clare Hobbes.  Clare's mother is slipping deeper and deeper into psychosis every day until Clare is faced with the realization that her mother can no longer care for her.  Estranged from her uncaring and mostly absentee father, Clare doesn't feel she has anywhere to turn.  When she realizes things have become dire, Clare makes a desperate phone call to her father to tell him what is going on.  He doesn't listen and casts her worries aside, as Clare had expected he would.  So Clare makes a plan.  She creates lists for how to make it through each day so that no one finds out what is going on and takes her away from her mother.  She manages for quite some time, but then her mother takes off, abandoning her completely, and her father is the only one to turn to. 

Clare's father, of course, has no clue how to handle the situation, and even less clue how to comfort Clare over the loss of her mother and the fact that he had ignored her previous concerns.  It is only when her father's girlfriend Cornelia steps in and holds her during her tears that Clare finally feels safe. 

Cornelia, of course, cannot understand why Martin has no connection with his child, especially when she falls in love with her within minutes.  And frankly, as the reader, I couldn't understand it either.  I felt decidedly uncomfortable with the thought that there are parents out there who feel absolutely no connection with their child at all, and what can happen as a result of that.  Ick. 

The ending does make up for some of the ickiness, but I was definitely uncomfortable reading some of the passages in the book.  As a parent of an 11-year-old, I was just sickened at the thought of such a young child feeling so unloved and having to be so grown up.

BOOK REVIEW: "Safe Haven"

Safe Haven

By Nicholas Sparks

Copyright 2010

Grand Central Publishing

Adult Fiction

4.5 Bookmarks

Okay, so maybe I have a little secret crush on Nicholas Sparks (I do keep reading his books, after all).  But this one was a little bit of a departure from his typical lighthearted love story. 

The main character, Erin, has escaped her abusive cop husband and is hiding as Katie in a small town far, far away from her previously life.  Katie works as a waitress and keeps to herself, until she meets a widower named Alex, and a new neighbor named Jo.  Katie opens up a bit to Jo, and then Alex and his two children become friends with Katie.  She eventually lets her guard down enough to consider the possibility of that friendship becoming more.  As Sparks develops those relationships, the story flashes back periodically to her abusive marriage and the intricate planning she had to go through in order to escape.  It also focuses on her husband, Kevin, who has never stopped looking for her and is spiralling deeper and deeper into an alcohol-induced psychosis. 

I didn't want to put this book down until I found out how it ended (so many of Sparks' stories, after all, have sad endings).  And I don't want to spoil it for you, but the twist at the end was a good one!  I really enjoyed the character development, especially Erin/Katie, who showed extreme strength in overcoming the obstacles that she faced in her life.  I have always had a soft place in my heart for women who are trapped in situations that they cannot get out of, and her character definitely showed through.  The book had just the right amount of suspense and storytelling.  This would be a great book club read! 

BOOK REVIEW: "Girls in White Dresses"

Girls in White Dresses

By Jennifer Close

Copyright 2011
Knopf, Borzoi Books Random House
Adult Fiction
2 Bookmarks

A somewhat tamer version of "Sex and the City", this faintly entertaining tale of three friends who deal with the constant pressure of other friends getting married and having babies ended up being a little bit disappointing by the end. 

Lauren, Isabella and Mary pop in and out of each other's lives, and the lives of too many other friends to list.  The story basically follows the three who navigate their way through different jobs, different boyfriends, singleton times, and all sorts of craziness and jealousy.  Of course, everything pretty much works out in the end (you wouldn't have expected anything to the contrary with as predictable as the storyline flowed).

But the author was pretty good at creating fun anecdotes and side stories so I wasn't ever really bored reading it.  The story just lacked any meaning or real purpose.  I didn't really care about any of the characters by the time I was done reading it and the whole "adults who's lives aren't keeping up with their friends' lives" theme is so overdone, I was just underwhelmed by this one.