Another good book

I've been reading about religion recently, and selected a somewhat indescribable book that shows how modernity plays into religion, dentistry, and baseball.  The book is To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, by Joshua Ferris.  Really, truly, this is not easily described, but is worth the read because of all the thought-provoking questions it raises and answers in a very sincere and loving way.  The angst of human existence is at the heart of this novel, recorded in the heart of a lovelorn dentist in search of answers when his identity is strategically stolen.


Because I can't really describe the nature or the meaning of this book, I can only advertise it as being a lot of fun.  The protagonist and narrator has a hilarious and sincere, though often puzzled, voice.  It becomes clear in the novel that our dear dentist struggles, and oftentimes unnecessarily.  The comedy is very entertaining, even though religion and dentistry and baseball are all very serious subjects.


The benefits of flossing are demonstrated and frequently promoted in such a kind manner that one's heart does go out to our dentist friend with the existential and theological questions.  Because I always let you know if a book is going to leave you with a heavy heart, I can only say that this one does have a satisfying conclusion, like a good teeth-cleaning or religious service, and in a similarly disciplined way. 


See, I told you it was hard to describe, and I didn't even touch the significance of baseball.

Oh, man, The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins.  This is a fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing until the end, unless, of course, you are more clever than I, and you probably are!


Of course, many of the characters in this novel are disagreeable, but sympathies are regained by the end of the novel.  If you are really not keen on alcoholism, you might not enjoy this book, but if you  have an amount of compassion, I think that you just might muddle through.  It's written so cleverly that you really can't put it down.


What I appreciated about this novel are the women's issues of  marital infidelity, infertility and its emotional repercussions, and flat out emotional abuse in a marriage.  Of course, the women in the novel did not exactly behave very well, and actually, pretty much most of the characters were flat out nasty quite frequently.  But then again, I did feel for them by the end, after having gone through so much.


 I'm really hoping that everybody gets the help that they need!  Characters and readers, alike.  I pretty much always hope for this. :)

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, is a great book, because it describes a hideous time of life for the world, in the terms of two individual adolescents, with very different perspectives.  Although it is a painful book to read at times, it is true that the reader is left with some sense of hope for humanity, however dim at times that might be.


Because I read this book set in WWII, after recently having read A God In Ruins, by Kate Atkinson, I'm taking a break from this subject, while earnestly praying for peace.  Atkinson's book was also good to read for the amount of resolution it provides in the conclusion for the endeavor of writing about WWII, a horrible challenge for anyone.


So with the promise of hope, I've also been reading about neuroplasticity.  Bound and determined to stay healthy, I'll admit that I'm charmed by this premise.  Perhaps as an individual person I can rewire my brain around hard subjects, guided by great novelists and artists who can find the beauty in what may not be easily seen.


And, yes, I'm learning the skill of taking breaks from books, without actually forgetting necessary details for comprehension.  Of course, my break from War and Peace went on for way too long, and maybe I'm not the only one currently rewiring.

So I finally did finish The Last Temptation of Christ, and am really just glad that I did.  I started it in 1993 or 4, so finally, it's done.  And the last temptation is precisely what I had expected it to be.  Last time I spoke more kindly about the book, because when I finished I just felt weird.  Oh well.  It's nice to have completed it.


So another weird book, in a different way was 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.  This was also oddly religious, and strange, but incredibly compelling.  I did want to see how this big book ended, for sure.
I really don't know how to describe it, as it was very unusual.  I guess I'll leave it at that.  It did have a really unusual love story, with, you guessed it, a happy ending after all.  You know that I love a happy ending.


I don't know what will be the future of this poorly tended blog, but thankfully, there are so many books to read that I guess I'll keep checking in. 


Oh my goodness, now here's a good book: The Last Letter from Your Lover, by Jojo Moyes.  I did not believe how much I enjoyed this.  Not that I'm into infidelity, but this was so well written that I could hardly put it down.  And yes, a happy ending, after much heartache and remorse.  I know that I look forward to reading more by Jojo Moyes!


Happy Summer!

I read a fun book that was a quick read, but a really nice one.  The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is an endearing tale of a socially awkward yet super smart scientist, who effectively learns how to navigate his way in the world through falling in love unexpectedly.  I'm looking forward to reading its sequel, The  Rosie Effect.  I'm really interested in seeing how the romance progresses, in that inescapable journey of marriage.

In a slightly more serious and seasonal move, I'm also reading The Last Temptation of Christ.  I've started this book several times, but I feel this is the season that I'll actually finish it.  I cannot fully describe how this work has changed me, and enhanced my faith.  It's kind of funny because I had the soundtrack from the movie a long time ago, and loved it, but yet never watched the film, and only started the book so long ago, until my recent, devoted attempt.

I don't know how much I'll keep up with this blog, obviously, but I'm so glad that I caught up with my faithful reader, my sister-in-law.  She did not even give me a hard time about not keeping up with this.  In any case, I'm feeling much better about my reading currently, and am so excited about the many books.

Oh yeah, enjoyed a great book by Daniel Silva,  The English Girl.  This was rather engrossing and suspenseful novel, and I love the idea of reading about spies and foreign intrigue.  I doubt that I will read books like this exclusively, but this was interesting to me, and had some fine wisdom in it.

Well, that's all for today.  Happy Easter!

Yes, I have been reading, but not blogging

So very sorry, but did not mention that I had read The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry.  I found this very interesting, pleasant, and insightful.  How about that Wild West!  Although it is imperative that I read Lonesome Dove in my life journey, now is not quite the time, so this light and elegant novel really made me happy.




Rather frenetically read Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, that was some kind of a thought experiment.  It helped me to understand a little bit more about being a woman, you know, in times of war, and also childbearing, that mystery that is beyond my comprehension.  I've learned that this is not actually a book to recommend to everybody, but I really don't want to be the only person in the whole wide world who has read it.  I doubt very seriously that my husband will read it, though in all fairness, I have not yet read Lonesome Dove.  Who knows what the future holds?




Just finished The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.  This was a very pleasant read, for those of us that just love books.  Verily happily did I recommend it to an acquaintance who loves books, a Friend of the Library, who no longer holds the book sales in the basement, and is loathe to volunteer after having been notified that she is no longer allowed this territory of her favorite library, because the new director deemed the basement as unsafe, after a minor accident there.  I can't wait to hear what she thinks of this book.  The sci-fi that she recommends is usually too hard for me to read.


Right now my task is to figure out what to read next, even though I think that I had thought of something, though I honestly cannot remember what.  It was probably a self-help book anyway, and I try not to post about those that I read and/or skim.


Happy Holidays!

This is my take on The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt.  I did enjoy it, and admittedly I did fall in love with the beautifully drawn characters of Theo and Boris, and Hobie.  I felt much sympathy for Theo's love for Pippa, assuredly. And his dear friend family who took him in was lovable, too.

The only problem that I found with the novel was its great length, but when I finished it, it was with much satisfaction.  I can see how the book might be especially boring if the reader doesn't appreciate really impressive substance abuse, but as a significant part of the character's lives, it does read well.

So it's not a book for everybody, but it is right nice for me.

I am now completely enamored of Matthew Quick, whom you might know from The Silver Linings Playbook.  I very quickly and happily read, The Good Luck of Right Now, which is his latest.  What is so nice about this book is that it has incredibly quirky characters, that are also incredibly lovable.

Now I'm reading The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert.  It's pretty good, not too precious, and interesting, especially if one shares an interst in botany. 

Another book that I read and incredibly enjoyed recently was Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail by Louise Shivers.  What a treasure to read, and what a lovely lady who wrote it.  Although I was motivated to read the book by her recent passing, I'm glad that I was able to share this book with her, in my life. 

Well, that's enought blogging for today.  I hope that all is well.