THE INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST BY IAIN PEARS

An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

”When in a Search of any Nature the Understanding stands suspended, then Instances of the Fingerpost shew the true and inviolable Way in which the Question is to be decided. These Instances afford great Light, so that the Course of the Investigation will sometimes be terminated by them. Sometimes, indeed, these Instances are found amongst that Evidence already set down.” --Francis Bacon, Novum Organum Scientarum, Section XXXVI, Aphorism XXI


Oliver Cromwell, not really relevant to this book except for the destabilized government he left after his death.

It is the 1660s and England is still in turmoil after the death of Oliver Cromwell. He unnaturally died of natural causes though he was later dug up, hung in chains, and ceremoniously beheaded. Torturing a corpse seems like an odd thing to do. It is as if they believed they could torment the departed soul with what they do with the empty shell. Regardless, Cromwell’s death left a power vacuum that was proving difficult to fill. It is easy to confuse Oliver Cromwell with Thomas Cromwell as both did rise to great heights of power. Oliver is a descendant of Thomas’s older sister. Thomas worked for Henry the VIII and did lose his head not unusual for anyone who worked closely with the colossally paranoid King.

Charles II has been allowed to return to the throne taken from his father (Charles I was beheaded, while alive, not another bit of corpse desecration) in 1649. Charles Junior was technically back in charge, but his powers had been severely curtailed. He wasn’t that worried about the extent of his power as he was more concerned about fornicating, gambling, and having the best possible time that English peasant taxes could buy.


Given what happened to his father and the life he had on the run, fearing assassination, maybe it makes sense that Charles II devoted his life to the pursuit of pleasure.

But that is all on the periphery of our story, merely serving as a backdrop for a good old fashioned English murder mystery. The book is split into four parts each section told by a different narrator each with their own unique view of events. Don’t worry these are not rehashing of the same information over and over again. New, critical information is released with each changing perspective.

The victim is Dr. Robert Grove, an amateur astrologer of New College, Oxford. Like many men, then and now, he liked a glass of alcoholic liquor at the end of the day to calm his frazzled nerves and hopefully give him a gentle push off into the land of Morpheus. Unfortunately with the brandy was a tincture of arsenic that seized his heart and left him a cooling, yet still flatulent, corpse with a host of suspects.

Our first narrator is Marco da Cola, a rather flamboyantly dressed young man from Venice who is in London on business for his father. He is having pecuniary difficulties and needs sources of ready cash. He turns his hand to being a physician, untrained, but it seems that in this time period men with a degree in most anything would occasionally turn their hand to doctoring. The descriptions of the superstitions that were still dictating prescribed treatment by a physician of this time period made it very clear that one had to be very desperate to seek care at all. Da Cola meets Sarah Blundy when he offers to help heal her mother’s broken leg. He needs a client even if it is unlikely that Sarah can pay his fee with hard coin. There is something, though, not quite right about Marco da Cola.

”He was playing a game with us all, and was confident of his success, and he was now underestimating his audience as I had underestimated him. He did not realize that I saw, that instant, into his soul and perceived the devilish intent that lay hidden there, coiled and waiting to unleashed when all around had been lulled into thinking him a fool.” John Wallis


John Wallis, a very serious man who has trained himself to discover conspiracies.

What is it with da Cola being do damned friendly as well! Wallis, Professor of Geometry at Oxford and the greatest English mathematician before Newton was also a cryptographer for parliament. Because he was so immersed in the intrigues of court he caught some of the paranoia that was part and parcel of a king and his handlers that felt anything but in control. He sees grand conspiracies where maybe the odd behavior of some people has to do with something altogether different than plotting the downfall of the government. He is our third narrator. I’m taking him out of order simply because he had such a juicy assessment of da Cola. He is a Christian man and invests his money accordingly.

”I had placed to advantage some small part of my surplus funds in the East Indies, and also with a gentleman who captured Africans for the Americas. This latter was by far the finest investment I ever made, the more so because (the captain of the vessel assured me) the slaves were instructed vigorously in the virtues of Christianity on their voyage across the ocean and thus had their souls saved at the same time as they produced valuable labor for others.”

Well he was against slavery, but if the crusty bastard who captains the vessel is willing to hold prayer meetings with them all across the ocean than he was in. It is so nice to turn a healthy profit and save souls at the same time. We are supposed to believe this investment is about souls and not about gold.

Wallis is an expert in cyphers, certainly one of the best minds for puzzles living in this time period. In fact, he periodically receives offers to work for other governments, but he is as fervently patriotic for England as he is about saving the souls of black slaves. For instance, he knows more about the downfall of Jack Prestcott’s father than what he is willing to share. Because of the intersection of characters Prestcott’s obsession with discovering the truth about his father gets wrapped up in the investigations of Grove’s murderer.

”Tully says true, a dux quidem immortalibusquae potest homini major esse poena furore atque dementia, what greater punishment can the gods inflict upon a man that madness?

Jack is the second narrator. He is convinced that Sarah Blundy is a witch. After he raped her, he did have to rough her up as the silly bitch wouldn’t just lay there and take it like the wanton slut he assumed her to be, he was convinced she put a curse on him.

”You may have been born a gentleman; that is your misfortune. But your actions are those of one far lower than any man I have ever known. You violated me, although I gave you no cause to do so. You then spread foul and malicious rumors about me, so I am dismissed from my place, and jeered at in the streets, and called whore. You have taken my good name, and all you offer in return is your apology, said with no meaning and less sincerity. If you felt it in your soul, I could accept easily, but you do not.”

“How do you know?”

“I see your soul,” She said, her voice suddenly dropping to a whisper which chilled my blood. “I know what it is and what is its shape. I can feel it hiss in the night and taste its coldness in the day. I hear it burning, and I touch its hate.”

As much as I wish that Sarah had been capable of putting a curse on Jack it simply wasn’t the case. His own mind put a curse on him. He was sure she was his enemy, why wouldn’t he? He certainly gave her just cause. He turns out to be much more than a rapist, but also a liar and a manufacturer of evidence.

Sarah, because she had worked for Dr. Grove, and was known as a willful woman, meaning she was likely to defend herself verbally if assaulted verbally, is the most convenient number one suspect in the poisoning of the Dr. Grove.

The fourth narrator is Anthony Wood, an antiquary and historian, best known for his diaries that were published long after his death. He gets Sarah a job with his parents and also recommended her for the job at Grove’s. He carries a torch for Sarah. Despite the risks, he has a night of passion with her that goes beyond lust and reaches the first hills and dales of love.

”I sinned against the law, against God’s word reported, I abused my family and exposed them even more to risk of public shame, I again risked permanent exclusion from those rooms and books which were my delight and my whole occupation; yet in all the years that have passed since I have regretted only one thing: that it was but a passing moment, never repeated, for I have never been closer to God, nor felt his love and goodness more.”


An engraving of Anthony Wood.

You will like Anthony Wood. He is probably the only man in this novel lacking in guile. A man who gives loyalty and understands the true responsibility of the word, not just when it is convenient, but from the first breath as he gives it to the last breath as he expires.


Iain Pears

Iain Pears has built this four layered cake of a novel, each layer is sprinkled with truth, but lies and half truths are hidden in the batter and the frosting. The reader is forced to pay attention to each bite, each paragraph, each lick, each word as the twists and turns of this plot are patiently revealed. Most of what the narrators reveal to us they believe to be true, but they are all guilty of their own suppositions colored by their own prejudices. The reader feels like an investigator, barraged with different views, conflicting stories, and it is only in the final moments of the book that most of us will discover that we were wrong. Highly Recommended!

”I have been spared riches and fame and power and position, just as His goodness has saved me from poverty and great illness.” Anthony Wood



View all my reviews

The Apple King

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2011
Reviewed by Diane K.M.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars


I had to be convinced by a friend to read this book, similarly to how Isaacson had to be convinced to write it.

Back in 2004, Steve Jobs approached Isaacson and asked if he was interested in writing Jobs' biography. Isaacson declined several times, thinking that it was too soon to write one and that it would be better to wait a few decades. It wasn't until 2009 when Jobs' wife bluntly told him that Jobs was seriously ill from cancer and that there was little time to lose. Isaacson said he hadn't known Jobs was sick; she said few people knew and that Jobs had been trying to keep it a secret.

Isaacson finally agreed to write the biography, and Jobs agreed that he wouldn't have any control over the book, which was rare, considering how controlling and demanding he had been over all the various projects at Apple.

I had been reluctant to read this book for several reasons. First, because Jobs was a known jackass and I wasn't that interested in reading the various examples of his jackassery. Second, I am not a techie, and while I like and use Apple products every day, I was hesitant to spend my precious reading time on a tech book. Thirdly, this bio is more than 600 pages long! That seemed excessive.

A solution was found in an audiobook (read by Dylan Baker), and I am glad I gave it a chance. I was won over early on in the book, when Isaacson included a quote from Jobs in the introduction:

"'I always thought of myself as a humanities person as a kid, but I liked electronics,' he said. 'Then I read something that one of my heroes, Edwin Land of Polaroid, said about the importance of people who could stand at the intersection of humanities and sciences, and I decided that's what I wanted to do.' It was as if he were suggesting themes for his biography (and in this instance, at least, the theme turned out to be valid). The creativity that can occur when a feel for both the humanities and the sciences combine in one strong personality was the topic that most interested me in my biographies of Franklin and Einstein, and I believe that it will be a key to creating innovative economies in the twenty-first century."

Now THAT is a theme I can get behind. I love the idea of combining artistry and technology, and it's true that Jobs and Apple excelled at creating innovative and beautiful products. Despite my hesitation, I ended up enjoying the stories of how Jobs got his start in computers, and how he met and started collaborating with Steve Wozniak, and the evolution of products at Apple over the decades. Growing up in the 80s, I frequently used those early Apple computers. My friends and I played games on them, and I wrote my school reports on them. Apple computers were just so cool. 

I liked learning the details of how Jobs helped design the products, including his emphasis that even the parts that are not seen should be beautiful and well-built. He had learned this at a young age from his father, who was a mechanic and a craftsman, and he taught Steve to make sure that the back of something was crafted just as well as the front, even if no one saw it. Jobs took the spirit of artistry very seriously, and always insisted that the designers at Apple were making art with their products. He even had his design team sign the inside of the computer frames, just as a painter would, even though no one but them knew it was there.

Another part of the book that I found interesting was Jobs' history with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with whom he had a fiercely competitive but (mostly) respectful relationship. The two men had very different ideas about system design, and computer techies will probably enjoy the debate of open vs. closed systems. 

A lot has been written about what a jerk Jobs could be, including telling people to their face that they sucked, that their designs sucked, and that they should be fired for their suckitude. It is also true that he was a dirty hippie, and in the early days of Apple, colleagues had to beg him to take a shower. (Jobs thought that because he was a vegetarian, he didn't need to bathe.) At certain points, I was infuriated with Jobs, both over his treatment of others and later, over his refusal to deal with his cancer diagnosis. When he first learned he was ill, he defied his doctor's advice and delayed having surgery to remove the tumors, giving them months to spread. While impossible to prove, it is likely he could have greatly extended his life had he not been so stubborn in avoiding modern medicine.

In the end, I admit I was fascinated by Steve Jobs. He had a remarkable life and career, and while it is a cliche, his products helped change the world. I would highly recommend this biography.

Ask the Bloggers - Bob Milne from Beauty in the Ruins

Today's guest is "Bossman" Bob Milne from Beauty in the Ruins.

What made you want to be a book blogger?
Actually, book blogging was just something I just sort of fell into as a side-project to my original blog, which was focused on sharing the photos and history of ruined, abandoned, historic places. I enjoyed writing the reviews, and quickly get involved in the social aspect of places like Goodreads. Once I discovered the existence of Advance Review Copies, I knew I had to get my blog to a level where they would start coming my way.

What have been your best book blogging experiences?
Two recent experiences come to mind. In one case, I’d been begging for an ARC of Guy Gavriel Kay’s River of Stars, without luck, when Theresa over at Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' Reviews offered to ship me her copy, because she wasn't going to have time for a review. That was classy, and much appreciated. The second was being invited to not only review last year’s Agent Pendergast novel, but being invited to interview Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. That was a huge adrenaline rush, both as a fan and as a blogger.

What has been your worst book blogging experience?
Learning how to politely navigate the flood of review requests is probably the experience that caused me the most grief. For a while I accepted everything that came in the door, which very quickly left me buried under books that I was reading purely out of obligation, not for my own pleasure. Reading became a job, and that nearly caused me to turn my back on blogging altogether.

How many books do you own?
I've lost track, but if you were to count my e-books along with my physical books, I’d estimate somewhere around 1500 titles. I've got one treasured shelf of signed books and rare editions, 8 shelves (2 rows deep) of physical TBR titles, and boxes upon boxes of books in the basement, plus years of electronic review titles and Kindle freebies.

Who is your favorite author?
Clive Barker – no question about it. That man can write like nobody else I have ever encountered. It’s the quality of the narrative itself, the imagination behind the stories, the depth of the mythologies, and the layers upon layers of meaning. He’s one of the few authors I enjoy deconstructing, looking for hidden meanings and messages in the text, and just about the only author I can happily re-read.

What is your favorite book of all time?
That’s a tough one. Clive Barker’s Imajica is the one book I can (and do) re-read every few years, and which still manages to provide new surprises. Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, on the other hand, is the first ‘adult’ book I ever read, way back in elementary school, and it’s always had a sentimental appeal as my ‘favorite’ book.

What are your thoughts on ebooks?
I love e-books. For somebody who can’t even walk to the store without a book, being able to carry an entire library with me when I leave the house is amazing. I was hesitant at first, but having a proper e-reader makes all the difference. Being able to read outside, in direct sunlight was a must, but having the back-lit model for reading at night is a major bonus. I still prefer a physical copy for some books, especially those I want to take my time with and enjoy, but there’s no doubt e-books have opened a whole new market in terms of readership.

What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
That’s something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s created an amazing amount of diversity in publishing, particularly with books that have limited or niche appeal. I've thoroughly enjoyed some self-published books that I cannot imagine ever making it to the shelves with a mainstream publisher. On the other hand, however, it has made the act of publishing too easy, which has put a lot of poorly written, poorly edited books out there. I think self-publishing is a fantastic tool, but only if you’re willing to invest the time and effort in a few beta-readers and an editor before releasing your worlds into the wild.

Any literary aspirations?
Oh, absolutely. I've published a few short stories over the years, have 2 novels under my belt that I've been shopping around, and have 2 more novels plotted out and in the works. I would love to get that big magical break and make a career out of it, but I’ll always be writing, even if it’s not selling - I enjoy sharing the stories far too much. If you're reading this, and you're a publisher, drop me a line. :)

What's your favorite joke of all time?
I like cheesy, punny, bad humour. It’s not technically a joke, but there’s a scene from Dinner for Schmucks that my oldest son and I have to spontaneously re-enact at least once a month, just to drive my wife crazy.

Marco (the blind swordsman): “I love to paint.”
Davenport (dinner guest): “Oh really?”
Marco: “I love to paint.”
Davenport: “Oh wow. Are you any good?”
Marco: “I don't know.”

“I don't know.” Gets me every time. LOL

Ask the Bloggers - Mogsy from Bibliosanctum

Today's guest is Mogsy from the Bibliosanctum.

What made you want to be a book blogger?
I love to blog! I actually began my blogging journey years ago writing about video games, which is one of my favorite hobbies. So I guess it was only natural that after a while, I started to think, hey, why don't I start a blog about my OTHER favorite pastime, which is books and reading? So that's how it took off.

What have been your best book blogging experiences?
Hands down, being able to interact with authors is the best part of being a book blogger. I used to get really nervous interviewing my favorite authors -- still do, actually! -- because in a way these folks are like celebrities in my eyes! I can't help but clam up. It's also just an awesome feeling when I finish a great book, then to be able to discuss it with the creator.

What has been your worst book blogging experience?
I don't think I've had any bad experiences with book blogging, though when my life gets busy it can get a little hectic and stressful. There's also that ever growing to-read pile, sometimes it can get overwhelming!

How many books do you own?
I going based on what my e-reader says over here, but over the years it appears I have accumulated over 900 ebooks. Wow, I'm actually kind of surprised, though I probably shouldn't be, the way I buy books and not to mention my penchant for picking up all these random e-deals and freebies left and right. When it comes to physical books, I have no idea. Shelves and shelves full; I've never bothered to count.

Who is your favorite author?
It's so hard to choose! I have a whole list of favorite authors. But if you're going to force me to answer, I would have to say Brandon Sanderson and Jacqueline Carey. I would read anything they write.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Again, difficult to answer. But if I'm going to get all logical and go with my answer above, it would be Sanderson's The Way of Kings and Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart. Kushiel is especially amazing.

What are your thoughts on ebooks?
I'm cool with ebooks. These days I devour books in all formats - physical, digital text and even audio. I don't prefer any over another. I will say ebooks are very convenient though.

What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
Honestly, anything that helps get a writer's work into a reader's hands is something I can get behind. I know it takes a lot of effort and it doesn't always work out, but I admire those who have taken those steps and I'm also very happy for authors who have self-published and found a market for their writing. I read indies occasionally, and I've discovered a few gems in self-published works too.

Any literary aspirations?
No, not really. I'm pretty happy just book blogging, and have never harbored any desires to get my writing published. I do participate in NaNoWriMo every year, but that's mostly for fun and social reasons. You really wouldn't want to read my stuff, it's all drivel, I promise you.

What's your favorite joke of all time? 
Probably not something that would be appropriate to repeat here :P

A Great, Atmospheric Novel from Tom Franklin

Reviewed by James L. Thane
Four out of five stars

This is a very well done atmospheric novel set in rural Mississippi. The story is told in scenes that alternate between the 1970s and the present day. At the heart of the story are two men, one white, the other black, who for a brief period of time as boys were secretly close friends in a time and place where their friendship, if public, would have only brought them trouble.

The white man is Larry Ott, the only child of a lower class family. His father was a mechanic who seemed to have little patience for or interest in his son. Even as a boy, Larry was quiet and withdrawn. With no athletic or social skills, he had no friends at all, was ridiculed at school, and gradually withdrew into a world of books. In high school he had only one date, which ended tragically when the girl he had taken out disappeared and was never seen again.

The entire county believes that Larry raped and killed the girl and then buried her body. Since the body was never recovered and since there was no physical evidence to connect Larry to her disappearance, he was never prosecuted. But now derided as "Scary Larry," he is even more ostracized and his family disintegrates in the wake of the tragedy.

Twenty-five years later, Larry is still living in the family home, alone now, tending to the chickens and still reading his books. Every day, he drives into the garage he inherited from his father and waits in vain for any customer to appear, but no one in the small community will have anything to do with him. Then another young woman disappears and all eyes turn to Larry as the obvious suspect.

Larry's black boyhood friend was Silas Jones, a gifted athlete known as "32," the number he wore on his baseball uniform. Silas was raised as the only son of a black single mother and never knew who his father might have been. For a brief time, Silas and his mother lived in an abandoned shack on property owned by Larry's father, which is how the two boys briefly became friends.

Shortly after the first young woman went missing, Silas left the area to go to college and pursue his dream of a career in baseball. Now he's back, serving as the town constable, and he sees no reason to make an effort to renew his friendship with Larry Ott. But the disappearance of the second woman will throw the two men together again, whether they like it or not.

The crimes at the heart of the story serve principally as a backdrop for the larger story of the relationship between Larry and "32," and watching that story unfold is a very rich and rewarding reading experience--one of my favorite books of the year thus far.

Good Ol' Fashioned Shoot 'Em Up

Hell Town by William W. Johnstone
Reviewed by Jason Koivu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hell Town is the continuation of a series by William W. Johnstone following Frank Morgan, a dead-eye gunfighter once known as "The Drifter" but now working as the sheriff of Buckskin. Johnstone delivers just what you'd expect from a western: shoot outs; outlaws; an either righteous or misunderstood sheriff; double dealings; saloon fights; a heap of colorful characters.

Buckskin, this once boom-town-gone-bust, is about to boom again with the reopening of the local mines, which will bring prosperity as well as trouble. Not only does Morgan have to contend with the stubborn-as-a-mule young guns looking to make a name for themselves by taking out the fastest gun in the west, but he also has to manage the unruly practices of one mining company's brash and underhanded owner. Oh, and there's a band of outlaws with a deranged leader about to rain bullets and utter oblivion down upon Buckskin.

The writing is workman-like and, while it's nothing special, it's also nothing to complain about. There's enough period detail to make it believable for me. Johnstone does occasionally use some words and phrasings that stick out as being more modern. Some might find that jarring. I didn't have a problem with it.

With Johnstone it's action, action, action, a passing hint of romance, and then back to the action. The book reads more like a collection of short stories with an overarching theme. Another way to say it would be that the scenes are set up episodically, such as westerns traditionally often are. Quickly wrapping up a storyline, newly presented and completed all in one chapter, can make the scene's consequences seem, well inconsequential. The technique does however allow the writer to introduce a change of pace should the story be growing slow at any point. The end result is a fast-paced, fun read that you'll likely forget five minutes after finishing.

To say William Johnstone wrote a lot of books would be to say the ocean holds a lot of water. Johnstone wrote for only about 25 years, but penned around 150 books in that time. Those books were spread out over quite a few different series, his bio asserting that they fall into the western, horror and survivalist genres. Some are shorter than others, but if you're looking for a nice, long series of say 20 of more books, Johnstone might be your man. I know I'll be giving another of his works a go in the future!

Cursed

 CURSED
Jeremy C. Shipp


 Reviewed by carol

Recommended for people who like the snippet, and want an unusual read

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My reactions are:
1. Laughter
2. Compassion
3. Confusion
4. Admiration

This book has been on my Goodreads ToBeRead list for-eveh, or at least since I joined GR. It was one of the first times I added a book despite being stymied by my ability to procure it (I was operating under a ‘library-only’ rule at the time). But something about it begged to be left on my list, and I finally (three years later? My, my. I’m either persistent or obsessive) was able to get it from the library. What I received had absolutely no resemblance to what I expected. Thank you, Universe. Seriously.

A quick dialogue and list-based read, by turns hysterical and tragic. Some might even add horrific by the end. Two partially broken souls meet at the supermarket and discover they are each laboring under a curse. Our narrator is doomed to be slapped every day. He knows it’s true–it has already happened 12 times. His supermarket friend Cecily has a particular vision regarding a tennis ball. What follows is their attempt to discover others like them, as well as solve the questions of who and how to get rid of the curse. It also becomes a very gentle story of developing connections.
Shipp is masterful with character creation. I found myself trying to fit them all in a neat character box, and they don’t go willingly. The emphasis on dialogue means that it takes interaction for character to unfold, resulting in a fragmented kaleidoscope view. Add to it their unusual personal styles-for instance, Cecily’s insistence on describing ordinary events in the most surreal manner possible–and it makes for an intriguing read.

It is also an unusually structured story. Nicolas’ focus on lists is a clever narrative hook, but is not always explanatory. Shipp’s refusal to include more than minimal transitions means work is required on the part of the reader, as well as a willingness to forgo literary convention. For example, the book opens with a chapter titled “#12,” a short two and a half page interaction between the narrator, Nicholas, and Nadia. The next chapter is titled “#13″ and takes place at the supermarket between Nicolas and Cecily. No going home, no backdrop, no character infodump; just a couple of snapshots, clips from a life.

To enjoy a book, I need certain elements present, whether it be character, idea, plot or writing. This has ideas and character in spades. The search for answers to the curse leads to musings on the nature of self-perception, self-definition, mental illness, eccentricity and life, and rather lends itself to reader engagement and compassion. There’s a growing sense of urgency and paranoia as the curse victims seek a way out before they are destroyed, left as mere shells of themselves. There are also bizarro moments that caused furrowed brow, so if you are in the mood for concrete, non-dream-based dramatics, look elsewhere. That was perhaps the toughest section for me and my tendency towards plot-based reading, but I find that it largely works. It would also be the major reason for a four-and-a-half star rating.

A teeny, tiny snippet from page 11, “#13″ (completely non-spoilery):

“Nicolas,” she says, not smiling for once. “The cart’s fine, hon. I’m the defective one.”
I laugh, because I always feel like laughing when I’m around Cicely. If she told me her cat died, I might laugh on accident. Then I notice the tennis ball in her right hand. I force myself to look away.
“I missed you last week,” I say. I didn’t mean to sound so sincere. So small.
Now she smiles. And with a smile like that, she can’t be #13.
“I’m sorry I missed it,” she says. “I was busy being kidnapped by little green men.”
“I should have known.”
“Luckily, I annoyed their scientists so much they let me go. It turns out aliens despise show tunes. ‘Brigadoon‘ especially.”
I laugh. The world is right in the supermarket again.

*******************************************

You see? Absurd, funny, vulnerable, awkward, odd… so very, very human.



cross-posted at my blog:  http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/cursed-by-jeremy-c-shipp-or-applause-worthy-lists/

Sing You Home

Jodi Picoult
Atria Books
Reviewed by Nancy
3 out of 5 stars

Summary

One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter's marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds.

My Review

This is the first novel I’ve read by Jodi Picoult. I admire her courage and honesty for tackling such issues as infertility, gay rights, parenthood, and religious beliefs. I read somewhere that Jodi’s own teenage son came out to her while she was writing this book. He’s very fortunate to have such supportive parents.

Zoe Baxter is a music therapist desperate to have a child. Max, her husband of nine years, has his own landscaping business, enjoys surfing, and struggles with alcoholism. Unable to cope with their infertility or mend their broken relationship, he leaves Zoe. Zoe then meets and falls in love with Vanessa, a high school guidance counselor. Zoe still wants a baby, and Max is still not ready for fatherhood, but both parents want what’s best for their embryos left at the fertility clinic after their divorce.

I loved Zoe’s profession as a music therapist. While not very high-paying, she gets to make a difference in the lives of those who suffer from dementia, autism, and mental illness. I imagine this is a very satisfying, yet very emotionally draining career. Vanessa also does well for her young charges, especially depressed and suicidal Lucy, who benefits from Zoe’s music therapy.

The problem here is that Zoe and Vanessa are so perfect in every way. With no flaws, they lacked depth and complexity. Zoe’s agony over her inability to have a baby was heartbreaking, but I also felt deeply for her ex-husband, Max, who felt he was merely being used as a sperm donor.

After the divorce, Max moves in with his Christian brother, Reid, and his wife, Liddy, and finds comfort and peace in their church.

The Christian characters in the story also suffered the same lack of depth, particularly the church officials and lawyers. While it is evident that the author has done extensive research on in vitro fertilization and music therapy, I wish she had been more thorough and fair in her portrayal of Christianity.

A balanced perspective would have made this story much more compelling and thought-provoking.

Zoe and Vanessa marry in Massachusetts and honeymoon at the Highlands Inn in Bethlehem, NH and I couldn't resist checking out their rainbow chairs.

THE SEARCHERS BY ALAN LEMAY

The Searchers by Alan LeMay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

”A man has to learn to forgive himself,” Amos said, his voice unnaturally gentle….”Or he can’t stand to live. It so happens we be Texans. We took a reachin’ holt, way far out, past where any man has right or reason to hold on. Or it we didn’t, our folks did, so we can’t leave off, without giving up that they were fools, wasting their lives, and washed in the way they died.”


The moment of realization.

Amos Edwards and Marty Pauley are helping to retrieve some cattle that have been stolen from a neighboring homestead when they discover that it was a feint by the Comanches to pull as many guns away from the settlements as possible. They are too far away to do much but watch helplessly as plumes of smoke ascend into the sky confirming their worst fears. When Amos comes to the homestead he is calling for his sister-in-law Martha not his brother Henry. His secret, that isn’t so secret, is that he carried a torch for Martha and she carried a torch for him so elegantly portrayed in the movie with a scene showing her brushing his coat lovingly with her hand. I know a lot more people have seen the truly magnificent movie made of The Searchers than have read the book, for the movie they changed the name of Amos to Ethan. The scene continues with Ethan/Amos about to kiss Martha. You can see that he wants to kiss her lips and she would let him, but with willpower he kisses her forehead instead. The sexual tension crackles.

With what happens, I’m sure he wished he’d folded her in his arms and locked onto her lips for all he was worth.


Martha, played by Dorothy Jordan, with Ethan's coat.

In the movie John Wayne comes up on the homestead on fire. He finds Martha’s dress in tatters outside. He goes inside to look for her. He comes back out a shattered man. He refuses to let Marty go into the burning building. In fact he slugs him to keep him out because he doesn’t want to go back in there either. I remember the chills that went up my spine when I first saw the movie and thinking to myself if John Wayne couldn’t handle it I don’t want to see it. All the brutality is brilliantly kept off screen throughout the whole movie leaving our own active imaginations to conjure the scenes for ourselves.

This begins an epic search for Debbie Edwards, the young girl taken by the Comanches. It spans many years and many miles as Amos and his not so welcome companion, Marty, track down every band of Comanches hoping to find her so they can work out a trade or if need be take her back by force. Well, that is Marty’s plan. Once she’s been with “bucks” Edwards believes the only decent thing to do is kill her. Marty knows he might have to stand between Amos and Debbie when the time comes.

Marty is an orphan that the Edwards raised after his parents were killed. He thinks of himself as part of the family, but Amos sets him straight.

”Debbie’s my brother’s young’n,” Amos said. “She’s my flesh and blood--not yours. Better you leave these things to the people concerned with ‘em, boy. Debbie’s no kin to you at all.”

“I--I always felt like she was my kin.”

“Well, she ain’t.”

“Our--I mean, her --her folks took me in off the ground. I’d be dead but for them. They even--”

“That don’t make ‘em any kin.”

“All right. I ain’t got no kin. Never said I had. I’m going to keep on looking, that’s all.”


Personally, I don’t want anyone looking at me that way. *shiver*

Amos is a hard son-of-a-bitch. Just like with the movie you move from one moment to wanting to kick his rear end up into his neck to the next moment wanting to give him a hug. The conflict between Amos and Marty continues for the entire book between divergent personal philosophies and even who has the right to be on this crusade.

”Like most prairie men, they had great belief in their abilities, but a total faith in their bad luck.”

What really comes across in the book is the legitimacy of the writer. The dialogue, the descriptions of the way of life, and the depictions of the scenery are magnificently portrayed.

”Now came the first of the snow, a thin lacing of ice needles, heard and felt before they could be seen. The ice particles were traveling horizontally, parallel to the ground, with an enormous velocity. They made a sharp whispering against the leather, drove deep into cloth, and filled the air with hissing. This thin bombardment swiftly increased, coming in puffs and clouds, then in a rushing stream. And at the same time the wind increased…It tore at them, snatching their breaths from their mouths, and its gusts buffeted their backs as solidly as thrown sacks of grain…”



John Ford, using VistaVision, captured some of the most stunning scenes of Monument Valley I’ve ever seen. In fact the scenes are the most amazing shots I’ve ever seen of the epic scope of nature in any movie.

A lot of the dialogue in the movie is lifted from the book. There is, of course, more in the book. The search is described in more detail than what Ford had time for on film. For those purists out there you will either not be unhappy with the book or the movie because they do part ways, in particular with the endings. Truly, you have to treat them as two separate entities. Both contribute, adding additional layers, to the overall story.


Wonderful framing of John Wayne in the doorway at the end of the movie. He is putting his hand on his elbow as a tribute to Harry Carey Sr. who always held his arm that way.

John Wayne’s performance in The Searchers is truly a work of art. For those that think the man can’t act watch this movie. His face betrays loathing, simmering anger, and determination like I’ve never seen him do before. He should have won an Oscar for this role, certainly at least a nomination, but the film was entirely ignored by the Academy receiving zero nominations. It resides high on every serious list of greatest movies ever made. I would have to agree. The book that inspired the movie was well worth my time. It added to my enjoyment of rewatching the movie.



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Ask the Book Bloggers - Wendell from Bookwraiths

Today's guest is Wendell from Bookwraiths.

What made you want to be a book blogger?
Initially, I was drawn to the idea of being able to connect with other people who loved the same novels as I did. While Goodreads provided some sense of giving my opinion on the books I "liked" or "disliked", I wanted my own "space" where I could write whatever was on my mind about the genre of books that I love and get some feedback from others.

What have been your best book blogging experiences?
Honestly, there have been a lot, stretching from people actually discovering and reading my blog to making friends with other book bloggers to connecting with a group of spectacular authors. Each of those firsts were really memorable and spectacular in their own unique way.

What has been your worst book blogging experience?
Two really stand out to me.
One was a bad author experience I had when I first started blogging. Unfortunately, it was with a favorite author of mine from my teenage years, and while I should have foreseen the problems with trying to connect with this writer, it still hit me hard and destroyed the final remnant of any fanboy-hood that remained in my forty year old heart.

Two was the first really negative reaction I received to one of my reviews. In this case, a fan of a certain series took personal offense to my criticism of their favorite story and unloaded on me. Yet again, the extreme outrage at my honest opinion surprised me.

How many books do you own?
Close to a thousand, I believe. However, I do not really keep track anymore. In fact, I took it upon myself -- with a little encouragement from my wife, of course -- to go through my book collection this year and only keep those that I intended to re-read multiple times. Those books which did not fit that description found their way to my local used bookstore.

Who is your favorite author?
Like every book lover, I have lots of favorites, but J.R.R. Tolkien was my first love, so I suppose he will always be the author against whom I compare all others. Glen Cook, author of The Black Company, is a close second, however.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Lord of the Rings is the fantasy classic that embodies all that I expect an epic fantasy novel to be.

What are your thoughts on ebooks?
Initially, I hated ebooks and refused to use an ereader. I eventually surrendered to the ebook revolution and now find that I really enjoy the convenience of them. I still buy hardcover editions of my favorite novels, however.

What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
Doesn't bother me at all. Sure, my friends who complain that self-publishing allows a lot of really bad books to see the light of day are right, but in my opinion, the few excellent authors and stories that have been discovered only due to self-publishing makes it all worth it.

Any literary aspirations?
When I was a lot younger, I dreamed of becoming a writer, but after years of procrastinating actually writing anything, I am starting to believe the "aspirations" were more wishful thinking. I do have an idea for a fantasy series that I would love to write one day, but who knows if I will ever find the time -- or the talent -- to put it down into words that others might appreciate.

What's your favorite joke of all time? 
In real life, I am an attorney, so I have people tell me lawyer jokes all the time, but my favorite is a really simple one: How do you get a lawyer out of a tree? Answer: cut the rope. I love telling that one to new attorneys, so I can see their faces go pale, as it becomes clear to them that they are now some of the most hated people in society.