Fiction

Noah’s Compass

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Noah's Compass

Noah’s Compass

By Anne Tyler

Knopf Book

ISBN: 978-0307272409

4 stars

Liam Pennywell is man with a whole lot of nothing going on in his life. He’s 60 years old, divorced, he isn’t close to his three daughters, and has just been laid off from his job as a fifth grade history teacher. Liam decides to downsize himself and moves into a smaller apartment. On the first night he’s there, he’s attached and knocked unconscious. He wakes up in the hospital with no idea how he got there or what happened to him.

Liam becomes obsessed with getting his memory back. When he meets a woman, Eunice, who seems to be a rememberer of sorts, he starts to drone on about all the disappoints in his life — two failed marriages, three daughters who barely know him and he makes no effort to know them, a grandchild he doesn’t know, and, most startling to him, he seems to have no interests in anything. He begins to feel as if he’s drifting with no purpose or goal. Eunice becomes entangled in his life and he finds he likes it. The new relationship brings an odd joy to him and he starts getting to know his youngest daughter and grandchild as well. When things become complicated, he once again looks back on his life and all he lost and found.

One of the things I like about Anne Tyler is her ability to take an ordinary person and situation and make it fascinating. There isn’t anything about Liam that is out of the ordinary. His problems are ones we’re all acquainted with. We don’t have to imagine what his problems would be like because we have most likely experienced something very similar. It’s the vagaries of everyday life that Tyler seems to work best with. We all wonder about what we’ve done and where we might be going. There’s a familiarity that brings the characters to life.

In my opinion, this book was not one of Tyler’s best, but I still enjoyed it. She drops you into a story and you feel as if you’ve always belonged with these characters. I got hooked and when it ended, rather abruptly, I felt slightly cheated, as if I wasn’t done looking over Liam’s shoulder and contemplating life and what it should be. I also love that this book is set in Baltimore. It’s near my city and I like being able to pick out landmarks. If you’re an Anne Tyler fan, or not, Noah’s Compass is worth a read.

The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel

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The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel

The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel

By Sarah Jane Stratford

St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 978-0-312-56013-3

3.5 stars

It’s 1938 and a group of ancient vampires decides that the power that Hitler is commanding in Europe must be stopped. These vampires, known as millennials, do not interfere with human affairs but decide, for not only the good of mankind but also their kind, to infiltrate and destroy the Nazi war machine.

Brigit, one of the oldest and most powerful of the group is loathe to go as it will separate her from Eamon. He has not yet reached millennial status and is too vulnerable for the mission. Reluctantly, she sets off with several companions to put their plan in motion but no one, even the oldest and strongest of the group, is sure they will return.

I didn’t know what to expect with this book — vampires hunting Nazis seemed a bit too much at first. However, once all disbelief is suspended, it works. It’s part love story, part vampire lore, and part action/thriller. It’s a strange combination and I will admit to being leery at first but, once I got into, I flew through it. The vampire background that Stratford creates is interesting and the long histories of the characters is enough to make it all work.

The Midnight Guardian is a fast read and good brain candy if you’re looking for a quick distraction. I liked the new vampire category added here and it seems set up for a second book as a few story lines are left hanging but not in such a way that leaves you annoyed. I think I might be willing to read a second one these books. While the idea was a bit outlandish, the characters were good enough to pull you in and, while it might not be a book you remember for years to come, it is an entertaining read.

Heart and Soul

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Heart and Soul

Heart and Soul

By Maeve Binchy

Alfred A. Knopf

ISBN: 978-0-307-26579-1

4 stars

Dr. Clara Casey was passed over for the position of head cardiologist at the hospital. Instead, she ends up appointed the director of the new heart clinic and she’s less than thrilled about the prospect. She promises herself it will only be for a year, she’ll get through it, and move on.

The new job is just the beginning of her troubles. She has two selfish daughters who are wrapped up in their own lives. Her estranged husband, who left her to live with a much younger woman, is finally asking for the divorce she won’t grant, and Frank Ennis, the hospital board member overseeing the clinic, is an incredible thorn in her side.

At the clinic, she begins assembling a diverse and wonderful staff. Clara is a force and you begin to see the clinic find its home in the community and become a touchstone for so many of the characters in this book.

Maeve Binchy is a comfort read for me. She creates such immensely likable characters that I want to pick up and go to Dublin to meet these people. In this book, as with most Binchy novels, the story is told from several perspectives and you know what’s going on in the lives of all the characters. Some of their stories are more interesting than others but it’s the way they are all tied together that makes it work. Binchy does a good job of folding you into the story and you’re hooked before you know it. The ending of this one felt a bit abrupt and the characters all work out their problems fairly quickly but that may also have been me not wanting to see this story come to an end at all.

This book does include characters from previous novels but you don’t need to have read them all to understand what’s going on here. It stands on its own but if you’ve read the other books, it’s nice to see the characters you’ve met before are all doing fine.

Versailles

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Versailles

Versailles

By Kathryn Davies

Houghton Mifflin Company

ISBN: 0-618-22136-0

3.5 stars

We meet Marie Antoinette at the age of 14 on her way from Austria to France to marry the Dauphin, Louis. She is young, anxious, and completely unprepared for what her life will be. She soon finds herself married to young man who has more interest in locks than in her. Her position is precarious without an heir, as her mother constantly reminds her. To distract herself, she spends her time gambling away a French fortune.

In time, her and Louis find a happy companionship but before they are able to figure out their roles or who they are, they are crowned king and queen of France. Unable to handle the weight of ruling, France begins to crumble as they do nothing but watch.

I love reading about Marie Antoinette. She’s a tragic figure with so many rumors surrounding her any one in itself can be a story. I was expecting more of the same with this book and I found it, however, I also found an interesting re-telling of a story I was already familiar with. Told from Marie Antoinette’s point of view, you see the odd aloofness, the sense of confusion, sadness, and her need to be loved by her husband. I felt bad for her and, at the same time, completely intrigued and dumbfounded by her actions.

Interspersed throughout the story are small plays. People enter stage left and right and it’s almost as if you’re overhearing a whispered conversation in the palace with these short asides. It’s effective and broke up the story just enough to keep my interest. The book wasn’t what I was expecting and that was a nice surprise.

The House on Tradd Street

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The House on Tradd Street

The House on Tradd Street

By Karen White

New American Library

ISBN: 978-0-451-22509-2

4 stars

Melanie Middleton is a realtor in Charleston, South Carolina. She specializes in historic homes but what she really loves is new construction — no character, no flaws, and no problems. During a meeting with a potential client, she inadvertently impresses him when she admits to being able to see the ghost of a woman sitting on the garden swing. When the client dies unexpectedly a few days later, he leaves the house and all its unseen inhabitants in Melanie’s care.

Ghosts are the reason Melanie hates old homes. In a new place, she doesn’t have to see them, talk to them, or help them. In the house on Tradd Street, a house she is not at all fond of being the money pit that it is, there are several ghosts that all seem to want something from her. In addition to the house and ghosts, she also finds herself saddled with a local author who has an odd interest in the house, an alcoholic father trying to get back into her life, and a dog she doesn’t know what to do with.

I like ghost stories and this one was a nice cozy read. There’s a bit of a mystery thrown in but overall nothing too scary if you’re not into ghost/murder/mystery stories like this one. It’s pretty mild. I think there’s enough for all readers to enjoy but I will say that you’ll probably see the twists coming long before they happen. It’s not a bad thing at all. The story is a pleasant read and I didn’t mind when things turned out exactly like I expected them to.

I was turned off a bit by Melanie’s attitude in the beginning but she grew on me as did all the other characters. They’re a bit eccentric which makes it enjoyable. I even found the house restoration a nice addition to the story. If you’re looking for a good fast read, this one is worth it. I’m looking forward to reading The Girl on Legare Street which is a follow-up to The House on Tradd Street.

Tender is the Night

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Tender is the Night

Tender is the Night

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Scribner

ISBN: 0-684-80154-X

3.5 stars

Rosemary Hoyt is a young American movie star vacationing in the French Riviera when she meets Dick and Nicole Driver. Dick is a brilliant psychiatrist and Nicole is both his wife and patient. Their relationship is complicated, by not only Nicole’s illness, but also by money. Rosemary’s appearance in Dick’s life only causes more strife for him and what he considers the responsibilities of his life.

Romantic love plays a dominate role for both Rosemary and Dick. Rosemary because she is so young and inexperienced and Dick because he is in a marriage where the notion of romance was never even considered. He liked and admired Nicole when they met but romance is not and was never a part of the marriage. Rosemary is buoyed by the mere idea and teases and cajoles Dick into believing it might be possible to have a romantic life with her. The two are bound by a strange connection that neither is willing to break but one that cannot be kept up either.

I read The Great Gatsby last year and found this one on my shelf while looking for my next book. I can’t say that I enjoyed this one as much. I felt alternatively bad, sad, and completely disgusted by the characters. They were young, rich, carefree, and in some instances all together unlikable. I know at certain times that I was not supposed to empathize with them but even though I knew that, I still was annoyed by them. I put this book down a few times in the hopes that when I returned, the characters would have redeemed themselves. Some did, some didn’t.

I didn’t stop reading though and I’m glad of that. Fitzgerald has such a beautiful and amazing writing style that I can’t help but be entranced. I was finding myself truly disliking these people and their actions but I still wanted to know how it would turn out, knowing full well there would be a tragic end in there somewhere. The language is so soothing and lulling that he dupes you into reading more and more.

Somewhere hidden on the depths of my shelves is This Side of Paradise. I won’t be reading it anytime soon, but I will be reading it. I may, for now at least, be done with my latest Fitzgerald book, but I know I will be going back for more in the future.

Powers

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Powers

Powers

By John B. Olson

B&H Publishing Group

ISBN: 978-0-8054-4735-4

Did Not Finish

I don’t usually write reviews of books I abandoned. I don’t think it’s all that fair since I didn’t finish, but I’m going to make an exception in this case.

Powers is about a young gypsy woman named Mariutza, Mari, who lives in the swamps of Louisiana with her grandfather. She’s been training for years to find and protect the prophet. When her grandfather is killed by a cloaked man, she leaves the swamps for the first time in her life. Through a series of events, she meets Jazz, a musician who is suffering from blackouts and doesn’t believe he’s a prophet of any sort.

The story switches between Mari and Jazz. It’s not confusing but I didn’t feel like I could get a grip on either character. Mari is a very sheltered person. Her grandfather kept her hidden away in the swamps and she knows nothing about the world. There is one scene where she is totally fascinated by Sprite. Yes, the soda. It’s amusing and slightly funny at first but grows tiring incredibly fast. I stopped finding her reactions to things, like seat belts, even vaguely interesting. It was too much of a dichotomy — I felt she couldn’t be that naïve and yet be responsible for protecting the prophet that will save humanity. Jazz was, well, I couldn’t figure him out. He seemed genuine at first, then seemed to turn into some sort of conman after a treasure. I was confused by him — should I like him, hate him, or what.

However, I will say this about the book, Olson does a good job of creating tension and suspicion when the evil beings appear and his writing, overall, was good. It had a nice ring to it and it kept me reading longer than I probably would have. I just didn’t care for the characters here and I think that was my major problem with this book. If I can’t find a connection with the characters, I can’t get into the book. Sometimes it happens.

I received this book through the Early Reviewer program on LibraryThing. After I started, I realized this was a sequel to Shade, the first book. I don’t know if I would have had a different reaction if I had read the first one or not.

I won this book as part of the Early Reviewer program on Librarything.

The Taker and the Keeper: The Red Monocle, Book 1

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The Taker and the Keeper

The Taker and the Keeper: The Red Monocle, Book 1

By Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin

Chiron Books

ISBN: 9781935178033

3.75 stars

Gregory Guest is a regular kid who happens to find a tunnel to another dimension.

At school, Gregory helped a teacher clean out a closet, and in a box full of junk, he found a small red monocle along with other glasses and assorted lenses. On his way home, he ventures into the woods to a small ravine that he likes to visit, and playing around with the lenses in the box, he finds the entrance to a tunnel. Not knowing anything about where he might be going, he enters the portal. Scared and worried by what he saw, he leaves and runs home wanting to be in the safety of his house.

The next day he feels as if the world has been turned upside-down. His happy family is now fighting for no reason, school was an embarrassing mess, and he feels alone. On his way home, he runs into his friend Yolanda, Yola for short, and not really knowing why, he shows her the monocle. She doesn’t have the same reaction but a pair of glasses he found in the box do show her the tunnel. Together they enter and find the world of King Arthur but a few things are not right about the story Yola knows so well. Suddenly, Gregory and Yola are off on an adventure to find Excalibur, the sword in the stone that will make Arthur king and bring the world back to normal.

This book is for children ages 8 and up. It’s a simple book and not much is explained except for the most rudimentary of things but for the target audience, it works. It’s a fast read, entertaining, and dare I say it, cute. The characters are likable and you want Gregory and Yola to succeed.

The story doesn’t have many scary scene but there are a few sad moments when Gregory remembers his mother who is suffering from a mental illness. It seems a bit heavy here but can be an ice breaker for talking to a child.

There are two more books planned in the Red Monocle series: The Death of a Good Wizard and The Invisible Foe.

This book was sent to me by The Cadence Group.