The book I'm currently reading,
Childe Morgan, is part of a fantasy series, by Katherine
Kurtz, that I've read several times about a race of people with magic powers in a kingdom similar to medieval England. It's a new one and I didn't even know this one was out -- I stumbled across it accidentally in the
library. Here's what I've finished, three books and two
audio books. I've also included the Friday shuffle a day late.
The Ruins by Scott Smith: Two American couples vacation in Cancun, meet some people, go to find the German character's missing brother and stumble on a Mayan village. Although the characters aren't that well developed -- it's often hard to distinguish between them except through very stereotypical traits (this is especially true of the women) -- the plot is tight. The novel also provides that one thing that almost every horror reader is looking for and doesn't often get -- that little frisson of dread. Since I finished this book, it's often been hard for me to look out at the vines in my back yard.
The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf by
Mohja Kahf: I loved this story of an Muslim girl,
Khadra Shamy, growing up in a strict Muslim family in 1970s Indianapolis. The characters are interesting and believable.
Khadra, herself, is a compelling, if occasionally whiny and self-involved, character. Her journey from a strict interpretation of Islamic law to one that feels more organic and true to her is paralleled by her journey from feeling an outsider in America to her realization that she is indeed American.
Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier: I picked up this book because I love William Blake and was interested to see how he'd be portrayed fictionally. I did know that he wouldn't be the main character -- that place falls to a young boy named
Jem, who having moved from
Dorsetshire to London with his family, falls in love with a poor girl, Maggie. It's the interaction of these two characters with the
Blakes and with the circus owner, Philip
Astley, that the novel centers on. Unfortunately, Blake is too shadowy of a character and his reasons for his actions are unclear. I haven't read Tracy Chevalier's novels before but I suspect this is not one of her best works.
The Murder Room by P.D. James: I generally like P.D. James but I didn't like this book, and I cannot blame it on the person reading it. I suspect I'd find this book just as boring if I'd read it instead of listened to it. For Pete's sake, I had listened to
11 chapters before I even got to the first body! And this is a murder mystery. Adam
Dalgliesh, the Scotland Yard commander in charge of solving the murders which are made to look like historical murders showcased in the murder room of the
Dupayne Museum, is boring in this novel and so is the subplot of his romance. The characters in this novel are pretty much stock characters and some other subplots -- like why British intelligence in the form of MI-5 would be interested in the
Dupayne murders -- don't even make sense. Even more unforgivable to me is the fact that I knew who the murderer was the minute the character showed up and that was long before the body appeared.
Home to Big Stone Gap by Adriana
Trigiani: This is mostly a fluffy, light listen but it was a fun, fluffy listen that brought up serious issues -- the death of a child, mountain top removal mining, how secrets can affect friendships, and a spouse's health problems. How Ave Maria panics and eventually solves and handles these problems was fun. And even though I was never in doubt that Ave Maria would solve her problems, I liked being introduced to Cracker's Neck Holler and its inhabitants through this novel read, with great affection, by its author. The only thing I hated was her attempt at a Scottish accent -- she should have left that alone.
Friday Shuffle -- The Day Late Again Edition- Bell Bottom Blues: Eric Clapton from The Cream of Clapton
- E-Bow the Letter: R.E.M. from In Time
- Ces Petits Reins: Angelique Kidjo from Black Ivory Soul
- Bold as Love: John Mayer from Continuum
- Are You Having Any Fun Yet?: Tony Bennett and Elvis Costello from Duets
- Wicked Man: Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama from There Will Be A Light
- Long As I Can See the Light: Creedence Clearwater Revival from Chronicle v. 1
- Don't Ask: Michelle Shocked from Don't Ask Don't Tell
- Four Winds: Bright Eyes from Cassadaga
- Sit Down Young Stranger: Gordon Lightfoot from If You Could Read My Mind
Kabul Beauty School: Deborah Rodriguez: The story of Rodriguez's move to Afghanistan to help establish a school to train hairdressers is compelling. Once you get into it, it reads almost as easily as a novel. I was, however, troubled by her attitude toward the Afghan people. She says she loves them, but it seems as if she holds herself a little bit above the Afghans. They all call her "Miss Debbie," while she calls them all by their first names. She is often very unaware of Afghan culture -- wanting to dance in celebration with some of the women in front of men. She often refers to her students as "kids" even though it's clear they are not children. While I enjoyed the book, this attitude was a distraction for me. Rodriguez's decision to marry an Afghan man is presented in an almost off-handed manner. Although it may not be true, her book leaves the impression that she married this man, whose language she could not even speak nor could he speak English, on a whim -- without thought -- or as a way to stay in Afghanistan without incurring problems. Recently an NPR story reported that this book has actually put Rodriguez's students and their families in danger, making moot any sense that Deborah Rodriguez might have done some good in Afghanistan.
Watchmen
Heart-Shaped Box