**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**
This is a review of Men and Dogs, by Katie Crouch. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $23.99. ISBN 978-0-316-00213-4.
Synopsis:
Hannah’s life has been defined by a childhood event – when she was eleven, her father disappeared. While the rest of her family and friends accepted that her father was dead, Hannah has refused to believe her father was not alive and well somewhere. As a teen, then as an adult, Hannah has avoided dealing with the loss of her father; instead, she acts out, pushing people away and subconsciously sabotaging her relationships. All the while, even twenty years after his disappearance, Hannah remains vigilant, sure she’ll see her father, alive and well, around the next corner. When her husband forces her to return to her family home, Hannah’s contentious relationships with her mother, stepfather, and brother are repeatedly tested by Hannah’s determination to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.
Analysis:
After reading this book twice, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. While I liked the overall story and characters, I felt that both needed more polish. The story did not seem as well-developed as it could have been. The characters were not explored as thoroughly as I would have liked, and the conclusion seemed a little watered down to me. Still, it was a good read.
The introductory chapter sets up the disappearance of Buzz, Hannah’s father. This chapter, written in a sort of stream-of-consciousness style, paints a picture of a close father-daughter relationship and hero worship from the memories and impressions of an eleven year old girl. The style of writing helps move the story at memory’s pace, the bits and pieces coming at the reader quickly and sometimes half-formed.
Hannah is an interesting character, although I personally didn’t care too much for her. If she were a real person, I doubt we’d be close friends – I would find her personality too exasperating, and would likely expend too much energy on the friendship with someone so self-indulgent. However, seeing her through third-party eyes, it’s obvious that she has unresolved issues that stem from her losing her father while at a critical period in her life. Her “daddy issues” have affected her relationships with men throughout her life, and she’s finally gone too far. Her husband is forcing her to deal with the problem, although it’s too late to repair their relationship.
Her relationships with her mother, Daisy, and stepfather, DeWitt, are what one would expect in this situation – having been a “daddy’s girl”, and having held onto the conviction that her father decided to leave because of her mother, Hannah doesn’t have much patience for Daisy. She views her stepfather more as a limitless platinum credit card than as a father figure. I liked how she modified her opinions of her parents as the story moved forward; this, more than anything, helped illustrate Hannah's growth. I really liked Daisy - I thought she was a hoot!
This brings us to Palmer, Hannah’s older brother. I found him an intriguing character, and actually preferred the portions of the book that were devoted to Palmer. His personality, quirks and flaws add depth to the story; although he and Hannah don’t interact a lot in the story, the influence they’ve had on each other’s lives is a solid undercurrent in the plot. I found myself wishing the author had spent more time on Palmer – he could be the main character in a story as well. At the end of the book, I felt a little cheated with Palmer’s “resolution”. It felt somewhat trite, and left me feeling that the story hadn’t stayed true to the character that the author had been building throughout the book.
All in all, I felt that the book was good, albeit rushed. I felt there was more that could have been explored, but that the author was holding back. I like the author’s humor and the raw emotion she brings to life in the characters. I would recommend this book; it would make a great beach or travel read.
Today is the last day of winter. Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox, which marks the first day of spring. In true form, Colorado has decided to send winter out with fanfare...and a mild snowstorm.
If you live in Colorado, you know that the weather here is forever changing. We like to keep the tourists guessing. Visiting anytime between March and May? Pack shorts and pants; you'll probably wear both. Visiting in the fall? Same deal. We really don't put our seasonal wardrobes away; we just move them to different sections of our closets.
Having lived in Colorado my (nearly) entire life, one would think I would be used to the mercurial nature of...well, nature, and for the most part, I am. This winter has been pretty atypical, with snow almost every week, and temps staying below 50* pretty much the entire winter. I'm ready for warmer weather, and for the snow to go away. Even the kids are sick of it - they told me a couple of weeks ago that they're ready for spring.
After the 68* day we had on Wednesday, 30* and snow yesterday (Friday) was almost cruel. Today is sunny, but still only around 35*. Hopefully, today marks the true end of winter and the beginning of spring...although, if I know Colorado, we could very well have a blizzard before April finally arrives. It's happened before. We just shrug, pull on our boots and get on with our day. We Coloradoans know that the weather will be different tomorrow.
**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**
This is a review of Worst Case, by James Patterson. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $27.99. ISBN 978-0-31-603622-1.
Synopsis:
Michael Bennett, a detective with the NYPD, has a problem: children of New York’s wealthiest and most influential people are being kidnapped, but the kidnapper isn’t demanding a ransom in exchange for their safe return. Instead, the kidnapper has created his own version of “20 Questions,” and the penalty for wrong answers is death. One of the FBI’s top Abduction Specialists, Emily Parker, joins Bennett’s team, and together, they race against the clock, trying to find the victims before the kidnapper delivers the final grade. But kidnapping and murdering children isn’t all this criminal has planned; before Bennett and Parker can take him down, they will have to stop him from carrying out the final phase in his plan: bringing devastation and chaos to the entire city of New York.
Analysis:
I think most readers of suspense fiction acknowledge James Patterson as one of the best in the business. His novels are some of the best page-turners on the bookshelf; just when you’ve convinced yourself that you’ve reached a stopping point, and to finally put the book down, something happens in the book that keeps your attention. Before you know it, you’ve read three-quarters of the book, and haven’t gotten anything else in your life done for hours. The intentionally short chapters, the action, the tantalizing suspense, and the characters all seem designed to keep the reader hooked and involved in the story. How many times have you said, “Just one more chapter, and I’ll put it down,” only to find yourself unable to do so…three chapters later? This alone makes Patterson at the top of the suspense fiction game.
I didn’t realize this book was one in a series about Detective Michael Bennett when I started reading it, but I didn’t feel too left out of the character’s life. Patterson does a great job of catching the reader up throughout the story, providing just enough information about Bennett’s personal and professional life to keep the reader engaged. By the end, I had resolved to read the first two books in the Bennett series, not necessarily to catch up on the details of his life, but because the character is so endearing. The only confusing part about Bennett’s life was near the end of the book – I had assumed that his nanny, Mary Catherine, was a matronly, older woman, but learned she wasn’t. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but in this case, it made some events and interactions seem a little strange until I figured it out.
I have a problem with male main characters in books – when they’re developed well and really well-written to the point where they seem like real people to me, I tend to develop crushes on them. I know; it’s weird. I have “book crushes” on several main characters across the spectrum; after reading Worst Case, I’m afraid I may have to add Michael Bennett to my “crush” list. But my infatuations with pretend people is a subject for my shrink to tackle; more importantly, it demonstrates that Patterson’s ability to create a character that is believable and real to the reader means that the reader becomes invested in the story. We want Bennett to win, both personally and professionally, and we want him to be a hero. We wish we could use our knowledge of the bad guy’s thoughts and activities to help Bennett – if only there was a way to get that information to him before the bad guy strikes again! We agonize over Bennett’s nearsightedness when it comes to the women in his life, and hope that he gets his love life right. We simultaneously cringe at the chaos that ensues in a house with ten children, and admire Bennett’s management of that chaos.
Our feelings about the villain in this story is, of course, based on anger and outrage, but is also tinged by both pity and a sense of our own helplessness. While we wouldn’t go to the same extremes, we can understand the kidnapper’s desire to improve the world around him. We ourselves have read the statistics about poverty, third-world conditions, the environment, and the excesses of the wealthy, and have felt a furious desire to change things. While it doesn’t excuse or forgive the actions of the kidnapper, it does make us wonder: what would we do if we had nothing to lose? Somehow, Patterson manages to bring a sort of humanity to even the villain in his story.
Overall, this book was a great read, quick and wrought with tension, with a satisfying ending and anticipation for the next in the series. Add it to your beach or poolside reading list.
**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**
This is a review of The Yellow House, by Patricia Falvey. Copyright © 2009; fiction. List price: $21.99. ISBN 978-1-59995-201-7.
Synopsis:
Set in Northern Ireland in the early 1900s, the story of The Yellow House centers around Eileen O’Neill as she grows up during a turbulent time in Ireland’s history. Spanning 20 years, the story picks up during her childhood, as the family falls into poverty and tragedy sets the tone for Eileen’s struggles. Working in a mill, in dangerous conditions, she saves her money and dreams of reuniting her family in the home of her childhood, hoping to bring back happier times.
Along the way, she finds herself torn between two men, and torn by her own will and the will of others. Her family history and the current political landscape shape Eileen’s journey, and secrets and betrayals leave their mark.
Analysis:
There are books that help you to pass the time, that entertain you, and that allow you to escape your ordinary life. Then, there are books that touch your soul. These books seep into your heart and your mind, so that, upon dragging yourself from its depths, you are surprised to find yourself in your own familiar surroundings. The Yellow House is such a book.
Falvey’s gift to the reader is her rich, descriptive language. The setting of this book, Ulster, a province located in northern Ireland, is lavishly painted throughout the book. The characters come to life, vibrant and flawed, clinging to dreams and hopes. Falvey uses historic events to provide a dynamic and turbulent backdrop for the characters’ stories and personalities to unfold. We see the affect of love and loss, of war and fighting, of betrayal and hatred, each in varying forms and degress, on the human spirit. Eileen, in particular, is molded and shaped through the storm of war and prejudice that engulfs her life. From starry-eyed child to wary, and weary, adult, Eileen’s journey is a hard one.
Falvey takes us on that journey, perhaps to show us that Eileen’s tenacity and fire is vital to her survival, and to encourage us to remember that in our own journeys. We love with Eileen, we cry with her as she suffers loss and humiliation. We feel indignation on her behalf over the injustices she bears, and cringe at her fiery temper. We worry as we foresee possible repercussions of her actions and decisions, and we hope that all will right itself in the end. And in the end, we the reader leave this book remembering what it means to hope and to sacrifice. Falvey teaches us that living for a dream can sustain us through the toughest of days, and that a dream gives us a reason to keep fighting.
**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. Please don't let my opinions keep you from reading this book yourself; I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**
This is a review of False Convictions, by Tim Green. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $25.99. ISBN 978-0-446-40152-4.
Synopsis:
Casey Jordan is a high-profile attorney who has taken on notorious cases in her career. In False Convictions, Casey is hired by billionaire philanthropist Robert Graham as an attorney for the Freedom Project, a nonprofit organization designed to provide free legal help for the falsely convicted. Graham provides a seemingly open-and-shut case of wrongful conviction, a twenty-year-old case complete with racial profiling and shoddy investigative procedures. Casey and an investigative journalist, Jake Carlson, stir up hornets nests, get on the wrong side of the locals, and eventually end up fighting for their lives and reputations when things go south. Casey learns the hard way that things – and people – aren’t always what they seem.
Analysis:
The first chapter, set 20 years ago, opens with intrigue and action – the reader wonders where the character was, what he was doing, and feels outrage at the racial tension that erupts. This tension seeps through the book, and adds interesting dynamics to conversations, interactions and events that occur throughout the duration.
Chapter Two fast-forwards to present day, where the rest of the story takes place. We are introduced to Casey Jordan. “Introduced” might not be the correct term, since we don’t actually learn much in the way of specific, concrete details about Casey Jordan. It took me about 30 pages to realize this book is part of a series of books about this character. I’m not sure I’m intrigued enough by Casey to read through any of the previous books. We learn that Casey is a lawyer, that she is occasionally on television or portrayed by someone else on television, that she’s somewhat involved with a man named Jose, who apparently has a problem with alcohol, and whom we don't even think about for the rest of the book. Casey has dinner with the billionaire Graham, cementing her commitment to the Freedom Project. During this dinner meeting, the conversation makes the reader feel as though we are the third wheel being deliberately being left out.
When Casey reads the file on the convict she’s been hired to free, Dwayne Hubbard, the reader is again left out of the specifics of Hubbard’s history, case, trial and conviction. We only learn the few tidbits that Casey throws out in conversation with Graham. As an avid reader of mysteries, I prefer to try to work out the “whodunit” as the characters do; without the information, it’s nearly impossible to feel as though you have the tools to solve the case. The story now takes place mainly in Auburn, New York. There is some description, but the setting is flat and lacking – having never been to Auburn, I found myself confused as I tried to place the characters and events in the setting.
I liked the character Marty, the young and eager attorney/CPA assigned to assist Casey; this character added some quirkiness to the interactions. His presence is justified by his connections to everyone in the small town of Auburn, therefore, we pretty much only see him when Casey needs something. We are also introduced to Jake, a reporter who ends up unofficially partnering with Casey to solve the mystery. Jake seems like a no-holds barred type of reporter; he takes risks and gets into some trouble, but apparently, always gets the story.
The police and townspeople are the stereotypical small town folk we find so often in books – overweight, sloppy, use poor English when they speak. They, of course, put up roadblocks as Casey tries to investigate the old case. She threatens them with the usual lawyerly threats, which hardly leaves them quaking in their boots, and ends up not following thorugh on the threats, since she conveniently finds a way around them.
When the case takes an unexpected turn, Casey needs to decide who to trust, and who is playing her (somewhat badly) like a fiddle. The quickly solved Hubbard case seems too easy to the reader; it takes Casey and Jake a little longer to figure this out themselves. Once they finally lumber to the conclusion, they have to determine where the truth was warped and what they missed. The truth is gift-wrapped and handed to them, justice served in a trite but (implied) gruesome way, and the reader finishes the book feeling confused, as though they missed something.
All in all, I think this book was meant to be something more. Most of the plot elements are someone formulaic, as though they are samples of elements found in other suspense thrillers that are served together in an attempt to make a meal. All in all, I felt as though the story had potential, but either the potential was stifled, or it wasn’t explored thoroughly enough. Being only 292 pages, this novel is a fast read. The story moves along quickly, but it feels too condensed. More than once, I felt as though the author had written a much longer, more detailed and cohesive story, but that it had been pared down to fit a certain page requirement. The dialogue was stilted, the interactions between characters superficial and one-dimensional. The story felt forced to me. While I liked the plot twists and turns, and thought the overall tale was a good one, I felt that these elements were not explored as thoroughly as they should have been. The conflict was downplayed, the fear factor was unauthentic; in the end, the resolution of the ultimate conflict was weak, at best.
I hope this is just a fluke, that the rest of the books in this series are better written. I'll probably pick one up, since this one was such a quick read, just to see. I'll keep you posted.
I have officially hit my breaking point.
Last weekend, I had to sit in a vacant house for five hours, with no heat and no running water. Why? Mandated open house for a property going to auction. Part of my agreement to try to sell this property before it went to auction is to sit three open houses; the dates and times are set by the auction company, and aren't negotiable.
The first date, last Saturday, was the same date as the Mom's Tea at my son's preschool. Our family schedule went like this: my older son and I went to the Mom's Tea, and had to leave early so we could drive 40 minutes to my open house. Meanwhile, my parents watched my younger son, while my hubby sat at my open house for the first hour, since the timing overlapped with the Mom's Tea. Once my son and I got to the house, my husband took my son back to my parents' house, then went to a meeting. I sat at that open house until late afternoon, with a little space heater to keep me from freezing in the 42 degree house. The next open house date is my birthday. No sympathy from the powers that be; I still have to do it.
It's not just this auction property. I list bank-owned houses for a bank, and, though it has been a steady part of my real estate business for three-plus years, the stress and anxiety is taking a toll. With a couple of exceptions, the asset managers are rude and full of their own importance. Definitely not team players. The bank requires me to complete online "education" every year to maintain my status as a preferred broker (ie, so I will continue to receive listings); this "education" is updated policies and procedures, and runs me about $1,000. For one "class." I'm expected to manage the property, make sure everything runs smoothly and the property sells quickly, yet I have no control over any aspect of the closing. And, adding insult to injury, I get paid less than what I normally charge, even though I have to do more.
I woke up with the flu today, probably due to my five hours in a frozen house. I feel terrible. But I have deadlines that need to be met, emails that need to be sent, and issues that need to be managed. No sick day for me. This is my breaking point. I'm stressing over things that are done by others, but for which I'm still responsible; I'm sick, and I'm tired, and I just want a sick day. I can't plan a special day with my kid, I can't take a day off. The actions of others lead to problems for me. I'm tired of having no control. I don't know where this leaves me, but I have some serious soul-searching to do. Maybe selling bank-owned houses isn't for me, and it's time I got out of that niche in this business. Or, maybe I should just stop whining, and realize that it's all part of the game.
Today, I am extremely grateful to whomever created bleach. Having two (yes, two!) potty-trained children is a blessing: the convenience of not hauling diapers around, the $40/month we save, not to mention, the lack of general stenchiness in our house. It's wonderful.
However, I am learning that two little boys who both use the potty can also have its drawbacks. Namely, the tendency of said boys to attempt to use the potty at the same time, which inevitably leads to, for lack of a better term, "pee wars". Yes, my children have learned to "fight" via their streams. This then leads to the toilet equivalent of "ring-around-the-tub"...which is disgusting.
So, tonight, I was forced to attack my toilet and its surrounding floors and walls with bleach water. I felt bad, since the toilet had never done anything bad to me, other than being too cold first thing in the morning. Still, it had to be done. I like to think the toilet and surrounding area breathed a sigh of relief at finally being clean, smelling like floral-scented bleach instead of...well, you know.
Clorox, you have my undying gratitude. By the way, we have a date: I have two more bathrooms who need your love and my attention.
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