And FINALLY, I come to the book I finished most recently (this afternoon), Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne. Unfortunately, I picked this book up not realizing that there was a prequel called The Little Lady Agency by the same author, but it was enjoyable even without having read the prequel. I do plan on going back and reading the first book, and I hope that knowing how it turns out won't make the read any less enjoyable.
It's the story of a woman (Melissa) who runs an agency for men providing services such as picking out gifts for wives, girlfriends, mistresses, blah blah blah, giving them etiquette lessons, posing as their girlfriend for family functions, basically giving them the tools they need to appear to be well-put-together men of substance regardless of whether or not they really are. She's based in London, but her boyfriend moves to New York for a short period of time and she goes with him for a holiday. As you might imagine, hijinks ensue. It's similar to the Shopaholic series - precocious British leading lady, dashing American businessman love interest, trials as she attempts to acclimate herself to life in Manhattan.
I'll have to read the first book to really comment on this, but I will say that Browne went quite out of her way to make Jonathan (Melissa's American boyfriend) behave atrociously in this book. I was surprised at how far she went with such a small amount of character credit built up in the "But really I'm a good guy" bank - although maybe she expected that would all transfer from the first book to the second, and not having read them in the correct order, I missed out. All I'm saying is that after you've read enough books, it becomes very clear what the author is planning to do with a character over the course of the novel by how they have them behave...and it was clear from pretty early on that Browne was directing the lovers down a star-crossed path. Your readers aren't idiots, authors. They don't need to be spoon fed their emotions -- "Hey, look what a bad guy this character is, you should be suspicious of him!" -- it basically just leaves the reader feeling like the protagonist must be an idiot to stick around and put up with such ridiculous behavior for so long - whether it's from a boyfriend, a colleague, a parent, whatever. It just doesn't need to be overdone.
I guess I wonder if authors think that if they don't clearly draw the lines between good and evil, readers will become upset about the fates assigned to certain characters left in purgatory. Am I the only one who thinks that forming your own opinion about characters, novels, stories, is most of the fun of reading? Then again, maybe I just need to start reading things that are actually meant to challenge your mind and spur conversation rather than chick lit imported from the UK.
So it was a good read, but again it's back to the old standard -- there's a time and place for sweet cake, but eat too much of it and it'll make you sick.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Vision in White by Nora Roberts
Yeah, I picked this book up because it has a bride on the cover. What's it to you?
I had never heard of Nora Roberts before I picked up this book, but apparently I am the only one in the world who hasn't because she has over 156 published novels as well as several Lifetime Original Movies to her name. I've gotta be honest, though - she's been writing since 1981, which is 29 years, and she has over 156 novels out...that's an average of more than 5 novels per year. Really? Can anyone really do that? Quality writing? Hmmm.
Ok so I read Vision in White (stop mocking me, I hate myself for the title alone) and was pleasantly surprised - I was honestly expecting some sort of Harlequin romance novel, but it really wasn't like that at all. This was the first in the "Bride Quartet," so I imagine that 3 more books were released after this one to complete the Quartet, although I have not been able to find them yet (but yes, I do intend to). Story of 4 women (seriously, do all novels written about 4 women instantly get published? Note to self) who are childhood friends and grow up to run a wedding planning business together, each handling separate elements (one handles catering, one handles photography, another handles flowers, and the last handles the details). As I've only read one of the books I can only speculate, but I would assume that as this book was written from the perspective of one of the women, the rest of the Quartet would have 1 book written from the perspective of each of the others. It was wittier than I thought it would be. Granted, it had some of the classically annoying chick lit plotlines where the heroine gets herself into and out of trouble in a completely unrealistic manner, but it was enjoyable nonetheless - and it did manage to get me through an entire 4 hours of my flight being repeatedly delayed as I tried to get home for Christmas. So that's something.
Long story short, it was better than I had expected but I wasn't expecting much.
I had never heard of Nora Roberts before I picked up this book, but apparently I am the only one in the world who hasn't because she has over 156 published novels as well as several Lifetime Original Movies to her name. I've gotta be honest, though - she's been writing since 1981, which is 29 years, and she has over 156 novels out...that's an average of more than 5 novels per year. Really? Can anyone really do that? Quality writing? Hmmm.
Ok so I read Vision in White (stop mocking me, I hate myself for the title alone) and was pleasantly surprised - I was honestly expecting some sort of Harlequin romance novel, but it really wasn't like that at all. This was the first in the "Bride Quartet," so I imagine that 3 more books were released after this one to complete the Quartet, although I have not been able to find them yet (but yes, I do intend to). Story of 4 women (seriously, do all novels written about 4 women instantly get published? Note to self) who are childhood friends and grow up to run a wedding planning business together, each handling separate elements (one handles catering, one handles photography, another handles flowers, and the last handles the details). As I've only read one of the books I can only speculate, but I would assume that as this book was written from the perspective of one of the women, the rest of the Quartet would have 1 book written from the perspective of each of the others. It was wittier than I thought it would be. Granted, it had some of the classically annoying chick lit plotlines where the heroine gets herself into and out of trouble in a completely unrealistic manner, but it was enjoyable nonetheless - and it did manage to get me through an entire 4 hours of my flight being repeatedly delayed as I tried to get home for Christmas. So that's something.
Long story short, it was better than I had expected but I wasn't expecting much.
Me & Orson Welles by Robert Kaplow
I read Me & Orson Welles over what I will call a snow day this past week - the thing is, it only snowed 2 or 3" in Columbus - the reason it was a snow day for me, though, is that it snowed about 2 feet in Washington, DC, where I was supposed to fly that day, leaving me stranded (in a sense) in Columbus, flight canceled, etc etc. No plans to speak of, so I went to the library and stocked up on a few books to get me through until I could reschedule my flight and make it home for Christmas vacation.
So I picked up Me & Orson Welles, which I really think classifies more as a novella than a novel due to how short it is, and I really thoroughly enjoyed it. It's the story of a young man who meets Orson Welles entirely by chance in New York City and has a whirlwind week basically from just being in Welles' presence. Kind of a story about what could happen from being in the right place at the right time. It's highly entertaining, energetic, and at times laugh out loud funny - which isn't something I say often of novels (or novellas, for that matter). For being such a short work, it packs a ton of drama and plot. It's not going to take you long to finish, maybe if you have to wait for a plane like I did, take it along to the airport, it will ensure that you are not tempted to drop kick small children nearby (though, sadly, I finished this book in 4 hours and didn't have it with me the next day while I actually was in the airport for 4 hours and wanted to drop kick a small child nearby).
So I picked up Me & Orson Welles, which I really think classifies more as a novella than a novel due to how short it is, and I really thoroughly enjoyed it. It's the story of a young man who meets Orson Welles entirely by chance in New York City and has a whirlwind week basically from just being in Welles' presence. Kind of a story about what could happen from being in the right place at the right time. It's highly entertaining, energetic, and at times laugh out loud funny - which isn't something I say often of novels (or novellas, for that matter). For being such a short work, it packs a ton of drama and plot. It's not going to take you long to finish, maybe if you have to wait for a plane like I did, take it along to the airport, it will ensure that you are not tempted to drop kick small children nearby (though, sadly, I finished this book in 4 hours and didn't have it with me the next day while I actually was in the airport for 4 hours and wanted to drop kick a small child nearby).
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
My friend Paul hates Jodi Picoult because he feels that she draws upon the basest of human emotions. I wonder if Paul is going to be annoyed that I mentioned his name on this blog. I guess that will tell me whether or not Paul actually reads the blog.
But I digress. I agree - she does draw upon the basest of human emotions. But why do we read books in the first place, why do we see movies or watch television? Isn't it all about the vicarious experience of emotions? The fact that you can drown yourself in something and see what it would feel like with the safety net of being able to turn off the tv, close the book, or walk out of the movie? Or, if you're Joey from friends, put it in the freezer (anyone?). So maybe there's something to be said for Picoult's ability to draw those emotions out of us. Some reaction is better than no reaction at all when it comes to these things. I guess it's kind of like that whole "hatred is better than indifference because hatred still means you care" argument.
Another thing that I will say about Picoult is that it's clear that she thoroughly researches each of her novels, and in reading her work, you always learn something. This book, Handle with Care, is about a child born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which is (from Wikipedia) a "genetic bone disorder. People with OI are born with defective connective tissue, or without the ability to make it, usually because of a deficiency of Type-I collagen." Basically it means that their bones break much more easily than those of a normal human being, therefore stunting their growth for their entire life. It's actually quite an interesting thing to learn about, and if I'm going to be reading something that some people (paul) would categorize as not much better than trashy drugstore novels, at least I'm learning something in the process, right?
You'll learn about OI and about wrongful birth suits, basically a type of malpractice lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleges that their child never should have been born.
It's an interesting read, if nothing else. Not my favorite by Picoult, but not my least favorite either. Worth picking up at the library if you come across it, or if you need something stimulating to listen to for a long road trip.
But I digress. I agree - she does draw upon the basest of human emotions. But why do we read books in the first place, why do we see movies or watch television? Isn't it all about the vicarious experience of emotions? The fact that you can drown yourself in something and see what it would feel like with the safety net of being able to turn off the tv, close the book, or walk out of the movie? Or, if you're Joey from friends, put it in the freezer (anyone?). So maybe there's something to be said for Picoult's ability to draw those emotions out of us. Some reaction is better than no reaction at all when it comes to these things. I guess it's kind of like that whole "hatred is better than indifference because hatred still means you care" argument.
Another thing that I will say about Picoult is that it's clear that she thoroughly researches each of her novels, and in reading her work, you always learn something. This book, Handle with Care, is about a child born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which is (from Wikipedia) a "genetic bone disorder. People with OI are born with defective connective tissue, or without the ability to make it, usually because of a deficiency of Type-I collagen." Basically it means that their bones break much more easily than those of a normal human being, therefore stunting their growth for their entire life. It's actually quite an interesting thing to learn about, and if I'm going to be reading something that some people (paul) would categorize as not much better than trashy drugstore novels, at least I'm learning something in the process, right?
You'll learn about OI and about wrongful birth suits, basically a type of malpractice lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleges that their child never should have been born.
It's an interesting read, if nothing else. Not my favorite by Picoult, but not my least favorite either. Worth picking up at the library if you come across it, or if you need something stimulating to listen to for a long road trip.
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
I am tempted to save this until the end of all the catch-up posts I am doing today, but in terms of the order that I read the books, this is where it comes up. This was the most moving and influential book I read in the past 6 months, maybe the past year. It really stuck with me after I finished reading it. It's challenging - over 600 pages - but when I finished I missed the characters, I missed the story. I felt like I had spent a week on vacation with friends and then was plunged into a vacuum that suspended all communication with the outside world. I had a book hangover. Books are unlike alcohol in that sense - only the best books give you hangovers.
I haven't read The Brothers Karamazov, but I have it on good authority that The Brothers K is not in any way based on the novel with the similar title. It's the story of a family made up of 4 brothers (the principal characters), a mother and father, and twin daughters (the youngest).
The story is narrated by the youngest boy (Kincaid, they call him Cade, which I now want to name a child). His three other brothers are Peter, Irwin, and Everett. Peter and Everett are antagonists but in completely different ways - Peter passively, Everett aggressively. Irwin is a gentle giant with the best of intentions but not always the best ways of bringing them to fruition. Cade is your classic omniscient narrator...he'll tell you everything you want to know about the rest of his family, but that's pretty much your only way of getting to know anything about him - through his observations of the rest of his family. I think that's appropriate, though. Every family has a storyteller, which is as much an identity as any other role you could take on.
The father is a mill worker with latent dreams of making it in the world of professional baseball, the mother is an ardent Adventist, and the the twins kind of get mushed together as twins sometimes do, but they (these twins in particular, not twins in general) aren't all that important to the storyline so it doesn't really matter. Plus they annoyed me in general so I liked the way they were defined by their twinness.
Families have stories - anyone knows that - and this one is especially complex, just like most probably are if you know all of the details. I guess that's what it is - you get to know this family on such an intimate level through spending time with each of the boys that by the end, you have drawn similarities between their family and your own, and it's painful to let them go. They're far from perfect, but that's the charm. All the nicks and dents in the exterior of their family are the places you can grab onto and fill in. They don't slip out of your hands.
There's too much to go into to describe everything that happens in the novel, but if you're looking for something more serious, I really do recommend this book. You'll love the characters, and the story, and...everything.
Again, look for quotes from this book on the other blog.
I haven't read The Brothers Karamazov, but I have it on good authority that The Brothers K is not in any way based on the novel with the similar title. It's the story of a family made up of 4 brothers (the principal characters), a mother and father, and twin daughters (the youngest).
The story is narrated by the youngest boy (Kincaid, they call him Cade, which I now want to name a child). His three other brothers are Peter, Irwin, and Everett. Peter and Everett are antagonists but in completely different ways - Peter passively, Everett aggressively. Irwin is a gentle giant with the best of intentions but not always the best ways of bringing them to fruition. Cade is your classic omniscient narrator...he'll tell you everything you want to know about the rest of his family, but that's pretty much your only way of getting to know anything about him - through his observations of the rest of his family. I think that's appropriate, though. Every family has a storyteller, which is as much an identity as any other role you could take on.
The father is a mill worker with latent dreams of making it in the world of professional baseball, the mother is an ardent Adventist, and the the twins kind of get mushed together as twins sometimes do, but they (these twins in particular, not twins in general) aren't all that important to the storyline so it doesn't really matter. Plus they annoyed me in general so I liked the way they were defined by their twinness.
Families have stories - anyone knows that - and this one is especially complex, just like most probably are if you know all of the details. I guess that's what it is - you get to know this family on such an intimate level through spending time with each of the boys that by the end, you have drawn similarities between their family and your own, and it's painful to let them go. They're far from perfect, but that's the charm. All the nicks and dents in the exterior of their family are the places you can grab onto and fill in. They don't slip out of your hands.
There's too much to go into to describe everything that happens in the novel, but if you're looking for something more serious, I really do recommend this book. You'll love the characters, and the story, and...everything.
Again, look for quotes from this book on the other blog.
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
It just took me three tries to spell twenties. And I am in my twenties. Sad. Christmas vacay brain melt.
Sophie Kinsella (Or Madeleine Wickham depending on which of her books you're reading, Kinsella is a pen name) is like Jodi Picoult. She's not going to disappoint you. She just probably won't wow you either. You know what you're getting when you pick up one of her books. It kind of disappoints me that it's come to that with her. Confessions of a Shopaholic was so good...as were probably two out of the four books in the Shopaholic series that followed (Shopaholic...ties the Knot, takes Manhattan, and Baby, and Sister). Then there were other one-off books that were good (http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kinsella/books/ for the author's website)...and Twenties Girl falls into this category. A "one-off book that's good." It's about a young woman who is haunted by the ghost of her dead Great Aunt and as such led through a series of obstacles and mischief with the end goal of ceasing the haunting...I don't know, at a certain point, it all becomes very A+B=C. Heroine gets herself into silly mishap that she would have avoided had she had any common sense but it's a novel and she's the heroine so you let it slide. Heroine behaves like an idiot but ends up getting the handsome/smart/rich/successful/funny/caring leading man anyway just because. It all leaves me with the feeling of...could someone please write a novel out of my life so I could figure out who my leading man is and he could fall for me already? It appears to be quite easy from all these books I keep reading...
Maybe I should read different books.
Anyway this has turned out to be more about me than it is about the book so I'll end by saying this - if you're looking for something light, get at it. If you're looking for a book to change your life, you should probably move on to something else.
Sophie Kinsella (Or Madeleine Wickham depending on which of her books you're reading, Kinsella is a pen name) is like Jodi Picoult. She's not going to disappoint you. She just probably won't wow you either. You know what you're getting when you pick up one of her books. It kind of disappoints me that it's come to that with her. Confessions of a Shopaholic was so good...as were probably two out of the four books in the Shopaholic series that followed (Shopaholic...ties the Knot, takes Manhattan, and Baby, and Sister). Then there were other one-off books that were good (http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kinsella/books/ for the author's website)...and Twenties Girl falls into this category. A "one-off book that's good." It's about a young woman who is haunted by the ghost of her dead Great Aunt and as such led through a series of obstacles and mischief with the end goal of ceasing the haunting...I don't know, at a certain point, it all becomes very A+B=C. Heroine gets herself into silly mishap that she would have avoided had she had any common sense but it's a novel and she's the heroine so you let it slide. Heroine behaves like an idiot but ends up getting the handsome/smart/rich/successful/funny/caring leading man anyway just because. It all leaves me with the feeling of...could someone please write a novel out of my life so I could figure out who my leading man is and he could fall for me already? It appears to be quite easy from all these books I keep reading...
Maybe I should read different books.
Anyway this has turned out to be more about me than it is about the book so I'll end by saying this - if you're looking for something light, get at it. If you're looking for a book to change your life, you should probably move on to something else.
How to be Single by Liz Tuccillo
Is it sick that I read a novel claiming to be a guidebook on how to be single? Or is it amazing, because I'm reading about how to be the best at what I am doing rather than reading about how to do something completely different (ie How to get married)?
It's fiction, anyway, so calm down.
How to be Single is a novel written by the female half of the pair that wrote He's Just Not that Into You. So I figured, at the very least, it's gotta be witty. Witty and probably somewhat autobiographical. It's about four women (Again, I seem to get myself into these books with four women), one of whom is an author who is setting off on a journey around the world to learn about different country's dating cultures to find out why America has the highest divorce rate in the world - what are we doing wrong? Or, as some might come to think upon further introspection, what are we doing right (just keep reading)?
She travels to South America, to Greenland, China, India, France, and learns about dating rituals and customs in each place she visits. India has a divorce rate of less than 1% if I remember correctly, and something she wrote about India struck me as interesting - they have arranged marriages, which most people in America seem to think is backwards and oppressive, but when you think about it, who knows you better than your parents? Your parents are married, so they know what it takes to have a marriage (albeit maybe not a successful one, but that's a story for a different day). They aren't looking for romantic love, necessarily, Hollywood love, they're looking for a good match. Maybe there's something to be said for that. Then again, what about spousal abuse rates in India? What about the cultural stigma attached to divorce? Is it a different level of openness to arranged marriages, or a different level of prejudice against divorce? The combination of both? There are two sides to every coin, after all.
So the main character travels around, her friends join her for some of the trips, and while she's away they all take care of one another back home in New York. One thing I will say for Tuccillo is that she doesn't pander to the expectations of the Happily Ever After ending, which, if you've read He's Just Not that Into You, you could probably expect. One must be open to the idea that you are your own true love, which for people who are reading a book called How to be Single, is probably the best answer you could get. To put it in the words of Carrie Bradshaw,
It's fiction, anyway, so calm down.
How to be Single is a novel written by the female half of the pair that wrote He's Just Not that Into You. So I figured, at the very least, it's gotta be witty. Witty and probably somewhat autobiographical. It's about four women (Again, I seem to get myself into these books with four women), one of whom is an author who is setting off on a journey around the world to learn about different country's dating cultures to find out why America has the highest divorce rate in the world - what are we doing wrong? Or, as some might come to think upon further introspection, what are we doing right (just keep reading)?
She travels to South America, to Greenland, China, India, France, and learns about dating rituals and customs in each place she visits. India has a divorce rate of less than 1% if I remember correctly, and something she wrote about India struck me as interesting - they have arranged marriages, which most people in America seem to think is backwards and oppressive, but when you think about it, who knows you better than your parents? Your parents are married, so they know what it takes to have a marriage (albeit maybe not a successful one, but that's a story for a different day). They aren't looking for romantic love, necessarily, Hollywood love, they're looking for a good match. Maybe there's something to be said for that. Then again, what about spousal abuse rates in India? What about the cultural stigma attached to divorce? Is it a different level of openness to arranged marriages, or a different level of prejudice against divorce? The combination of both? There are two sides to every coin, after all.
So the main character travels around, her friends join her for some of the trips, and while she's away they all take care of one another back home in New York. One thing I will say for Tuccillo is that she doesn't pander to the expectations of the Happily Ever After ending, which, if you've read He's Just Not that Into You, you could probably expect. One must be open to the idea that you are your own true love, which for people who are reading a book called How to be Single, is probably the best answer you could get. To put it in the words of Carrie Bradshaw,
There are those [relationships] that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Once you read this book, every time you read or hear the title, you'll sigh.
At least I do.
I, like many other women (and possibly men, who knows), loved The Time Traveler's Wife. Loved. Wanted to snuggle with it. Stayed up late and wanted to stay in on the weekends to read it (although let's be real, I probably wanted to stay in on the weekends anyway). If you haven't read it, do. I know I was late to the party (it had already been made into a major motion picture by the time I picked it up), but it's one of those parties that I think will always be in full swing no matter what time you arrive (and it won't make you feel bad about not having a plus one. In fact, it will be your plus one). For those of you who haven't heard about it or seen the trailer for the movie (which I am going to rent the second it comes out on DVD because I missed it in theaters), this is the story of a young man (Henry) with a genetic permutation that causes him to travel through time when he is under major stress. It's involuntary, but it allows him to be present at major moments for his family that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to (such as seeing his wife when she's a young child). This fantasy of Henry's ability to time travel (or rather, inability to stop time traveling) allows Niffenegger to weave a more complex and richly detailed love story than she would have otherwise been able to.
I sometimes catch myself wondering if I've met my future husband yet. Do I already know him? Is he someone I met a long time ago and will come across again in the future? Or will he come into my life a few years from now as a stranger? Point is, I wonder what he's doing. Does he live in the same time zone as me? Is he eating dinner? Does he ever wonder who/where his future wife is, and what she's doing? Niffenegger opens up the possibility of being able to find out the answers to those questions...which, for someone (creepy?) like me, is a pretty cool idea.
At least I do.
I, like many other women (and possibly men, who knows), loved The Time Traveler's Wife. Loved. Wanted to snuggle with it. Stayed up late and wanted to stay in on the weekends to read it (although let's be real, I probably wanted to stay in on the weekends anyway). If you haven't read it, do. I know I was late to the party (it had already been made into a major motion picture by the time I picked it up), but it's one of those parties that I think will always be in full swing no matter what time you arrive (and it won't make you feel bad about not having a plus one. In fact, it will be your plus one). For those of you who haven't heard about it or seen the trailer for the movie (which I am going to rent the second it comes out on DVD because I missed it in theaters), this is the story of a young man (Henry) with a genetic permutation that causes him to travel through time when he is under major stress. It's involuntary, but it allows him to be present at major moments for his family that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to (such as seeing his wife when she's a young child). This fantasy of Henry's ability to time travel (or rather, inability to stop time traveling) allows Niffenegger to weave a more complex and richly detailed love story than she would have otherwise been able to.
I sometimes catch myself wondering if I've met my future husband yet. Do I already know him? Is he someone I met a long time ago and will come across again in the future? Or will he come into my life a few years from now as a stranger? Point is, I wonder what he's doing. Does he live in the same time zone as me? Is he eating dinner? Does he ever wonder who/where his future wife is, and what she's doing? Niffenegger opens up the possibility of being able to find out the answers to those questions...which, for someone (creepy?) like me, is a pretty cool idea.
Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan
I am determined to catch up on the book blog while I am at home in Nova over the holidays. I have already been at home for 3 days and this is my first attempt, so go ahead and guess how that's going...but now that I'm actually starting, I think I will be able to follow through. Maybe. Hopefully.
Ok, so, backing up in the photo log of my iPhone, the book I last read but did not tell you about was Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan. I picked Commencement up at the library because it was in the "new fiction" section even though I'm pretty sure that was incorrect (although I'm not so curious to check it for myself). It's the story of 4 girls who meet at college (Brown) and remain friends for the rest of their lives...well, at least into their late twenties. It tells different parts of the story from each of their perspectives and gives you a really well rounded view of their friendships - the whole, and each individual relationship that makes up the whole. They aren't in a sorority (I don't think they even have those at Brown, but again, don't care enough to look it up), but that's the general feeling you get. I'm lucky enough to say that I was able to read this book from the perspective of a young woman who does have friends as close to me as the woman in this book - so I can't really say how the book would read if you didn't have those relationships - but for the people who read this blog (probably pretty much exclusively those women who care about me enough to care about my blog), I recommend it. It reminds you what you've got to be thankful for. One of the things at least. Obviously major events transpire in the book that carry the plot along, but the thing that you're left with after you've read the book is less an impression of those events and more an impression of the friendship that guided those women through them. Which is, like those friendships, a pretty great thing.
Oh, and please check the other blog for a passage from this book that I have since read aloud to multiple people.
Ok, so, backing up in the photo log of my iPhone, the book I last read but did not tell you about was Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan. I picked Commencement up at the library because it was in the "new fiction" section even though I'm pretty sure that was incorrect (although I'm not so curious to check it for myself). It's the story of 4 girls who meet at college (Brown) and remain friends for the rest of their lives...well, at least into their late twenties. It tells different parts of the story from each of their perspectives and gives you a really well rounded view of their friendships - the whole, and each individual relationship that makes up the whole. They aren't in a sorority (I don't think they even have those at Brown, but again, don't care enough to look it up), but that's the general feeling you get. I'm lucky enough to say that I was able to read this book from the perspective of a young woman who does have friends as close to me as the woman in this book - so I can't really say how the book would read if you didn't have those relationships - but for the people who read this blog (probably pretty much exclusively those women who care about me enough to care about my blog), I recommend it. It reminds you what you've got to be thankful for. One of the things at least. Obviously major events transpire in the book that carry the plot along, but the thing that you're left with after you've read the book is less an impression of those events and more an impression of the friendship that guided those women through them. Which is, like those friendships, a pretty great thing.
Oh, and please check the other blog for a passage from this book that I have since read aloud to multiple people.
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