Book Talk: The Housekeeper and the Professor

I’m not a math buff, but the numbers and equations were fascinating. So were the nameless characters; none of the characters had names. Of course, these are good discussion points for book clubs. I actually stumbled upon this book because it was on sale at the check-out counter of the Westport Library. Translated from the original Japanese version, this is a beautiful story about relationships between the housekeeper and the professor, the housekeeper and her son, her son and the professor, the professor and his sister-in-law, and the sister-in-law and the housekeeper. The most fascinating thing is that the professor only has 80 minutes of memory at a time, so he keeps a lot of notes attached to his clothes to remind him of pertinent facts. Sounds like Memento, right? And I’m not a big fan of the game of baseball, but the book touches on that theme, too. All in all, I thought it was an EXCELLENT book. I would give it 4 stars. Go get it now!

Book Talk: Lifelines by CJ Lyons

LIFELINES is a medical thriller that should be made into a show on Lifetime TV. It’s about the lives of 4 women (charge nurse, subintern or 4th year medical student, an ER attending physician, and a third year ER resident), each with an interesting history and a complicated current life. The show would be like LIPSTICK JUNGLE or CASHMERE MAFIA, but with a medical twist and four women instead of three. I enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading her other two books. I give it a 3.5/5).

Book Talk: Peony in Love by Lisa See

I finished Peony in Love by Lisa See in the wee hours of the morning so that we could discuss it during the Mommy Book Club. It was beautifully written and the plot was very intricate. Admittedly, I had trouble getting into the book, but once I did, it  I actually felt elated when I got to the last page because of how the story ends, not because I was finally done. The way the characters were developed made me hate Peony’s mother at first because of her sternness and unwillingness to accept Peony’s love for books and writing. However, in the end, Peony’s mother became my favorite character. She exemplified strength, endurance, and love for her daughter. The author also made me feel differently about Peony’s father and grandmother throughout the book as secrets are revealed. So many secrets! Keeping secrets is another theme, besides, love and the rights of women in ancient China. The author also wrote a lot about foot binding, as in one of her previous novels, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (read this if you enjoyed Peony in Love). Our book club members would recommend Peony in Love to others. I give this a 4/5. I can’t wait to read her latest, Shanghai Girls.

Book Talk: The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro

The full title of this NYT Bestseller is The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life. I honestly thought it was fiction the whole time I was reading it, until halfway through I flipped to the back cover to read the synopsis (I was trying to see if I could figure out where this book was going). Then I saw “MEMOIR/ESSAYS” and I started thinking – interesting. I could see how some of the clumsiness could be real, because, well, I am very clumsy. Poor Mads has my clumsy gene. You know, maybe I should write a memoir. It seems anyone can write a memoir and get it published. Actually, I’m happy with blogging. Oh, back to the book. I thought it was a 3/5. The writing is good; I laughed because the author is a good humorist. I’d love to read her columns. However, I cringed remembering that these things really happened – all the drinking and spending. My favorite was her trip to the OB/GYN. Anyway, if you want a good laugh and a quick read, this works. You can find it on Amazon used for 0.01. Yes, the cost of shipping is MUCH greater than the cost of the book. Sad.

The Book Bandit, that’s me!

I made out like a bandit at the book sale held during the Emmanuel Church Country Fair. The first time I

walked in, I got about 30 books (novels and kids’ books) for $7. The volunteer measured with her hands and gave me a price. Fine with me! I had to go back, and I did 15 minutes before closing. It was $5/box. You can’t tell how deep this box is, but it’s about 2 feet. I got a total of 24 books for myself. Some were even hardcovers! Ok, enough rambling about books. If you’re ever looking to trade your books, try enrolling in Bookins or Bookmooch. I’ve been members of both of these free online trading services since 2006 and 2007. How do I keep track of all my books? Librarything.

Book Talk: The House on Mango Street by

Great coming-of-age novel about a Latina who moves into a house on Mango Street (not her dream house or dream neighborhood) written as vignettes. Through these, you get a sense of who the main character is and a feeling of what goes on in the ‘hood. I particularly liked that each chapter has a title, instead of just a number. It was definitely short and sweet.

Book Talk: Vanished by Joseph Finder

It was everything I expected it to be. Joseph Finder’s latest novel was excellent! I consider it a fast-paced thriller-mystery that is full of suspense and drama. I loved every word of it, especially all the gory details about the attacks (because I got lost in the scenes). Everything moved so quickly and I was kept guessing what the conspiracy was and who was involved  in it until the end. I can’t wait to read his older novels, but I definitely can’t wait for the next ones!  Move over Alex Cross, here’s my new hero: Nick Heller.

You can read more about the book on Amazon.

What?! More books?

Yes, we went to the Mark Twain Library Book Sale today and I got more books – 17 books for $23 (prices ranged from 50 cents to $2.50). That’s a bargain at an average of $1.35 a book! I also got the kids books/DVD/quiz cards for $15. As I’m looking at my pile on the dinner table, I’ve only heard of 4 of the authors/books; the rest will either be pleasant surprises or definite books to trade. Now I just have to catalog them (thank goodness for the CueCat, the only household feline I’m not allergic to) and find space for them. Oh, and read them. I’m trying to finish Joseph Finder’s Vanished and Lisa See’s Peony in Love right now. There’s a third book in the diaper bag that I need to fish out and finish, too. Anyway, go ahead and check out the book sale this weekend!

Big Book Sale in Redding Sept. 4-7

• At the Redding Community Center, 37 Lonetown Rd. (Route 107)
• 49th Book Fair – Labor Day Weekend
• ONE OF THE OLDEST AND LARGEST BOOK FAIRS IN THE NORTHEAST
  • 100% donated, 70% hardcover organized into 50 categories
• Children’s books, esp YA with many series
• Wonderul collection of History Books
• Something for Everyone
  • Books
  • Videos/DVDs
  • Audio Tapes
  • Computer games
  • Sets
• Collector’s Corner!
• 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Daily (except Labor Day)
• FRIDAY
  • Early Buying – Tickets available at 7:00 am
  • 9:00 am to 10:00 am, $10.00 admission
  • 10am to 5pm free admission
  • Prices as Marked
• SATURDAY
  • 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • Prices as Marked
• SUNDAY
  • 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • Half Price Day
• MONDAY (Labor Day)
  • 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
  • $5.00 A Bag
• Credit Cards accepted
• Air-conditioned
• Free admission (except Friday 9 to 10) and parking
• For travel directions www.marktwainlibrary.org

Book Talk: Dirty Joe the Pirate by Bill Harley

Another great pirate book for kids is Dirty Joe the Pirate. Not only are the words fun, but the illustrations are also entertaining. Dirty Joe and his crew are after dirty socks, the dirtier the better. They search far and wide for more until they encounter Annie’s ship of female pirates, who are after their undies! Turns out they’re related, but blood is just as thin as water in this story.