By Tim Pears
This book started out very interesting, with different reports and points of view dealing with the same person, Owen, intermingled with background stories of him as a child. But the second part was quite confusing and not as credible. The end was especially baffling. [240 pp.]
Link to book
Friday, March 22, 2019
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
How Hard Can It Be?
By Allison Pearson
Quite a scary tale (especially to those of us approaching middle age) of a woman who lies about her age in order to find a job, after taking a long break to take care of her mother. While she was still freelancing on the side, and acquiring many important skills as a mother of teens and care-taker of elders, she soon finds that these assets are not as important when she's a woman of a certain age. Despite the horror of perrimenopause, she manages to do well, in addition to attracting a past almost-lover, who turns out to be a Prince Charming to boost.
Though I found the book entertaining and enjoyable to read (apart from the scary, disconcerting age-related bits), I thought the guy was just a bit too perfect. But I guess it's okay for a fairy tale. [352pp.]
P.S. Apparently, this is a sequel to I Don't Know How She Does It, but it reads well as a standalone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first one.
Link to book
Quite a scary tale (especially to those of us approaching middle age) of a woman who lies about her age in order to find a job, after taking a long break to take care of her mother. While she was still freelancing on the side, and acquiring many important skills as a mother of teens and care-taker of elders, she soon finds that these assets are not as important when she's a woman of a certain age. Despite the horror of perrimenopause, she manages to do well, in addition to attracting a past almost-lover, who turns out to be a Prince Charming to boost.
Though I found the book entertaining and enjoyable to read (apart from the scary, disconcerting age-related bits), I thought the guy was just a bit too perfect. But I guess it's okay for a fairy tale. [352pp.]
P.S. Apparently, this is a sequel to I Don't Know How She Does It, but it reads well as a standalone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first one.
Link to book
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Kitchens of the Great Midwest
By J. Ryan Stradal
This is another book I picked up solely based on the cover. It's so beautiful and inviting, and clearly says: this is about women and food. In fact, I was a bit disappointed when I found out the author is not a woman. But my disappointment dissolved as I kept reading. Each chapter is told from someone else's perspective. Sometimes years apart. But there are a couple of common threads: one is food, of course, and the other is a character, Eva, whose story this is after all. Though each chapter has its own hero. In the last chapter, most of them come together, sort of. [312 pp.]
Link to book
This is another book I picked up solely based on the cover. It's so beautiful and inviting, and clearly says: this is about women and food. In fact, I was a bit disappointed when I found out the author is not a woman. But my disappointment dissolved as I kept reading. Each chapter is told from someone else's perspective. Sometimes years apart. But there are a couple of common threads: one is food, of course, and the other is a character, Eva, whose story this is after all. Though each chapter has its own hero. In the last chapter, most of them come together, sort of. [312 pp.]
Link to book
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Henderson the Rain King
By Saul Bellow
The story of Henderson, who, despite his age, still has some coming-of-age to do. And despite his riches and formidable physique, is very restless. This restlessness brings him to Africa, where he becomes the Rain King of a tribe that is quite secluded from the West, yet he befriends their leader, who has quite extensive Western education.
This book took me a long time to complete. I started it before leaving to Israel, whereupon I had to return it to the library, because someone had reserved the only copy of it they have. When I came back, I had to wait until the book is returned by the other people who had reserved it, so it was at least 6 weeks in between reading the first 100 pages and the rest. [330 pp.]
Link to book.
The story of Henderson, who, despite his age, still has some coming-of-age to do. And despite his riches and formidable physique, is very restless. This restlessness brings him to Africa, where he becomes the Rain King of a tribe that is quite secluded from the West, yet he befriends their leader, who has quite extensive Western education.
This book took me a long time to complete. I started it before leaving to Israel, whereupon I had to return it to the library, because someone had reserved the only copy of it they have. When I came back, I had to wait until the book is returned by the other people who had reserved it, so it was at least 6 weeks in between reading the first 100 pages and the rest. [330 pp.]
Link to book.
Death Comes to the Archbishop
By Willa Cather
I don't believe I didn't put it down in here when I finished reading it! It was a few months ago...
Anyway, unlike most of her other novels I read, this book is not about women, but rather men. Old religious men. Well, I guess they weren't always old. It was interesting nonetheless. It has beautiful descriptions of the New Mexico, which I am not completely familiar with, especially not the way it looked back then, in the 19th century. It also has interesting characters and stories of their lives, which are somewhat based on the actual lives of the main two characters. [297 pp.]
Link to book.
I don't believe I didn't put it down in here when I finished reading it! It was a few months ago...
Anyway, unlike most of her other novels I read, this book is not about women, but rather men. Old religious men. Well, I guess they weren't always old. It was interesting nonetheless. It has beautiful descriptions of the New Mexico, which I am not completely familiar with, especially not the way it looked back then, in the 19th century. It also has interesting characters and stories of their lives, which are somewhat based on the actual lives of the main two characters. [297 pp.]
Link to book.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
A House Full of Daughters (A memoir of seven generations)
By Juliet Nicolson
A very intimate look into the lives of seven generations of a famous family to which the author belongs, focusing on the daughters of the family. I was not familiar with the family, and was solely attracted to the book because of the cover and the intriguing title. It was nice to learn about the family, and through it, about parts of history of England and the US in the time frame presented. It was also interesting to see repetitions and breaks from repetition in the different generations' acts and behavior, and the progress made in society throughout the century and a half of the story. [326pp.]
Link to book
A very intimate look into the lives of seven generations of a famous family to which the author belongs, focusing on the daughters of the family. I was not familiar with the family, and was solely attracted to the book because of the cover and the intriguing title. It was nice to learn about the family, and through it, about parts of history of England and the US in the time frame presented. It was also interesting to see repetitions and breaks from repetition in the different generations' acts and behavior, and the progress made in society throughout the century and a half of the story. [326pp.]
Link to book
Monday, January 7, 2019
Summer
By Edith Wharton
The story of Charity Royall, a young woman who feels out of place, the summer of thoughtful romance she has with Lucious Harney, and the consequences of this affair. [255 pp. (incl. introduction)]
Link to book
The story of Charity Royall, a young woman who feels out of place, the summer of thoughtful romance she has with Lucious Harney, and the consequences of this affair. [255 pp. (incl. introduction)]
Link to book
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