One Lit Chick – 3 stars

Review Roundup!

I’ve been reading up a storm, but life has been kinda life-y. So I thought a little review roundup was in order.

Zorrie by Laird Hunt. Short, spare, quietly powerful. In just 159 pages, Hunt economically and sparingly tells the entire life story of Zorrie, a tough woman from Indiana farm country. Orphaned young, Zorrie walks the land looking for work. Her curiosity takes her west to a Radium processing plant, her heart brings her back to Indiana. If you are looking for action, adventure, and bright lights, this isn’t it (well, except for the Radium glowing from Zorrie and her friends). It is quiet telling of a quiet life of a strong woman with a connection to her land and her community. If you are a fan of Kent Haruf, I definitely recommend you pick it up. FOUR STARS

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. I read Jones’ American Marriage a couple of years ago and loved it, knowing I would read more by her. Silver Sparrow is centered around James Witherspoon and his two separate families — his public one and his private one. While you my think this to be a tale of polygamy set in the way way back, you would be wrong. All the secrecy and living-a-double-life shenanigans are happening in Atlanta in the 1980s. More juicy? The story is told in two parts, the first half from the secret daughter, the second from the public-facing daughter. #DANG Two strong narrators make the audio version worth checking out. FOUR STARS

When We Believed In Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal. There’s mystery and secret at the heart of When We Believed in Mermaids, but it’s no thriller. As a book club friend pointed out, the peachy cover with turquoise lettering should have been the giveaway. Kit, a doctor, is watching the news when a tragedy in New Zealand airs and she sees her sister on the screen. Her sister that was supposed to be dead. Trotting the globe, Kit learns that her sister Josie, now living as Mari, has a new semi-charmed life and a lot of explaining to do. This is comfortably couched in the beach read category for me. Good escapist chick lit. THREE STARS

She Come by It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sara Smarsh. This is a collection of essays that were originally published in 2016 as a four-part series for the journal of root music No Depression. While there’s information about Dolly (all of which can be found in other publications), Smarsh aims to bring light to the plight of poor women, the women not benefiting from the strides their middle and upper-middle-class counterparts have benefited from over the years. If this is of interest to you, you might like the collection. If it’s not, you probably won’t. THREE STARS

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. This book is just on the verge of being outside of my comfort zone. Science fiction is not my jam. Artificial Intelligence hovers on that sci-fi line. If you’re wondering why I chose it? I didn’t. I have one of my book clubs to blame. But that’s also the reason I love book clubs. Klara is an artificial friend, and AF, to Josie (not to be confused with Josie in the mermaid book previously mentioned. Purchased at a place reminiscent of an Apple store, but solely to by AFs (how AF is that?), Klara is teenage Josie’s constant companion and a motive for Klara’s mother to be more. Ishiguro entertains topics of loneliness, climate change, artificial intelligence, human emotions and more. I have the feeling I am going to like talking about this one more than reading it. FOUR AND A HALF STARS

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour. This book is brilliant. And different. And not like anything I have read before. My thoughts will be shared in greater detail when I talk about it with my Snotty Literati writing partner. So stay tuned, or just trust me.

By One Lit Chick|April 20th, 2021|3 stars, 4 stars, 4.5 stars, Audiobook, Book Club, Fiction, Non-fiction|0 Comments

Confession Time: I have had this book for a million years.

My dad and stepmom gave it to me.

A million years ago.

And when I finally did just read it… I did the audio version.

It’s so British and lovely and charming and delightful.

At 13, Maisie is motherless (but not fatherless) and catches the eye of these wealthy types who take her in as a servant. They find her sneaking books from their library and realize she’s a Smarty Smartenheimer. Well, that changes everything. They sponsor her and she gets an education, becomes a war nurse and after the war opens her own detective agency only to take her first case – a man terrified his wife is cheating on him.

Maisie is ready to turn it down when her mentor says, “Not so fast.”

So you know it’s going to be more than a cuckolded gent.

This is the first in series I am sure to return to.

By One Lit Chick|March 20th, 2021|3 stars, Audiobook, Book Bingo, Mystery, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Influencer culture, cancel culture, and the future of social media come to a head in this snarky and kinda creepy perfectly imperfect read.

Great on audio.
Great for the beach.
Great for book clubs.

By One Lit Chick|March 20th, 2021|2021, 3 stars, Audiobook, Book Bingo, Fiction, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Ill WIll

My Snotty Literati Column’s latest review is Ill Will. Check it out now!

By One Lit Chick|April 28th, 2017|2017, 3 stars, Mystery, Thriller|0 Comments

The Nest

Months away from each inheriting a massive sum of money—life-changing money—Jack, Melody, and Bea Plumb learn the cash they have been counting on is gone. The Nest has been drained to cover up eldest, favorite, and married son Leo’s indiscretion involving a 19-year old waitress, a car accident, and rehab. This executive decision by Mama Plumb results in the already dysfunctional family kicking it into high gear.

Sweeney writes with a good balance cleverness and snark while weaving in some tenderness as the Plumb siblings’ secrets and fears unravel across the pages of this engaging debut. Jack has secretly borrowed against the vacation home he shares with his husband to keep his antiques business afloat. Melody and her husband are upside down on their mortgage and have twin daughters just a year from college, and baby sister Bea is a published author that had to return the publishing advance on her second novel when she couldn’t produce. In a nutshell, they all needed The Nest and are after Leo to get it back.

The Plumbs aren’t perfect. In fact, most of them are a bit self absorbed in the way that we all are. But Sweeney has crafted a family of imperfect people, who act in selfish, dysfunctional, unimaginable, sweet, and, ultimately human ways. If you need an escape, The Nest, is a great distraction.

3 Stars
368 pages or 11 hours via Audible
Fiction

By One Lit Chick|September 11th, 2016|2016, 3 stars, Audiobook, Fiction|0 Comments

The Last Night at the Ritz by Elizabeth Savage

This slim novel was Kindle-gifted to me by my stepmom at the end of our fall break in Boston and New York City this year. The book is narrated by an unnamed woman, who is celebrating her birthday with her best friend Gay, Gay’s husband Len, and the narrator’s former lover, Wes. Gay and the narrator met in college in the 1930s and have maintained a 3o-year friendship despite their dramatic differences.

Now, it’s 1960s Boston, and there’s lots of talk of martini lunches, affairs of the heart, betrayals of friendship, books and feminism. Gay is straight and narrow, the narrator is not. They are the yin to each other’s yang, and despite the narrator’s unreliability, I really liked her. She’s full zingers and quotes that could appear on the next Anne Taintor notepad. She struck me as the person you would sit next to at a party if you didn’t have anything nice to say about anyone—she would love to talk with you.

Here are some of my favorite passages:

Describing a college acquaintance:

“But having missed being pretty she settled for being kind and merry, which is not the worst settlement a girl can make.”

About her college major:

“Like many old English majors, we don’t hold staunch opinions about anything much but books.”

On her ability to be trusted:

“Nobody–except for Gay– has ever trusted me. And for good reason.”

Speaking about girls who got pregnant in college:

“Everyone I knew who got caught got married, but only after a lot of tears and a lot of snotty remarks from the dean.”

On sex:

“In those days we were pretty sure sex stopped at about thirty-five.”

On Gay’s grandmother:

“Gay’s grandmother was a formidable woman, but you didn’t see it right away because she was pretty.”

“As it turned out, the grandmother was a rampant feminist who rejoiced in any female victory. It wasn’t really that Grandmother didn’t like the uncles; but she saw all men as dolts. In spite of all her sons–perhaps because of them–she was not much in favor of sexual congress. It was untidy and had dire results and took a lady’s mind off more important things. Like sonnets.”

“In spite of the grandmother’s stern admonition, the bathroom was obviously a library. Everyone in that house liked to read; not that they were all scholars; the just liked to read, and there was no corner of that big house that was not littered with literature, as though they were all afraid that they might be caught at any moment without print.”

On her love of books and reading… and drinking:

“But you can’t very well lug an encyclopedia around hotels. Fortunately, I did have my flask.”

On loss and lust:

“So after that, if the fellow and the time were right, I started having an occasional affair, which is less debilitating than grief and a lot more fun.”

I could go on… but what kind of review just reprints the whole book? The book is not perfect, by any means. But it’s a gem. Our lushy narrator can ramble at times; however, the she propels the story forward nicely, throwing in her share of secrets and some of Gay’s as well. The Last Night at the Ritz does a swell job unfolding a story of a complicated life-long friendship in one night’s time, across a number colorful stories and cocktails.

Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 196
Genre: Fiction

By One Lit Chick|November 30th, 2014|2014, 3 stars|1 Comment

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

13 Reasons I actually picked up Thirteen Reasons Why after downloading the much talked about Tragedy Papers by Elizabeth Laban. In fact, the book’s description said, “… perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and Looking for Alaska”. And since I didn’t have either of those books, you can imagine what I did.

I am going to keep this fairly easy and give you just seven reasons to check out Thirteen Reasons Why:

It’s timely. There’s a horrifying trend these days with children getting bullied and made left to feel undervalued, unimportant and unnecessary. Hannah Baker has just recently taken her own life for these same reasons. In Thirteen Reasons Why, we hear her side of the story over the course of seven cassette tapes she recorded before her death and mailed out Clay Jensen, one of the “reasons”.
It’s bold. Asher doesn’t minimize Hannah’s experiences. Her perceptions and recollections are raw and realistic and written in the voice of a teenage girl who’s hurting.
It’s creatively told. Clay doesn’t understand what role Hannah thinks he played in her death and he balances a voyeuristic desire of listening to each tape with the fear that he could actually somehow be responsible. The double narrative makes this story work.
It’s heartbreaking. From the beginning you know that Hannah is dead and that she attributes her suicide to the cruel and unfair treatment she received from others. Treatment that has resulted in a widespread, but not entirely true reputation of Hannah. Despite this, Hannah understands how some of her choices facilitate her unsavory rep and at other times she seems completely unaware that what she is doing will further this bad perception of her.
It’s frustrating. Just as teenagers can be, Hannah’s victim role is frustrating. You want to say, “Snap out of it!” “Quit perpetuating things!” “You can create a different outcome!” But she’s 16 and hurting and shortsighted. So realistically and painfully shortsighted.
It’s hopeful. Not everyone in Thirteen Reasons Why is a terrible person. There are moments of kindness and even grace. Clay grows through the experience of hearing Hannah’s story, as devastating as it is to hear.
It’s important. I think teenagers should read this. And parents. And educators. It’s not the definitive story on bullying or suicide but it certainly sheds light. It’s also a bit dramatic at times, but I think high school is more dramatic today than when I was there. In truth, it’s hard to read. It’s depressing. It’s uncomfortable. But, readers will recognize the characters in the book as people from their own adolescence. And everyone can benefit from the reminder of how important how we treat each other is … that kindness must trump everything else. Always.

Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult

By One Lit Chick|February 19th, 2013|2013, 3 stars, Young Adult|2 Comments

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I can’t stop hearing about Gone Girl. It’s everywhere. Every best book list for last year. Every bookstore has tables and tables of it. Every airport has it. Everywhere! People are telling me I HAVE TO READ IT. I mean, I see or hear about it as much as I hear that Call Me Maybe song.

Confession time: Hey, I just met you and this is crazy… but I love that Call Me Maybe song. Seriously… way too much. It’s on my iPod. I listen to it every time I workout. I listen to it when I don’t work out. It’s a total guilty pleasure just the way good pop songs are supposed to be. Despite all this, I am kinda convinced all the air time, over-exposure and gazillion parody videos that came from Call Me Maybe will probably resign Carly Rae Jepsen to one-hit wonder status, because how can she ever do anything bigger than that? It might be impossible. And if you are wondering what on earth this has to do with Gone Girl, I am getting there.

I first read Gillian Flynn when the Book Babes selected Sharp Objects for book club a few years back. We all read it, were super creeped out and loved it. Ms. Flynn was already starting to get quite a following with this book and her next one Dark Objects. But not a Carly Rae Jepsen-level following. You want to be good but not YouTube crazy parody good, which I am not quite sure how you even do with a book… but I think you catch my drift.

Fast-forward several years and everyone has read this Gone Girl book and is stark-crazy raving about it and Gillian Flynn is the new “Mistress of Mystery”. (I am making up that moniker, but someone has probably penned that nickname and if not, okay, I’ll take credit for it). And thank goodness this is her third book so she really can be the Mistress of Mystery and not the “Carly Rae Jepsen of Mystery”. Now if that Jepsen girl has another bona-fide hit, my iPod and I will be thrilled, but my analogy here will be screwed. And what’s that analogy again? Be popular, but not Carly Rae popular.

So, back in December, one of the Book Babes selected Gone Girl for our February read and we were all pretty excited. Here’s the non-spoiler overview:

Nick and Amy Dunn have been married for five years when the recession forces them out of their cushy writing jobs in Manhattan and back to Nick’s Missouri river hometown to care for his declining mother. Amy misses the life left behind—one of privilege and minor celebrity status as the namesake of her parent’s wildly successful children’s book series—Amazing Amy! Life in Missouri is hard hit by the recession, houses in the Dunn’s neighborhood are foreclosing and Amy is declining. Nick is trying to make the move back home work. Going in on a bar with his twin sister Margo, he’s the only one with a job. Long hours take time from the marriage. They take away the spark as well. The day of their five-year anniversary, Nick gets a call he never expected. Racing home, he finds an open front door, a ransacked living room, lots of blood and no Amy.

Enter the police. Nick can’t stop lying to them, which doesn’t help matters. His disposable cell phone keeps ringing at the most inopportune times and he quickly finds himself in the role of leading suspect.

But let me tell you a little secret. Everything I told you is laid out for you in the first 30 pages. Flynn is known for writing super topsy-turvy, twisty-turny thrillers and Gone Girl taps out at 419 pages. So guess what? All is not as it seems.

Told in alternating chapters with Nick narrating his story in the present day and Amy’s story from a few years back, the reader is sent down a pretty twisted (read: crazy) rabbit hole to figure out who killed Amazing Amy.

I really can’t tell you anymore, except to read it. Gone Girl is a trip. A road trip into creepy crazy town. Flynn sets the stage well, keeping you guessing as you drive the car slowly up the hill and just as you make it over the top, the car starts careening out of control and you realize there aren’t any brakes. It’s a totally wild ride that ends in utter shock. Some of the Book Babes didn’t buy the ending. Some of us felt it couldn’t have ended any other way. Not one of us could stop turning the pages.

Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 319
Genre: Mystery

By One Lit Chick|February 11th, 2013|2013, 3 stars, Book Club, Mystery|6 Comments

R is for Room by Emma Donoghue

Room by Emma Donoghue has been on my list for some time. I almost mandated it for my turn at book club in December, but then remembered I never mandate, always preferring to offer my fellow clubbers with a choice.

Thankfully, my BFF is in book club and loves to mandate. And that’s how this debut novel got promoted from the proverbial nightstand and into my hands via my beloved Kindle.

So an interesting thing happened when I started reading ROOM. I wasn’t loving it and I wasn’t immediately sure why. It’s narrated by 5 year old Jack, in the innocent, rambling, run-on sentence babbling, precocious ways of many kiddos. Donoghue had nailed the voice of her narrator and it was completely authentic.

Maybe too authentic.

After a full day of work and a few hours with my own innocent, rambling, run-on sentence babbling, precocious six year old, I sat down to read looking for escape and found myself a bit as trapped as Jack and his Ma, in a tiny little room. Confused?

If you don’t know about Room, that’s the deal. Jack and his Ma live in a single room. It’s the only life Jack has ever known. There is no outside, no parks or schools, friends or family. The only other person Jack knows of is Old Nick, the man that comes by from time to time to deliver food and highly anticipated Sunday treats. As Ma passes the time reading Jack the same 5 books, creating opportunities for physical education, math and creative time, I was wondering how she didn’t go completely insane.

But I had to forge on. If not for the fact that I had heard so many good things about Room, I had to finish it for book club.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I am not going to cover any other plot points… I will say, however, that I ended up enjoying Room. The second half was the clincher for me (even though I have heard several people say they liked the first half better, go figure). Donoghue has created extremely likable protagonists in Jack and Ma in a confining and harrowing environment. I also like that the outcome was a bit of what I expected and a fair amount of what I didn’t. Donoghue’s storytelling is compelling, engaging and different. She’s definitely someone I will keep an eye on in the future.

Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 336
Genre: Fiction

By One Lit Chick|January 24th, 2011|2011 Books A-Z: Titles, 3 stars, Fiction|2 Comments

Week 40: The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems – Billy Collins

Right before heading out for vacation it seemed a perfect week to revisit one of my favorite authors; a poet, no less. I love Billy Collins and after reading two of his collections (Ballistics this year and Nine Horses a while back) I was anxious to pick up a third. THE TROUBLE WITH POETRY AND OTHER POEMS was the lucky winner. The title alone cinched this week’s selection for me.

I mean, there’s so much trouble with poetry, isn’t there? Or maybe it’s there’s so much trouble with me and poetry. Poetry and I have a long and sordid history. One that involves a lot of not getting along and total misunderstandings. Then Billy came along and he was like the new poetry boyfriend that really “got me”.

That all being said, the trouble with THE TROUBLE WITH POETRY is that overall, it’s not my favorite of his collections, yet it has my all-time favorite poem of his in it: The Lanyard.

Trouble, indeed.

In simple words that evoke real emotions, Collins is able to show the attempt a child makes in saying thank you to his mother for all that she has done (including giving him life) by making her a lanyard at summer camp. It’s funny and poignant and nothing short of wonderful. You, Reader; On Traveling Alone; On Not Finding You at Home; Class Picture, 1954; Fool Me Good and The Trouble with Poetry are my favorites after one reading.

While there are a handful of great poems in THE TROUBLE WITH POETRY, there are a number that I didn’t connect with. Despite this, I am not sensing trouble in paradise just yet. I am finding that poetry is often something to be contemplated and considered and may not hit the spot after the first reading and I am okay with that. This reconciliation poetry and I have going on is still very much in the beginning stages. It’s definitely too soon to throw in the towel. I think we are both willing to spend some time on it and see where it all goes. I might even start reading other poetry because of it.

Rating: 3 stars

Pages: 112

Genre: Poetry

By One Lit Chick|October 11th, 2010|3 stars, 52 Books in 52 Weeks of 2010, Poetry|1 Comment

12 3 Next

3 stars

Review Roundup!

REVIEW: Maisie Dobbs

REVIEW: Followers