Staff Picks
Janet's favorites....
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Just now out in paperback, The Angel’s Game was quite possibly my favorite book of 2009. I loved loved LOVED Shadow of the Wind because it had everything I like in a novel: history, romance, intrigue, fantasy all rolled into one. The Angel’s Game had all that again and in a more concise package.
(Even though I loved Shadow of the Wind, I did think it got a little tubby in the middle and could have used an editor with a hacksaw there.)
The Angel’s Game follows a young Barcelona writer with no family, David Marti´n, who writes pulp fiction for a pair of deliciously crooked editors. The opening paragraph:
“A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. He will never forget the sweet poison of vanity in his blood and the belief that, if he succeeds in not letting anyone discover his lack of talent, the dream of literature will provide him with a roof over his head, a hot meal at the end of the day, and what he covets the most: his name printed on a miserable piece of paper that will surely outlive him. A writer is condemned to remember that moment, because from then on he is doomed and his soul has a price.”
He writes because he needs to earn a living, because he is vain, because he wants to be immortal – as he knows writers can be. His editors exploit his fear and downplay his talent (I loved them as villains), until one day he is contacted by a mysterious publisher who wants to have him write The Book that will make him immortal.
The Angel’s Game explores themes of obsessive love, vanity, fear, religion (or the lack thereof), reality and fantasy, and the power of story – all hot buttons for me (well, maybe not the obsessive love part). Woven within are a mystery, characters both funny and tragic, the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and an obvious color palette.
This is going to be a TERRIFIC book club book. And, because the ending is ambiguous (a source of frustration for some readers), book clubs will be talking (arguing?) beyond the meeting time. Don’t miss it!
Selected Works of TS Spivet by Reif Larsen
A brilliant, boundary-leaping debut novel tracing twelve-year-old genius map maker T.S. Spivet's attempts to understand the ways of the world.
Marcie's favorites...
Half-Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls
If you liked The Glass Castle, you'll love Half Broke Horses. In the opening paragraph of Glass Castle, Walls sees her mother digging through garbage on the streets of NYC. By the end you want to know more about this college-educated woman who chooses homelessness. Walls wanted to tell the
story of her mother, and did that by starting with the story of her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, a tough, leathery, extraordinarily independent woman growing up on a hard-scrabble ranch in Texas at the beginning of the 20th century. She broke wild horses, was her Dad's main helper before she was a teenager, and rode a horse 500 miles to her first job as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse which was also her living quarters. Lily's father taught her to 'play well the hand you're dealt,' which she did time and again, finally getting a college education, steering her family through the Depression, meeting every challenge with determination and energy. Her only daughter, Rose Mary Smith (Walls' mother), was also raised on ranches in Arizona in the 30s and 40s, sent to boarding schools, which she hated, and defied her mother by marrying Rex Walls and subsequently drifted around the country. Lily wanted an anchor for her daughter, but Rose Mary chose the freedom of drifting from place to place without regret.
The author spent hours interviewing her mother about her life, but calls the book a "true life novel" because she can't vouch for every fact. It's a story of strong women fighting poor odds not only survive, but follow their passion.
The Women by T.C. Boyle
Is it easy to live with a genius? Not this one! T.C. Boyle's nove
l about the architectural genius, Frank Lloyd Wright, makes that abundantly clear. His 3 wives and one mistress found him witty, sensual, and with a commanding presence that made everyone around him stop in an almost reverent way and give homage, even if they didn't like him. What was not to like? He was arrogant, moody, felt entitled to the best of everything but didn't pay his bills. The narrator is one of his students who gives a very balanced account of Wright's genius and many foibles. It's an historical novel well worth reading.
Helen's favorites (for now)...
HOUSE RULES by Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult always takes a big subject and runs with it. The topic of her new book is Asperger's Syndrome.
She centers the story around a single mother of two boys, one with Asperger's and the other angry with
feelings of neglect. Each character's voice is unique with sharply written dialogue, interspersed with poignant
doses of humor. You walk away with lasting memories and a better understanding of this syndrome not only
on those suffering with the disease, but also the impact on family members. This is an engaging and entertaining work of fiction - it is her best!
THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE by Carla Buckley
BOOK CLUB ALERT!
What a great book club choice this book would make although it
would appeal to anyone making you ask "Could this happen?" "Would
I be prepared?" This frightening all too possible scenario about an avian
flu pandemic is Carla Buckley's debut. It is an amazing novel that reads
like non-fiction and is based on current science. Make sure you have
time to finish the story when you start it as you won't be able to put
it down. It will keep your adrenaline pumping!
LOST CITY OF Z by David Grann
What a great adventure tale! This non-fiction thriller is not for the faint of heart. Grann introduces the reader to British explorer Percy Harrison Fawcett who achieved world wide acclaim as an explorer of the Amazon. With graphic detail Grann explores Fawcett's obsession with the Amazon. He starts with Fawcett's military life through his last expedition taken with his son where they disappeared. Since then hundreds of other explorers have followed Fawcett's trail including the author. This is a riveting, well-researched introduction to Percy Harrison Fawcett (does Indiana Jones ring any bells?). Run get this book...now! You won't be sorry.
A video slideshow produced by Alex Gallafent of PRI's The World explores this historical book further. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auQX2fAHno4
Kellie's favorites
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
Centered around Hong Kong during the climax and aftermath of World War II, The Piano Teacher is told through two love affairs. Will Truesdale comes to Hong Kong in 1942 and falls in love with a Eurasian socialite: the outspoken and flirtatious Trudy Liang. In 1953, Clair Pendleton moves to Hong Kong with her distant husband and begins an affair with this same man; however, she quickly learns that Will is hiding more secrets than she can fathom. As these secrets and plot twists unfold, The Piano Teacher dives into a difficult question: when your safety is on the line, where should your loyalties lie? Will Truesdale watches as those around him make this choice and the woman he loves faces the consequences. This novel is well-written, fascinating, heart-breaking, and impossible to put down.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
14-year-old Susie Salmon is murdered by her neighbor and watches her grieving family from heaven. As her family becomes disconnected and struggles to accept her death, Susie struggles to forget the dreams she had of a life that was taken from her. Although disturbing and occasionally nail-biting, The Lovely Bones beautifully depicts a typical family’s reaction to a horrific event. The book perfectly combines the practical elements of human interactions and growth with the ever-looming remembrance of tragedy. You can actually feel the family’s struggle between the obligation to mourn and the need to move on with life. Also, despite the tragic plot, The Lovely Bones radiates more happiness and love than sadness and anger. The murder itself takes a backseat and the beauty of the characters is the novel’s main focus. I teared-up, smiled, bawled, and laughed while reading Susie’s story. Do not just watch the movie! It understates the emotional power and stunning detail of the story. Read this book; it is a masterpiece.
