Charming Billy

I'm now reading my second book for the Book Awards II Challenge, Charming Billy by Alice McDermott. Starting at the wake of rip-roaring alcoholic Billy Lynch, this book winds around the lives of Billy's rather large Irish family and collection of friends. I'm about halfway through and wishing I'd started a family tree when I started reading it. I'm having a hard time keeping track of who's who in this bunch--it's almost as convoluted as a Louise Erdrich novel!

I was halfway through the book before it was revealed that the narrator is the daughter of Billy's first cousin! I'm expecting some kind of secret or revelation before the book concludes and if there isn't, I'm going to be disappointed in this book, which could otherwise have been a long short story.

I have a couple of contenders for the next book including The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and a grocery bag of others hiding in my closet.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle made me happy all over to read--especially during the summer while I was tending my green beans, tomatoes, lettuce and tomatoes and enjoying fresh, local, free-range (really), organic chickens from Triple T Farm at the Farmer's Market.

Arrived by mail today, Manhattan: The Land of Heart's Desire by Robert McCracken, published by the Nye County (Nevada) Press, a gift from my Aunt Madaline. My father and most of his siblings were born in the first quarter of the 20th century in this small mining town in Nevada and I'm really going to enjoy reading the history of this tiny town.

Still Reading

I'm still working on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and not rushing myself with it one little bit. This book is a must-read for anyone who eats. First, you should read The Omnivore's Dilemma and then this. It is very serendipitous that I began this book, a birthday gift last year from my dear mother-in-law, in high summer as my green beans are producing their little hearts out and my cherry tomatoes are ripening a handful a day. This book is lush with the joy of a love for good food, simply but well prepared.

As I read, the author and her husband just visited Italy where she fell in love with the food and the people. As a second generation Italian, I can say with authority.....what's not to like?

Behind.....

I've been reading like a maniac lately and spending much less time on the computer (as my poor blogging record shows).

I read my first book for the Challenge, Tobias Wolff's This Boy's Life last week and enjoyed it very much. I've not read any reviews of the book, but if it is true as written, I find it surprising that Wolff was able to graduate high school let alone teach at Stanford.

His chaotic childhood with a flaky mother and an abusive stepfather reminded me that no matter how dysfunctional I thought my childhood was, others had it worse. He managed to redirect and reinvent his life, a testament to the strength of the human spirit. I loved this book.

Prior to that, I slipped in a non-challenge book that my friends Kathy and Becky gave me. It was a book-group read from Becky's local book group and she said it had mixed reviews which I will elaborate on later.

Jennie Shortridge's book "eating heaven" is a must-read for any woman who has battled with self-image, weight issues and, well, sisters. I identified so strongly with the principal character, Eleanor, the middle of three sisters "the fat one" trapped between "the smart one" and "the cute one." Eleanor is a professional food writer, primarily for "Cooking For Life," a magazine that sucks the calories and soul out of your old favorite dishes so you can eat them without guild--or pleasure. Eleanor gets caught up in caring for an old family friend with a secret history during his decline due to pancreatic cancer, and has to deal with her distant mother and demanding sisters and falling in love in spite of herself.

There is a scene in the book that struck me like lightening. Eleanor is at dinner with one of her sisters, a successful attorney and her sister makes a disparaging remark about E's weight to the waitress. The waitress, for heaven's sake! She follows that up by asking the waitress to bring the dessert menu as soon as the entree is served so her sister can look at it while she eats. This completely callous disregard of Eleanor's feelings reminds me of some things my sisters have said to me over the years and absolutely blew me away. Like being in a therapy session and having an "OMG" moment when the light bulb goes on. In spite of stirring up some uncomfortable memories, which I know is a good thing because it means dealing with them, I loved this book. Eleanor interviews a chef, a good, decent, big man who falls in love with her just as she is, and maybe that sounds trite, but dammit, she deserved it! I totally identified with that! This book will probably never win an award, but I loved it and would recommend it to anyone.

A note about the book group. Becky reported that the women who dealt with weight issues loved the book, but the thin ones didn't like it at all. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.........

Now reading: Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and no comment about the segue between these books......

Beach Read

I just finished On Chesil Beach and I couldn't put it down, unlike my experience with Atonement. For a more cerebral review, please visit the New York Times.

This tale of a wedding night gone wrong in pre-sexual revolution England is heartbreaking and maddening. Two people think they are so in love, yet are so incapable of communicating with each other on any meaningful level.

I found a few clues in the book that might explain why Florence behaved as she did, but then again, it might be that I worked too long for a group of Marriage and Family Therapists.....

The Book Challenge II starts on Friday and I'm hunting through my bags, stacks and bookshelves for a worthy first candidate.

Another Finish

I finished Wambaugh's Fire Lover while in Long Beach and passed it on to Kathy B. I was very interested in this book because John Orr's fires included several in the San Joaquin Valley where I used to live and also San Luis Obispo County where my parents used to live. He was a serial arsonist and also a renowned fire investigator who was found guilty of setting fires causing much property damage and the lives of four people.

It was choppy and hard to follow at times and finally, during the penalty phase of the trial I went into skim mode--something I seldom ever do. I'm glad I read it, but it wasn't Wambaugh's
best.

I'm squeezing in On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan before the Book Awards Challenge II starts on August first. I tried to read McEwan's Atonement and bombed out, so was hesitant to try this one, but it seems pretty good so far.

Only a few days left until the Challenge starts and I'm not sure what to read first. I may opt for A Confederacy of Dunces, or perhaps The Reivers. We'll see.

Fire Lover

Gone Quiltin'

I'm out of town for a week and almost finished with Fire Lover by Joseph Wambaugh. In the wings, thanks to Becky are On Chesil Beach by Ian MacEwen and Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Will keep you posted.