When I first started blogging (you know, three months ago!) I would from time to time post reviews of the books I was reading.
Now I am not a professional book reviewer. Not by a long shot. But I figured I love getting recommendations for books, so maybe others would as well.
Through that, I was very fortunate to meet Beth Hoffman, the gifted author behind Saving CeeCee Honeycutt (you can read the review here and find Beth here). Having loved her book, and becoming twitter "friends," I thought it was only appropriate to ask for a recommendation when I found myself without a book to read.
Her recommendation, A Gracious Plenty, had me concerned. When someone else on twitter saw the recommendation, they said it was a book lacking in dialogue. I am a reader who craves dialogue and at times (embarrassing to admit) will skim over imagery.
But Beth recommended it and I didn't want to not read a book she recommended. So I did.
And I was mesmerized. A Gracious Plenty is about a woman, Fitch, who accidentally gets burned very badly when she'd very little. As a result, she becomes somewhat of a recluse and tends to the cemetery where she is able to speak with the dead before they can lighten and "move on." The one thing she can't do is touch them and that's what she craves more than anything. She's an outcast in her community, partly by her own doing, and finds love and friendship with the dead.
It's a beautiful written book where each word seems immensely critical. In an effort to be honest, I always try to find something less than "perfect" to point out. But honestly, I am having a hard time. Much like Beth's book, my biggest criticism is that it ended!
I'd strongly recommend.
A Book in Review Grade: A
Showing posts with label A Book in Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Book in Review. Show all posts
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
A Book in Review
As you'll recall from a previous post, my coworkers E and T recommended a bunch of books and authors for me to read! I just finished another one and couldn't wait to tell you about it. The book is "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" by Beth Hoffman. This book is the story of a young girl with an absent father and a mother with a psychiatric diagnosis (alluded to as psychosis in the book but not definitive). Her only positive is an elderly neighbor but accepts CeeCee as she is. The result was a girl with no friends who had to take care of a mother who preferred to pretend she was in a beauty pageant. When her mother is unexpectedly killed (it says as much on the book flap so not giving too much away!) her father cannot care for her and allows her great aunt Tootie to take her home to Georgia.
Once in Georgia, CeeCee's life is forever changed by the women her aunt surrounds herself with. There are funny moments and many sad moments (read with a box of tissues!) in this very well written book. What drew me in mostly was how she characterized CeeCee's understanding of the world. CeeCee, when praying to G-d and not getting any answers, wonders if the prayers are being stacked up outside his door so one day when he opens the door will he be crushed by her prayers. Perhaps I like the book so much because I can relate to CeeCee. When I was younger, parents/grandparents/teachers/etc. used to tell me the world was black and white until the 1960s. Now what they meant was there was no color TV/movies until the 1960s. What I heard and interpreted was the ENTIRE world was black/white. So naturally I thought one day in the 1960's G-d took a big bucket of paint and colored the world.
This book is intended as a story about a little girl's struggle to redefine normal and figure out her place in the world. My one real criticism of the book is that it only touches on the racism that would have existed in the South during the 1960s. All the main characters, save one, have a completely positive experience toward black people. The three (that I can count) moments of blatant racism all spring up and resolve themselves quite quickly. Perhaps racism for a "Northerner" (CeeCee was born in Ohio) was not a part of the story that the author wanted to tell.
All in all a great read!
A Book in Review Grade: A
Once in Georgia, CeeCee's life is forever changed by the women her aunt surrounds herself with. There are funny moments and many sad moments (read with a box of tissues!) in this very well written book. What drew me in mostly was how she characterized CeeCee's understanding of the world. CeeCee, when praying to G-d and not getting any answers, wonders if the prayers are being stacked up outside his door so one day when he opens the door will he be crushed by her prayers. Perhaps I like the book so much because I can relate to CeeCee. When I was younger, parents/grandparents/teachers/etc. used to tell me the world was black and white until the 1960s. Now what they meant was there was no color TV/movies until the 1960s. What I heard and interpreted was the ENTIRE world was black/white. So naturally I thought one day in the 1960's G-d took a big bucket of paint and colored the world.
This book is intended as a story about a little girl's struggle to redefine normal and figure out her place in the world. My one real criticism of the book is that it only touches on the racism that would have existed in the South during the 1960s. All the main characters, save one, have a completely positive experience toward black people. The three (that I can count) moments of blatant racism all spring up and resolve themselves quite quickly. Perhaps racism for a "Northerner" (CeeCee was born in Ohio) was not a part of the story that the author wanted to tell.
All in all a great read!
A Book in Review Grade: A
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A Book in Review
One of my main means of relaxing is by reading. I have always been a reader. Usually, I am a fast reader too. While I was in graduate/professional school (wow that sounds fake) I had so much official reading to do I didn't do much pleasure reading. I am really starting to get back into it and after exhausting a few authors the librarian recommended, I turned to my colleagues. T and E read a LOT. They seemed like good sources of referrals.
One of the books E recommended was The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Let me say, it is a great book. Amazingly well written. As someone who has a unique name (disclaimer: Sara is not technically my name) I can relate to Gogol. When I was growing up I wanted to change my name. Not completely unlike The Namesake, I wanted to change my name and looked to a literary character for inspiration. (Now my choice was Mimi from the Babysitters Club ... but regardless.)
As the reader, we get to see how tradition plays a role in naming a baby. As an Ashkenazi Jew, we have naming traditions as well. For instance, you name after someone who is deceased. You use either the first letter or the sound of that persons name. Now we also have Hebrew names. These can be the English version of your Hebrew name or similar or something entirely different. Completely depends. Regardless, I can relate to having traditions around names.
It is also interesting how the author manages to change the point of view. Gogol, the main character, is not born until later in the book. Initially the story focuses around his parent's relationship. I commend Lahiri for weaving the focus of the stories.
One concern, I think there may be an error (disclaimer: I didn't go back and reread before returning the book to the library so I am uncertain). In the book, Lahiri mentions that one day Gogol will return to the same apartment his parents lived in when the story opened and will be immensely happy. I don't recall this ever happening. Ever. Maybe it was meant as more general foreshadowing that we the reader are not included in knowing?
Regardless, I would definitely recommend this work.
A Book in Review Grade: B+
I did also just finish reading her first book, Interpret of Maladies. This book I would not recommend. I think she tried to fit too much story into short stories. A few of them have great characters that could have been developed more and made into full length works. Some others fell far short of the greatness she exhibits in The Namesake.
One of the books E recommended was The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. Let me say, it is a great book. Amazingly well written. As someone who has a unique name (disclaimer: Sara is not technically my name) I can relate to Gogol. When I was growing up I wanted to change my name. Not completely unlike The Namesake, I wanted to change my name and looked to a literary character for inspiration. (Now my choice was Mimi from the Babysitters Club ... but regardless.)
As the reader, we get to see how tradition plays a role in naming a baby. As an Ashkenazi Jew, we have naming traditions as well. For instance, you name after someone who is deceased. You use either the first letter or the sound of that persons name. Now we also have Hebrew names. These can be the English version of your Hebrew name or similar or something entirely different. Completely depends. Regardless, I can relate to having traditions around names.
It is also interesting how the author manages to change the point of view. Gogol, the main character, is not born until later in the book. Initially the story focuses around his parent's relationship. I commend Lahiri for weaving the focus of the stories.
One concern, I think there may be an error (disclaimer: I didn't go back and reread before returning the book to the library so I am uncertain). In the book, Lahiri mentions that one day Gogol will return to the same apartment his parents lived in when the story opened and will be immensely happy. I don't recall this ever happening. Ever. Maybe it was meant as more general foreshadowing that we the reader are not included in knowing?
Regardless, I would definitely recommend this work.
A Book in Review Grade: B+
I did also just finish reading her first book, Interpret of Maladies. This book I would not recommend. I think she tried to fit too much story into short stories. A few of them have great characters that could have been developed more and made into full length works. Some others fell far short of the greatness she exhibits in The Namesake.
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