Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

From the author that wrote The Friday Night Knitting Club comes Comfort Food.  I think I should preface and say that anything with 3.5 and up stars is worth a read.  Don't let my review deter you. (More on this below).

So the preface: Augusta "Gus" Simpson is a successful cook with a history of successful cooking shows on a national cooking channel.  Just before she turns 50, the network decides it wants to boost ratings by pairing her up with a beautiful, young (will do whatever she has to do to get ahead) Brazilian.  Gus, feeling a bit competitive, decides that she will do what she has to do to keep her status and show in the limelight.  With all that going on, Gus is also dealing with her two daughters and what she believes to be their "lacking" lives.  She's also trying to re-start her love life (she's been a widow for about 15 years). All in all the circumstances Gus is dealing with could prove to be a possible rejuvenation of her career or its downfall.

So like I said, don't let the lack of stars to deter you from reading...I liked the book...it was enjoyable and an easy, breezy read.  I just get irritated sometimes about characters (like Gus) who get too wrapped up in the ridiculous.  Like her interference with her daughters...it's ridiculous and a bit unrealistic. And that doesn't mean Gus wasn't a likable character...she was but I felt like some of the events in the book were added unnecessarily...maybe to make it longer?  I don't know...still a good "summer" read.

The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

Okay – so my latest…here’s a synopsis:

 

It’s 1954…racial tension is at a boiling point…segregation has become the hot topic in all of the South (Brown v. Board of Education has just been ruled on) and Jubie Watts (June Watts) is a 13 year-old coming of age.  On a scorching day in August, she leaves her home in Charlotte, NC with her mother, 3 siblings and Mary – their black housekeeper – for a Florida vacation.  On the trip, Jubie begins noticing all the anti-integration signs which become more and more prevalent the further south they get.  It all leads up to a shocking and horrific incident which leaves Jubie reeling and forces her into a grown-up role she wasn’t quite ready for.

 

This book held so much promise based on the description.  And I liked it, I did…3.5 stars is pretty good.  I mean, I finished the book and it certainly held my interest but there were just certain things that didn’t make it great.  I felt as though the book didn’t delve deeply enough into the characters.  I didn’t have as deep a connection to Mary as I should have had. Additionally – there was a plot line that was sort of thrown in at the end that came, it seemed out of nowhere.  This book was about Jubie and the effects that segregation and racism had on her.  It was about her love for Mary and how the racism she was surrounded by shaped her.  It was also about the shock that one suffers when  realizing that parents are imperfect, human and, in fact, very flawed. All of this was obvious but there just wasn’t enough of an emotional connection.  The book lacked flavor…it was just a bit dull.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History is a sort of a psychological thriller with a huge scoop of early 20s angst thrown in.

Richard Papen is our main character. He’s a directionless and mostly unmotivated college student.  He doesn't seem to know what he wants in life but he does know that he wants to escape from his loveless family in California. Through conniving and a bit of truth-bending, Richard manages to get accepted into a school as far from his California roots as possible: Vermont’s Hampden College. Upon entering and attempting to schedule classes, he becomes intrigued with a professor who teaches Greek but only takes 5 students into the program. Through strange happenings (which never seem clear to the reader) Richard manages to get accepted into this exclusive program. Almost too easily, he is accepted into the clique of students already enrolled and well-know to each other. At one point, they reveal to Richard that they accidentally killed a man during a bacchanalian frenzy (drunken frenzy). And then, when one of their numbers seems ready to spill the secret, the group--now including Richard--must kill him, too. From that point on, what ensues is a story of covering-up and the paranoia that comes with that.

I liked this book I would even recommend it. However, my rating has more to do with the unlikable characters than anything else. Not one of the characters (even Richard) has a redeeming quality. They’re directionless, drunken, egotistical kids who think they are smarter than the world they live in. However, this, I believe was the point. The author seems to be trying to show that lives are easily lost when normal morality is ignored causing lives to change forever. Still, an enjoyable read and definitely a page-turner.

My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young

What a surprise! Another book on the Holocaust. What is it about the Holocaust? Did I live a past life during that time period or what?

Actually, this book doesn't focus on the camps or even the Jewish plight, so to speak. This one focuses on a subject that I had never heard or read about: Lebensborn, a birthing center for Aryan children, where the slogan is Have one baby for the Führer. Basically, women or girls were getting pregnant in Germany and the surrounding areas by soldiers who had wives/girlfriends elsewhere. As a result, these women were left pregnant with nowhere to go and no way to support their child. Within the Lebensborn's walls, mothers-to-be receive proper nutrition and medical care until their children are taken from them for adoption into Aryan families.

This book focuses on Cyrla, a half-Jewish Dutch girl, living with her dead mother's sister, hiding in plain sight, pretending to be Christian. Several years earlier, she had been sent away by her Jewish father who had seen bad things brewing. Eventually, Cyrla's cousin Annika, whom Cyrla closely resembles, becomes pregnant by a German soldier. Annika's father enrolls her in a Lebensborn. Through horrible events, Cyrla must assume Annika's identity and live in the German Lebensborn until rescued. The horrors Cyrla witnesses are softened only by her resounding optimism and strength.

I liked this book. Good, easy read...not too heavy considering the plot line.

Hangman by Faye Kellerman

The latest in Decker/Lazarus series - well, the 20th...#21 will be out in January - is Hangman.  I've read them all and as usual, a solid, enjoyable "read".  (I put "read" in quotes because I actually listened to this on CD in my car rather than actually flipping pages).  Anyway - here's the premise:

Fifteen years ago, high school senior Chris Whitman went to jail for murdering his girlfriend, Cheryl Diggs. He confessed, becuase he wanted to save another classmate, Terry McLaughlin, from having to testify at his trial. When the truth came out, Chris was released from prison, married Terry--pregnant with his child--and changed his last name to Donatti. He also became a professional killer.  Peter Decker was the detective on the case, and over the years, he and Terry kept in touch. Now Terry is in L.A. and asking for a favor. The favor soon becomes complicated when Terry goes missing and Donatti disappears, leaving their fourteen-year-old son, Gabe, with no one to turn to except Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus.  This mystery shares center stage with the murder mystery of Adirana Blanc, a nurse at a nearby hospital.  Mayhem and mulling ensue. 

I liked this book...it was fairly solid, however, I wonder if I would have liked it more had I read it.  The CD was okay but I felt like the guy reading it just didn't capture the relationship between Peter and Rina as well as the other major characters in the books.  Anyway - read it...read the series...start at the beginning (The Ritual Bath) you won't be sorry!

Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy

I can't believe I've only review one other Maeve Binchy on this blog!  I've read all 16 of her novels!  Hmm. Well, if you haven't read her, you must but make sure you start at her first because she uses past characters in her later novels and you'll get a much better feel for the people if you start at the beginning (but it isn't necessary...just recommended).

So, Minding Frankie.  This one is about a cast of characters that come together to help raise an semi-orphaned baby girl.  Frankie's mother - Stella -  is dying of cancer and pregnant at the same time.  She contacts the father, Noel, to tell him first, that he's going to be a daddy and second that she wants him to take the baby when she dies (which will happen while giving birth).  This obviously comes as a shock to Noel who for want of a better term is a raging drunk.  Finally realizing his life is going nowhere, Noel sees that Frankie is a chance at a better life.  He thus sobers up, enrolls in school and begins rebuilding.  Unfortunately, nothing is easy and it "takes a village".  The many other cast of characters in this book prove to be exactly what Maeve Binchy always invents:  Neighbors / lifesavers / best friends / family that have always been there but never acknowledged. 

A really good book.  Probably my least favorite of Binchy's most recent books but still a really good read.  I'll always recommend Maeve for her feel good, wish-I-lived-in-Ireland book!

The Thieves of Heaven by Richard Doetsch

I've read Richard Doetsch one other time - 13th Hour (an exceptional thriller!) - and although I really enjoyed him again, this recent read wasn't nearly as good as my previous experience with him. 

Synopsis:
Michael St. Pierre is a retired thief.  His final score, the one that got him sent to the slammer, went horribly wrong when he was forced to save a woman about to be raped and killed.  Fast forward several years and Michael is happily married and living the straight life.  Unfortunately, he and his wife are dealt a blow when Mary is diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  In order to pay for her treatment, Michael agrees to burgle one last time.  He's hired by August Finster to steal two keys - from the Vatican.  Naturally, a papal thriller follows and nothing is as it seems.  Michael is forced to retrace his steps and atone for the wrong he's done, not only for Mary but for all of mankind. 

As I've said, this is a very very good book but not nearly as good as the other I've read.  Maybe it's because it's Doetsch's first novel and he was still slightly rough around the edges.  However, I'd buy his books again simply for the thrill of reading these thrillers! 

The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

This is actually my third book of Tess Gerritsen's but it is the 2nd in the Rizzoli and Isles series (1st being The Surgeon).  Here's the synopsis (courtesy Amazon):

Boston detective Jane Rizzoli hasn't completely recovered from the near-death experience at the hands of a serial killer (The Surgeon) that left her scarred and scared, but that doesn't keep her from going after a copycat murderer whose MO is disturbingly familiar. Warren Hoyt may still be behind bars, but Jane thinks there's a connection between him and the man the police call the Dominator, based on the way this new fiend subdues and violates his victims before he kills them. Political interference from an FBI agent who seems to know more about the Dominator than anyone else only intensifies Jane's determination to solve the case. When Hoyt escapes from prison and teams up with his blood brother to take revenge on the policewoman who put him there, the pace of this truly frightening thriller picks up and drives the narrative to its violent conclusion.

This was another very solid read by Gerritsen and as I read more and more of hers, I like the Rizzoli character more and more.  Isles hasn't become a huge character yet but I would imagine that will change as I read more of the books.  Certainly another series that will "take you away".

Fantasy In Death By J.D. Robb

My latest is #30 in the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb and as usual, it was an easy, mindless (not an negative thing) and enjoyable read.  This one has our main character - Lt. Eve Dallas - searching for the killer of an up-and-coming gaming developer.  Bart Minnock seems to have literally lost his head while playing a virtual enemy.  The clues are few and far between considering the victim was home alone and all indications show that no security was breached in his home allowing a killer in.  Eve once again turns to her cache of assistants in the NYPSD including her "expert civilian consultant" and husband Rourke. 

I really liked this book - of course - and was actually fooled into thinking that the killer was someone else.  Again - if you haven't tried these books, I absolutely recommend especially if you need something that will allow you to escape your life if only for a bit.  

Traveling Light by Katrina Kittle

So this is my 3rd Katrina Kittle book...and my least fave so far.

The premise:  Summer Zwolenick is a 20-something year old who has come home to Dayton, Ohio to care for and spend time with her brother who is dying of AIDS.  At the same time, she's trying to find a new focus for her life after an injury ended her promising ballet career.  She's found the man of her dreams as well but unfortunately, she can't seem to prioritize anything while her only brother's life slips away. She only has a few months to learn the valuable lessons that he has to teach:  how to love, live and let certain things go. 

I liked this book...I really did but I only gave it 3.5 stars because there were times when Summer irritated me so much with her stupidity that I just didn't find that believable.  I can't imagine anyone as moronic as her...especially when - really - she had it all.  That was really the only issue I had with the book but she is the main character and how can you give better than 3.5 stars when you want to throttle someone nearly every other sentence?!  It was fun too to read about Dayton and Cincinnati (Fountain Square, Mt. Adams and the Playhouse).  Regardless of the low rating it's still worth the read...a fast summer/beach book.

The Cradle by Paptrick Somerville

My latest read was a quick 150-pager. Synopsis:  "Marissa, pregnant with her first child, becomes obsessed with tracking down the antique cradle her mother took when she abandoned the family a decade earlier. Marissa's husband, Matt, is sure he's been dispatched on a fool's errand, but his journey soon connects him to Marissa's family and his own history of abandonment, neglect and abuse amid a string of foster homes and orphanages. Matt's quest through four states is interwoven with another drama that takes place 11 years later, in 2008, in which poet and children's author Renee Owen is haunted by memories of war and a lost love as she prepares to send her son off to fight in Iraq."

This book was, as I've said, a quick and easy read with a lot of poignant symbolism and family dilemma.  The reason I gave it a 3.5 was because, truly this is a forgettable novel.  While reading it, I certainly enjoyed it and it had many lovely scenes and quotable lines but to tell the truth - a year from now when I'm fingering books on my shelves to figure out what to read next, I'll wonder if I've read this book or not...I'll open to the first page and I'll read the first few lines and it will only be then that I recall I had already read it.  Every book hits readers a different way, however, so you may feel differently and I wouldn't be surprised. It got rave reviews!

Ape House by Sara Gruen

Sara Gruen is the same woman who wrote Water For Elephants - by the way. This novel revolves around - yup, you guessed it, apes.  Specifically, bonobo apes.  The main character, Isabel Duncan, works in the Great Language Lab in Kansas.  She has dedicated her life to teaching the apes to sign and communicate with humans.  Obviously this intrigues people and a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, John Thigpen, visits one day to write an article.  Unfortunately, a terrorists bombs the lab, terrorizing the apes and severely injuring Isabel.  The apes are then sold to man of questionable ethics who turns the apes into reality stars.  From this point on, it's Isabel's race to gain custody of the apes and find out who actually bombed the language lab and nearly killed her. 

This, I thought, was a solidly GOOD book.  It was nothing like Water For Elephants except that the animals are definitely the heroes.  I actually listened to this on CD in the car which, for me, sometimes changes the feel of a book.  Considering this book didn't get good reviews at all, I wonder if I liked it more listening to it then I would have.  Who's to say but I liked it and think it's worth the read.  I'm assuming that the information about the bonobos is true and it is truly fascinating.  Worth the read just for that bit of info.  Recommendation:  Read it, I think it's worth it.  Or listen to it...even better.

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

Port Mortuary is the 18th book in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series.  I've read all of them and reviewed on my blog three others (this being the 4th).  In Port Mortuary, Kay is now the chief medical examiner of the new Cambridge Forensic Center (CFC) in Massachusetts.  This center has been Kay's creation, dream, and brainchild for the past year or so.  Since it's creation and opening, however, she's not been there to see to it's smooth operation.  Instead, she's been "training" at a military base in Dover.  Upon her return to Boston, Kay becomes involved in the mysterious and sudden death of a man and the murder of a child (whose confessed killer seems to be innocent). Kay realizes almost immediately that the two cases are related and that the answers aren't as simple as everyone seems to be making them out to be. 

I liked this book and give it 3 1/2 stars.  It gets a solid "Good" from me.  What I liked about it was that the story, the mystery, the murder was intriguing and I wanted to find out "whodunit".  It kept me turning the pages.  I liked that Kay seemed to be getting back to her element by the end:  Wrapped up in solving the case through the science that she's based her life on.  What I didn't like was the enigma that Patricia Cornwell has turned Kay and Benton's relationship into. Anne told me while I was reading (without giving anything away) that she worried about Kay moving into that "dark place" again and I think she was absolutely right.  Anne said by the end that she didn't feel that way but I'm not sure that we've seen the end of Benton's secret keeping.  He seems to be getting involved again in blocking her out of big chunks of his life and I hate to see her put up with that.  In addition, there were many issues left unanswered from the last book regarding Lucy that were not dealt with at all in this book.  Granted this book only covered 2-3 days, and it leaves a huge page open for writing but I WANT ANSWERS!  Hee hee.  Truly though and in all happy seriousness, I think with every book that Patricia Cornwell writes, she gets closer and closer to what she was doing in books like Potter's Field and Postmortem.  She just needs to not get so wrapped up in the technical, irrelevant details and simply tell the story.

Life Sentences by Laura Lippman

Synopsis:  Writer Cassandra Fallows achieved critical and commercial success with an account of her Baltimore childhood growing up in the 1960s and a follow-up dealing with her adult marriages and affairs. She follows her memoirs up with a poorly received book of fiction, leading her back to nonfiction and the possibility of a book about grade school classmate Calliope Jenkins. Jenkins was accused of murdering her infant son, and spent seven years in prison declining to answer any questions about the disappearance and presumed death of her son. Fallows tries to reconnect with three former classmate friends to compare memories of Jenkins and research her story but finds they are reluctant to talk to her and in fact, slightly hostile.  Fallows is thus led into a spiderweb of stories, secrets and lies before finally coming to the truth.

I actually liked this book but at times wanted to, once again, throw it across the room (hoping to injure the characters within).  What is with these damn main characters who are vile?  Ugh!  Don't let that stop you from reading this one though, it actually has a pretty good plot and definitely moves along.

Any Bitter Thing by Monica Wood

Things are looking up slightly in regard to my picks.

Here's the synopsis: The victim of a hit-and-run accident, Lizzy Mitchell is left by the driver in the middle of the median, hurt and adrift. Later Lizzy comes to see the accident as indicative of her life up to that point. After her parents are killed in an accident when she's two, Lizzy was raised by her uncle Mike, a Maine priest, At age nine, however, her comfortable world crumbles when her uncle is accused of molestation. Lizzy, now a high-school counselor, is still trying to make sense of what happened to her uncle.

I liked this novel. I liked it even more after page 200 when POW!!! I was shocked by a turn of events that sent the characters and me into a tizzy! I would recommend this book though it was a bit slow in parts. There were times when the characters were total boneheads that I wanted to pound on them just a little bit but all in all, I would recommend this.

On to my next...a Laura Lippman which I'm liking so far!

Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller

I read and finished another book. I'm not going to give it it's own post because, well, the book was just too disturbing for me. This one was called Notes on a Scandal: [What was she thinking] by Zoe Heller. (It was made into a movie too with Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench.) This was about a teacher (Sheba Hart) in London who has an affair with one of the 15-year old students at her school (EWWWWWW) and of course she gets caught. The book is told in the voice of her "friend" (Barbara Covett) who is supposedly writing the whole thing down in order to have a "factual" written account of the circumstances. In the end, Barbara winds up revealing Sheba's secrets as well as her own.

I have a hard time saying I liked this book. It was a quick read and it was good writing but it was just such a disturbing subject and there were about 15 times when I wanted to put it down and...go take a shower so I could feel clean again. I think maybe that was sort of the point the author was trying to make though. The characters in the book downplayed the seriousness and sliminess of Sheba's actions and as an outsider looking in the reader gets a real sense of just how effed up these people are. I don't know, I'm just glad I finished reading it. I can't imagine what made me put this on my list...it had to be a result of the reviews I had read. Anyway, if you can stand the subject matter, have at it.

Promises In Death By J.D. Robb

So I've (long ago) finished the above. It's #28 in the "In Death" series and once again it doesn't disappoint.


In this book, Eve Dallas and her team are investigating the murder of Amarylis Coltraine -Dallas’s friend Chief Medical Examiner Morris's girlfriend. Coltraine had recently transferred to the New York City police force from Atlanta because she needed a change of scenery after a long-term relationship had ended. Eve soon discovers a connection to Coltraine's ex-boyfriend, Alex Ricker, whose father, a notorious criminal serving a life sentence at the Omega Penal Colony, blames Dallas and her husband, Roarke, for his imprisonment. In addition, the killer sends Eve a package containing Coltraine’s badge, weapon, and a taunting note suggesting that she might be next on the list, Eve finds herself trying to untangle a case that may be linked to her own past.

Again, another winner for Robb...easy, fulfilling reads when you need a break from the "too deep".

Since this read, I've read Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer again (I won't re-review that) and Goodnight, Irene by Jan Burke. I won't review the Jan Burke since it is a re-read (I'm going to do it with my language arts class next year) but if you haven't experience the Irene Kelly series by Jan Burke you need to - they rock! Great mysteries!

Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb

My latest read is read. This is my second novel by this author and she's a solid, feel-good author with "sweet" stories meant to tug at the heartstrings and make you laugh out loud. This one is about the Bommarito siblings: Twin sisters Isabelle and Cecilia, their younger sister Janie and finally, their "special" brother Henry. The girls are suddenly called home when their mother must have open heart surgery to help care for Henry, their dementia-struck grandmother (she believes herself to be Amelia Earhart) and the bakery their mother has managed to run into the ground. Unfortunately the girls each suffer from the trauma of their childhood and the scars that their mother's depression left on their souls so the task is not an easy one. They've each avoided their mother and to be forced into dealing with her moods all of a sudden, after years of running away, well it leaves them all running now for their psychiatrists. Through all of this, however, is Henry who makes their lives better somehow, simply with his sweetness and unconditional love. In the end, the novel is about forgiveness, awareness and acceptance - something the the ladies in the book never had and something they didn't realize they desperately needed.

I know this all sounds deep and heavy but truly, Lamb's books are filled with quick-witted puns and feel good events. Her books (or at least the two I've now read) are easy, quick, (I hate to say mindless) novels that usually choke me up throughout and certainly make me laugh out loud countless times. If you're looking for a simple summer read or just need something "not so serious" read Cathy Lamb, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Perfect Family by Pam Lewis

Finished my most recent read: Perfect Family. This one revolves around a Northeastern family - the Carteret's - who suddenly have to deal with (of course) tragedy. Pony, the family's youngest and quirkiest drowns while skinny-dipping at their Vermont lake house. A police investigation and interviews of neighbors reveal that Pony's drowning may not have been accidental. Footprints, strangers and paranoia cause the oldest child - William - to believe that foul play was involved. To top that off, a family secret is revealed that changes William's life forever. This revelation leads William on a trail to find the facts about himself and in turn, Pony's death.

The family in this book - notice the backwards "f" on the cover - quickly reveals itself to be anything but "perfect". The jealousy, pettiness, paranoia and resentment that each member has for the others is quickly revealed and it's a wonder that they even speak to each other as adults. This book was described as "a page turner" and when I saw that Wally Lamb (I Know This Much Is True and The Hour I First Believed) was "riveted" I knew I had to check it out. I wasn't disappointed. It was a good, solid book with twists and turns that kept me flipping the pages quickly. The "shocker" that was revealed was a bit of a surprise but there was an inkling in the back of my mind of what was coming. I've read Pam Lewis before (Speak Softly, She Can Hear - her first novel) but this one was a much better read for me. Enjoy.

How To Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward

I'm so stupid (keep your agreements to yourself)! Maggie reminded me yesterday that I hadn't posted about this book that I read and finished about 2 weeks ago. In fact, I'm behind on two books. What the eff!? Am I really that busy? Nope, just lazy and suffering, I think, from early onset dementia! (Not really but sometimes I wonder).

Anyway, How To Be Lost is a book that revolves around the slightly dysfunctional character of Caroline. Caroline comes from a family of three girls who grew up in New York (just outside the city). The pivotal event in Caroline's childhood is when her youngest 5-year old sister Ellie disappears. On this day, the three girls had planned to run away to New Orleans to escape their drunk and impossible father (and in turn their passive, stick-your-head-in-the-sand mother). From this occurrence, Caroline and her remaining sister drift apart, her mother and father continue down the path they had started of drinking themselves into oblivion and everyone forges ahead in their ability to run away from life.

The novel begins with a 30-year old Caroline living in New Orleans working as a barmaid and drinking to forget her troubles. A People magazine article/picture of a woman who resembles her lost sister prompts Caroline to travel to Montana in search of her past. What follows is Caroline's journey through the guilt, regret and doubt that her childhood heaped upon her.

I really liked this book. Amazingly, considering the content, it was a witty read. Reading the first few pages, I thought I would be bogged down with Caroline's issues and the way she was choosing to live her life. I thought the wall she had built and the mistakes she made would leave me impatient and unable to continue reading about her pitiful existence. The opposite, however, became true. I began to cheer and hope for a woman who had lost all hope in her future. I wanted her journey to be a healing one for her regardless of what she found in Montana. In the end, Caroline finds that she isn't the only one that's lost and with that shared thread, people can hang on to each other for support and guidance through life. Read it. You'll like it.