Joanne’s Book Club

Before she died, Joanne selected the books that her book club will read for the next year or so. Following is the list of books:

Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides) Feb 4 – March 4, 2008
Slammerkin (Emma Donoghue) March 3 – April 8, 2008
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures (Vincent Lam) April 7 – May 6, 2008
Saving Fish from Drowning (Amy Tan) May 5 – June 3, 2008
Whitethorn Woods (Maeve Binchy) Aug 5 – Sep 9
Atonement (Ian McEwan) Sep 8 – Oct 7
Crow Lake (Mary Lawson) Oct 6 – Nov 4
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Nov 3 – Dec 2
Birth house (Amy McKay) Dec 1 – Jan 6, 2009
Birth of Venus (Sarah Dunant) Jan 5 – Feb 3, 2009
Eat Cake (Jeanne Ray) Feb 2 – Mar 3, 2009
Suite Francaise (Irene Nemirovsky) Mar 2 – Apr 7
Memory Keeper’s Daughter (Kim Edwards) Apr 6 – May 5
Marley & Me (John Grogan) May 4 – June 7

Darryl

27 March 2008

Amish Grace

Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Kraybill, Nolt and Weaver-Zercher.


I asked my friend Janice to send me this book when she was finished with it. About 10 years ago, I went on a little "jag" of Amish reading - novels and a bit of non-fiction (this is something I tend to do farily frequently actually). I think it started when my friend Annette lent me a series that was basically Christian fiction, and then I kept going into other novels and a few academic things. I got quite fascinated with the cultural and spiritual beliefs, which are sometimes really hard to reconcile to an outsider.

So, when this topic arose (follow up to the Amish school shootings) I was interested. And... it was interesting - for about 3-4 chapters...... and then I actually just found it fairly repetetive and not a very good book, considering 3 academic "experts" wrote it. It is very worthwhile knowing about a people who have woven forgiveness (and it seems to be true forgiveness) into the fabric of their lives, faith driven. I do suggest that for all... learn that and ponder it. It just isn't a book.

Particulary when there are meaty challenges along the lines of forgiveness that are (in my op;inion) glossed over, such as practices like shunning and excommunication, which seem so foreign and UNFORGIVING to an outsider, and I cant' say much illumination was to be had there.

I happened to know much of what was presented in terms of the customs and practices and that in fact cannot be grouped together anyway since Amish churces are locally govered to begin with. SO I did not find this book enlightening. And I've read others that improved my regard for these gentle people much more than this book.

So.... even too long a review for TOO LONG of a book............ if you can borrow it, great. Otherwise, not sure.......... 3/10. Not enough meat.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

This was just a really good story and novel.

In a nutshell, it is about a successful female author in Great Britain, who hires an unknown writer to write her biography. Up until that point the successful author had not allowed any info about her private life to be revealed and in fact makes up many versions, so that there are literally dozens of life stories associated with her.

In fact, her true life was bizarre and quite unexplainable, you'll have to read the book to find out why! Since she tells her life story at a ripe old age, it mostly takes place sometime around the early 1900s although I'm kind of guessing, I probably missed that detail. English mansion, noble and highly unusual family. There is even a ghost story in there, which usually has me out in the cold right there, but it actually fits and is well written into the book.

There's quite a bit of drama in the book, related back to the unknown author's life, a lot of the mysterious bonds of twins..... BUT...... for the most part it is just a really good book. Kind of a mystery, too.

Anyway, I liked it, very readable...... It won't make my top ten books of all time or anything, but in a time when there is so much junk to read, it was nice to have something that was just an interesting story, well written.

My rating - this is hard, but I'd have to rate it high.......... 8/10

Maeve Binchy in general, but Victoria Line/Central LIne

Maeve Binchy. One of my favourites for those times, when you really need a light book, but you don't want to be totally insulted either. She is just a good old storyteller, which she also admits freely. Although in her novels, I think she used to do a great job of developing characters, her later stuff is less satisfying in that way.

Now this is an early Maeve Binchy, and not her best, but it was IDEAL HOSPITAL reading. Short storied, each based on a person from a stop on the London "TUBE"..... they do connect up here and there in the end, but in my hospital state, I totally missed it.... I know I caught the somewhat clever connections when I read this whole thing the first (or second time) year and years ago.

I can't rate poor Maeve, the book itself is likley only about a 3-4 but the role it and she have played for me over the years is like one of those VISA commercials: sappy but priceless !

Tuesdays with Morrie

You know, here's the thing about "Tuesdays with Morrie". Everyone should just read it. Because. It has a good message, and (in a very hopeful way) examines end of life issues with grace, dignity and some delight.

THe story isn't much - middleage, lost former student of Professor Morrie (Mitch Album) begins visiting on Tuesdays, during the final months of Morrie's life. Both banal and profound life wisdom offered mostly by Morrie to Mitch, always in a loving and gentle way.

So, I say, just read it and enjoy, for what it is and what you will take away. And then, the other half of this recommendation is to stay the heck away from anything else Mitch Albom puts out because it is pretty well junk. His gift was in transcribing Morrie's words and his essence.... his other books of "wisdom", such as "The Five People you meet in Heaven" are just bad, in my humble opinion.

How can I NOT rate this up there....... 7-8/10 a generous score

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

This novel just won the Canadian Giller prize, so it was with much hype (of the CBC variety) that I picked up this novel.

I think it deserved the Giller. Well written. A little weird/unique characters/ lots of plots and subplots within what is a character driven book about life in the Arctic, over a time span of just one year. It is all a little weird, if I describe what happened, but if you just read it, and make your own decisions, I think that is the best. Having read some of the other nominees, this one would still be my favourite so far of the entries.....

Interesting characters, well written, and enough weird and quirky stuff to satisfy the critics I think. Personally, I have not read much about our own Artic, so I enjoyed adding this one to my "list".

Joanne's Rating: 8/10 Very good.

THe Glass Castle by Jeanette Wallis

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wallis

I actually enjoyed this memoir, by Jeanette Wallis, about a totally complete dysfunctional family growing up throughout the United States..... a group of totally innocent children being dragged through a life of homelessness, aided by addiction, mental illness and just plain neglect. Oddly enough, there is still to be love to be found in the family, however, the picture we are given simply could not be much worse in terms of the survival of these children. How they escaped social services, could only be descrbied by frequent moving, and the fact that a mom and dad (more or less happlily married) head up what might just look quirky until you took the time to open a door or two, which apparently did not happen.

It is a memoir, so snippets of her memory and not the entire biography. I have to wonder how much liberty she took with the story, HOWEVER, unlike some of my friends, I did find the story to be believable, I do believe there are children living in these circumstances.

The most amazing thing is that the children have mostly grown now, stumbled along, one or two has sort of thrived, the rest are still being watched over by the other siblings.... And the parents CONTINUE to choose to live on the street, even when they no longer have to.

The book is well written and very readable, and gives an excellent glimpse into another world entirely. Made me remember once again about the determinents of health, and how poverty, ignorance and mental illness just negate any effort to provide relief to a family in need.

I recommended it, even knowning that many people I know did not like it very much at all. Maybe they'll post with the other side of things! Hope so!

Joanne's rating (completely gut based): 7.5/10 Worth it.