The Other Family by Joanna Trollope

I've always enjoyed English writers. I like their language, their nuances, I enjoy the differences yet similarities of everyday life. 

Joanna Trollope's book was no different. She has told an interesting story in "The Other Family."  One that will draw you in and cause you to choose sides!

"When Richie Rossiter, once a famous pianist, dies unexpectedly, Chrissie knows that she must now tell the truth to their three daughters: their parents were never married. Yet there is one more shock to come when Richie’s will is read. It seems he never forgot the wife and son he left behind years ago—Margaret, who lives a quiet life of routine and work, and Scott, who never knew his famous father. Now two families are left to confront their losses and each other, and none of them will ever be the same.

Witty, intelligent, and insightful, The Other Family is a story of modern family life from one of our most beloved authors of domestic fiction."

This book was easy to read and not difficult to empathize with the characters. Chrissie - the mother of three daughters was not easy for me to like. I got irritated at her pettiness with her youngest daughter and Richie's "other family" but at the same time could feel the pain she was feeling. I often wanted to tell her and the two oldest daughters to just grow up and move on.

Richie - although he was already dead at the beginning of the book - was still a great part of the dynamics of these two families. You had to wonder why so many people actually liked him - because of the way he treated those he loved. But then once you "got to know" him more and more you realized it was his charm that attracted people to him. Even though you could tell he loved his family - by the references his daughters made to his involvement in their lives, one could still tell that his most important priority/love - was himself.

Actually, overlooking age differences, I identified the most with the youngest daughter. She was much easier for me to understand. She had a maturity that even her mother didn't possess. 

"Joanna Trollope is the author of seventeen highly acclaimed bestselling novels including A Village Affair, The Choir and The Rector's Wife. She has also written a study of women in the British Empire, Britannia's Daughters and several other novels.

Joanna was appointed OBE in the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours List."

You can check out Joanna Trollope's official web site H.E.R.E.


I really enjoyed this book and plan on reading more from this author.



 

The Memory Quilt by T.D.Jakes

I always try to read a "seasonal" book. Whether it's Christmas or Easter. I picked this book for two reasons only.

1. It's a Christmas book
2. It was cheap

I've never read T.D. Jakes before. I didn't know he wrote fiction. But for the right price - hey, I'll try it! - And I enjoyed it!

It was really more like a Christmas story rather than book. It reminded me of the "long" stories they used to put in Good Houskeeping magazines! It just took a few hours to read. Great for a Sunday afternoon!

"Lela Edwards wants nothing more than to spend the holidays with her family. But her husband of fifty years passed away recently, her daughters live far from their old Chicago neighborhood, and her granddaughter, Darcie, is avoiding her grandmother for fear Lela will judge her decision to get a divorce. Irritated and lonely, Lela concentrates on the lessons of the Virgin Mary with her Bible study group and begins to piece together an unfinished quilt she set aside long ago.

The cold winter brings some unexpected rough patches for Lela and her loved ones. The closer she examines the Scriptures, the more she realizes how quick she is to find fault with the people around her. Lela soon discovers she has woven the Virgin Mary’s lessons into the handiwork of the quilt, a reminder that by following the guidance of the cherished story we revisit every December to celebrate the meaning of Christ, she can learn from her mistakes and find favor with God.

Readers everywhere will find an uplifting message of hope in this heart-warming story."

For a very light read - this is a good story. Lela was grumpy and negative. But you could tell that life had left her lonely and disappointed and she quickly changed her attitude as she studied on Scripture. I'm not sure I will pick up more of Jakes books to read but I did enjoy this one for my Christmas book.

"Thomas Dexter "T. D." Jakes, Sr. is the bishop/chief pastor of The Potter's House, a non-denominational American megachurch, with 30,000 members, located in Dallas, Texas."

 You can check out his web site H.E.R.E.

 

 

 

 

Randy and Reading!!

Randy has finished his project of one book about each President of the United States. - A few he even read more than one. He is my go-to guy in trivia when there are US President questions!!!

Then he read the four books in the "Lonesome Dove" series. 

1.  Dead Man's Walk
2.  Comanche Moon
3.  Lonesome Dove
4.  Streets of Laredo 

Well these books got him interested in The Texas Rangers - so now he's reading about them in " Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers" by Robert E. Utley.

 

I just can't convince him to take the time to write reviews!! BUT - if you want a book suggestion in any of these categories - give him a call, email him, ask him in person, OR just leave a message for him in the comments section of this blog.

 

Real Men Read!!

 

 

Sky of Red Poppies by Zohreh Ghahremani

You've heard me mention our friend Ron before. He often will send me a text - the only thing it will say is a title and author. But in Ron-speak, I know he's suggesting another book for me! So far Ron and I have a love/hate relationship with books... He loves them (that may be too strong of a  word) he likes 'em, I don't!! My theory is that it's fiction - do they have to end so badly??? Give me a happy ending, already.

Last week the text said: sky of red poppies by zohreh ghahremani.

I had just finished a book so I got this on my Kindle. Let me say - Ron redeemed himself as a suggester of books for me!! I really liked this one. "YAY, Ron"

"Sky of Red Poppies begins with a casual friendship between two schoolgirls coming of age in a politically divided 1960's Iran under rule of the Shah. Roya, the daughter of a prominent family, is envious of the fierce independence of her religious classmate Shireen. But Shireen has secrets of her own. Together, Roya and Shireen contend with becoming the women they want to be, and in doing so, make decisions that will cause their tragic undoing. In the unraveling of family secrets, Roya begins to question how she was raised and how to become the person she wishes to be. Set against the backdrop of a nation forced to mute its profound identity, Sky of Red Poppies is a novel about culture, politics and the redeeming power of friendships."

I thought the author did a good job of describing the lifestyle in this '60's Iran without totally depressing the reader. I have read other books written about suppressed countries that weighs heavy on my being while I'm reading them. This one was very well written and rather than totally depressing me, it caused me to think.

"Other countries are putting a man on the moon and we are dreaming of paved roads for our donkeys." 

Living here, in the United States, we often cannot comprehend the difference in lifestyles of suppressed countries. - Oh, we notice - from the news - when people are martyred - we are often aware of "their" politics - "their" governments - sometimes. But it's the everyday living we sometimes don't comprehend. Paved roads for donkeys? As a teen I would get irritated when I had to slow down to 35 (actually 45 - but my Dad taught me to go 35) on the dirt roads we lived on - in the car....

"My favorite teacher had stamped his name on all the good poems I was to read in the years to come and his voice would echo in many expressive words I might come across..."

I would hope each of us have a teacher that we think fondly of - one that really spoke to our hearts. No matter what country we live in.

"No one - and I mean no one - is worthy of your tears, because those who are worth it, will never make you cry."

No, I didn't agree with this statement at all. But it was something the main character, Roya, often thought of once it was said to her. - but I believe with caring - with loving - often comes tears.

From the end of the book is a note about poetry:

"Iranians' love of poetry develops throughout childhood: it begins with the poetic lullabies and verses sung to us in our youth and evolves in the classroom, where memorizing poems is mandatory. Therefore, poetry is a common denominator for us, and integral part of our culture. In conversation, all Iranians make poetic references, even the illiterate."

Their use of poetry in everyday life is apparent in this book.

I highly recommend this book. 

The Racketeer by John Grisham

I am a John Grisham fan. I know, I know, many readers say his books are all alike. I don't agree, I like them all. Of course, I love lawyer books, lawyer movies, lawyer tv shows! When I was a young girl, I would watch Perry Mason, sitting at the coffee table pretending to be the lawyer! But, no, I really have never had the desire to be a lawyer - I just like stories about them!!

Grisham's new book did not disappoint me. It even surprised me a couple of times!

"Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered.

Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five.


Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.

On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday . . ."

It kept my attention and was a fast read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it. - If you are a Grisham fan or just like reading about lawyers!

John Grisham has a very interesting biography and you can read about him H.E.R.E.

The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith

I have read several books by Alexander McCall Smith. They were all from his series The #1 Ladies Detective Agency. I enjoy his writing so I decided to start his series The Sunday Philosophy Club. The first book is The Sunday Philosophy Club: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel.

"Nothing captures the charm of Edinburgh like the bestselling Isabel Dalhousie series of novels featuring the insatiably curious philosopher and woman detective.  Whether investigating a case or a problem of philosophy, the indefatigable Isabel Dalhousie, one of fiction’s most richly developed amateur detectives, is always ready to pursue the answers to all of life’s questions, large and small.

In this first installment, Isabel is attending a concert in the Usher Hall when she witnesses a man fall from the upper balcony. Isabel can’t help wondering whether it was the result of mischance or mischief. Against the best advice of her no-nonsense housekeeper Grace, her bassoon playing friend Jamie, and even her romantically challenged niece Cat, she is morally bound to solve this case. Complete with wonderful Edinburgh atmosphere and characters straight out of a Robert Burns poem, The Sunday Philosophy Club is a delightful treat from one of our most beloved authors."

It was an interesting book.  A bit wordy for me. I have a friend that will love it - she loves wordy books. I just get bogged down and catch myself skimming. But I do like Smith's stories, lots of words or not - he has an interesting mind! This book wasn't what I expected - the mystery I mean - so in that respect it was good. I always enjoy a book that doesn't end the way you think it will- or should.

"Alexander McCall Smith has written more than 60 books, including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children's books. Referred to as our new P.G. Wodehouse, he is best known for his internationally acclaimed No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, which rapidly rose to the top of the bestseller lists throughout the world. The fifth novel in the series, The Full Cupboard of Life, received the Saga Award for Wit. The ninth book in the series is The Miracle at Speedy Motors (April 2008), and the tenth book in this series is Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (April 2009). The series has now been translated into 45 languages and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. 

 

Another series, beginning with The Sunday Philosophy Club, about an intriguing woman named Isabel Dalhousie, appeared in 2004 and immediately leapt onto national bestseller lists, as did sequels, Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, The Right Attitude to Rain, The Careful Use of Compliments, and The Comfort of a Muddy Saturday. The sixth Dalhousie novel is The Lost Art of Gratitude (Fall 2009). 

 

McCall Smith was born in what is now Zimbabwe and was educated there and in Scotland. He became a law professor in Scotland, and it was in this role that he first returned to Africa to work in Botswana, where he helped to set up a new law school at the University of Botswana. For many years he was Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, and has been a visiting professor at a number of other universities elsewhere, including ones in Italy and the United States. He is now a Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburgh. "

Read more about him and his books H.E.R.E.