Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Those icy fingers up and down my spine...

Capsule reviews of (mostly) recent library books:

One DOA, One on the Way - Mary Robison. Will someone else please read this book and tell me what the hell it’s about? Because I am not smart enough, nor do I care quite enough, to decipher its meanings. I thought it was nicely written, but just…just…WTF?

That Old Cape Magic – Richard Russo. Russo is back. Somewhat formulaic but not totally pat, and back to his quiet, hilarious, cutting, slice-of-life brilliant self. Back to his pre-Empire Falls (his most overblown book - well, until he wrote Bridge of Sighs) self. Thank the Lord (and his editor).

Beautiful Creatures – Teenage vampires/incubi/supernatural weirdos, but without Edward, so what’s the point? Next…

Remarkable Creatures – NOT the same as Beautiful Creatures, you sillies. This is Tracy Chevalier’s lovely historical novel about Mary Anning, a Victorian woman responsible for many important archaeological finds of the 18th century, causing science to revamp its views on extinction and society to revamp its views on God.

Of Men and Their Mothers – Mameve Medwed. Fairly improbable storyline (I say as the mother of not-yet-teenaged-sons), but a fast, fun read, and with a touching bit of subplot about mothers and their potential (teenaged) daughters-in-law.

Dewey…some cat who hangs out in a library…blahblahblah… – Really? WHAT was I thinking? Who cares?

The Story Sisters - Must. Finish. This.
The Help - Also this.

The ONLY problem I am having with those last two is that I picked up, totally on a whim, an unsolicited review copy of a novel that has been sitting round here for a few months, and it’s a real page-turner that I have no desire to put down. More on that later.

11 comments:

Kathy said...

I was glad to see Russo back to his older self, although I think I liked Bridge of Sighs and Empire Falls more than you did.

Did you like Remarkable Creatures? I was disappointed by the only Chevalier book I ever read, Burning Bright, so while I picked this up at ALA Midwinter and she signed it and everything, I've yet to start it.

KPB said...

Now these are my kind of book reviews.

Badger said...

Hang on, I think I have Empire Falls laying around here somewhere. Should I not bother?

Samantha said...

I loved the Chevalier (as you know) and I have it on good authority that if you like the subject matter of that one you may be interested in a book called The Coral Thief - I am off to check it out myself now.

Anonymous said...

"The Story Sisters": don't bother. Huge Alice Hoffman fan but truly terrible book.
LC (Just had to come out of the wilderness to tell you that).

PS Read "In the Woods" by Tana French. It's a page-turner.

Anonymous said...

I liked Empire Falls a lot, and I freaking LOVED Straight Man, but I didn't bother finishing Bridge of Sighs and wasn't going to bother with this one. Are you telling me I should?

Sarah Louise said...

I listened to "Nanny Returns" (loved, loved) and then next in my library queue was "The Help." Not two books to read back to back, I'm just saying (domestic help, nannies, rich people...overload). But "The Help" is on my list, eventually.

xo,
SL

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