The subject of Mother/Daughter relationships is complex at best, but add the usual components to a very unique, over-structured environment, and a very exciting novel can be written. This is exactly the premise of author, Celeste Ng, in her current novel, Little Fires Everywhere. There is much to be learned about the idyllic community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. It is a community planned with every detail in mind. At first thought, it seems like a great idea, but in this novel, the reader will see that such over-planning can cause a whole host of problems.
The Richardson’s are one of the leading families in Shaker Heights. The matriarch, Mrs. Richardson, is always at the forefront of everything community. She lives in an artificially perfect world…….wealthy husband, four children, beautiful home, rental properties……who could ask for more. She is so structured, she prefers to be called Mrs. Richardson by everyone. She is very selective in who she chooses to rent to in the community of rules and regulations. So, when Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl are interested in her house, she agrees to rent to them. She always uses her rentals to try to give back to those who are less fortunate than her. She fails to see that Mia and Pearl are not ones to comply with the ordinary rules of family structure in the organized community.
Author Ng, through her story, explores the thought that being a mother does not mean you are a perfect person. Reality is that each one of us is full of angst that we all have flaws and cracks, no matter how good we are at hiding it from prying eyes. Mia has secrets in her past that she keeps buried, and has lived a gypsy-like lifestyle in an attempt to avoid close relationships. But now, Pearl has been welcomed by the Richardson kids, so how will Mia handle this unfamiliar situation? When the ultra-structured Mrs. Richardson collides with the free spirit Mia Warren, their lives will become intertwined in ways they could not have imagined.
“Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of long-handled secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood, and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak.
There are very few authors who could continue a series about the same main character for 22 episodes, but author Michael Connelly has done just that with his Harry Bosch series. His newest in the series, The Two Kinds of Truth, is another page Turner for Harry Bosch fans. For someone who retired from the very stressful LAPD job, he stays very busy with the San Fernando Police Department, comprised of just three detectives.
Harry’s new position has him tackling a stack of cold cases. However, as he was delving into the cold cases, a new case came up. A father and son, both pharmacists, have been murdered. Harry is immediately thrown into an undercover position and must enter into a very dark world of drug dealing by script. As if illegal drug dealing is not enough, now it is difficult to distinguish what is legitimate and what is not.
Harry also gets pulled back into an old LAPD case where an inmate on death row is claiming that Harry planted evidence on him. The reader will find both cases intertwining as Harry works on both.
“The two unrelated cases wind around each other like strands of barbed wire. Along the way Bosch discovers that there are two kinds of truth: the kind that sets you free, and the kind that leaves you buried in darkness.”
Most literate, and perhaps some not so literate, people around the world know Leonardo daVinci for his two most famous paintings…….The Last Supper, and Mona Lisa, but there was so much more to be learned about this complex genius. As with most extremely creative people, DaVinci had an insatiable curiosity for just about everything. He used his curiosity about many subjects….. anatomy, engineering, the heart, flying, machines, botany, geology, weaponry……. just on and on……to give a dimension to his art work that very few other artists, if any, could accomplish. He was much ahead of his time displaying just as much interest in science and technology as he did in his art. Being able to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, which was illustrated by his famous drawing of Vitruvian Man, led his critics to think of him as one of history’s most creative geniuses.
How many times do you hear children ask inquisitive questions such as where does rain come from? But, as children grow older, that inquisitiveness seems to lessen and lessen until it all but disappears. Isaacson found that the childlike trait in Leonardo daVinci never did disappear. DaVinci kept many notebooks about all of his thoughts on subjects, and all of his drawing collections, making a perfect source for Isaacson’s biography. He found him to be a very complex man, but very comfortable in his own skin. He was born illegitimate and was known to be homosexual, so it was used to his advantage. Nobody had set ideas that he was expected to live within or parameters that he was expected to honor. He was very at ease with himself, and gave himself the freedom to take his imagination in many directions. The biography of DaVinci is the newest for author Isaacson who is well-known for his acclaimed best sellers…….Steve Jobs, Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin. It is a lengthy, beautifully illustrated book that should be savored.
Who would be your first guess as an author of a book which begins with the plague, chaos, death, destruction, with some supernatural thrown in for good measure? It is an apocalyptic end of the world scenario. My guess would immediately be Stephen King. But, I would have been way off the mark. Usually known for her feel good, comforting books, author Nora Roberts has ventured into a different genre which includes all of the above mentioned subjects. There is no one central character, or no immediate love story, but some current oriented topics with several interesting characters involved.
Reviewers have been pleasantly surprised by Robert’s ability to transition into a darker world than any of her 200 previous novels have entered. Readers were happy that she did recover the book in the middle to show the new beginning of the survivors, after the assault on the population from several different directions. There are many happy, bright scenes as the new beginning takes place. Roberts follows the various characters who lived to carry on. There are still dark spots to be dealt with, but nothing as terrifying as they already survived.
Year One is the first in a new trilogy. For those who may have been left wondering about some subjects at the end of this book, there are two more books on the horizon that may have your answers. With book one of the trilogy by author Roberts, “the end has come……the beginning comes next”.
Hard Core 24 is the most current in the Stephanie Plum series of books by author, Janet Evanovich. Having written 23 other episodes, the 24th has proven to be in keeping with the hallmarks of her writing. Her new offerings come out about every Thanksgiving time, and her reading fans are never disappointed.
Meandering through a Stephanie Plum mystery may take you down many roads before you reach the final page. In the 24th book, Plum arrests a looney professional grave robber, but before she can take him in, he requests that she babysit his boa constrictor, Ethel. She tells him that she will do it, but if Ethel gives her any trouble, that she does own a stun gun. It would take more than a stun gun for most of us to agree to watch a huge snake that is capable of killing. As if that were not enough on the bizarre side, things turn even darker.
Plum is confronted with headless bodies being spread around town, discovering that they are coming from a funeral home and morgue. But then, a homeless man is found murdered and dumped behind a church. Now, time is of the essence in finding the killer. Plum is very capable of tracking down this killer, but learns that she has competition from bounty hunter, Diesel, who knows no limits when he is in pursuit of a perpetrator. The locals who are interested in competing bounty hunter, Stephanie, are not pleased that Diesel has appeared out of nowhere.
What sounds like a very serious murder mystery is actually filled with humor. Stephanie’s 90 year old Grandma Mazur gives hysterical scenes that will have the reader chuckling, and Lulu adds to that humor with her antics. It is a successful author who is able to peak the interest of her readers with characters whom they know very well from the previous 23 books. It takes talent to combine big snakes, professional grave robbers, 90 year old grandmothers, and a plethora of corpses into a #1 New York Times bestselling novel. Readers have already exclaimed that they are eager to read #25.
When one thinks of Tyler Perry, the actor, we think of his comedic character Madea. He created the character which has brought him much recognition and success as actor, director, and producer of the Madea movies. However, with the publishing of his book, Higher is Waiting, Perry also adds serious author to his resume.
The novel is very poignantly written, describing Perry’s life in vivid, moving prose, even though his early childhood and life were filled with brutality, depravation, and fear. He chose to be thankful for those people who helped him survive, rather than dwelling on the negatives. He gave praise to people such as…….his Aunt Mae who gave care to her grandfather, and who was born a slave and sewed quilts that told generational stories; Mr. Butler, a blind man who sold penny candies; and, his beloved Mother, Maxine, who endured abuse, money problems, and the daily struggle growing up in the old south. Perry very tenderly creates portraits of these people who taught him the important life lessons of integrity, trust in God, and the true power of forgiveness.
One reviewer says this of Tyler Perry…….despite his experiences early on in life, and despite having that natural ability to “sniff out” danger or ill intention, Perry has managed to develop an accepting and loving graciousness toward people, even toward those who have wronged him.
American author, James Patterson, has come under great criticism as of late, for pumping out more Alex Cross series books without any particular order, or what some critics call the completely wrong order. He is accused of being more interested in increasing his ever-increasing bank accounts than being interested in pleasing his loyal series readers. However, his newest offering, The People vs Alex Cross seems to have reinstated his place in the eyes of his most loyal fans. With the new twist given to his newest installment, series fans have given kudos to Patterson for finally getting the series in sync.
Alex Cross, that person who with psychiatric training, has been the one to solve the deadliest crimes and find those whom others had no chance of finding. But now, Alex Cross finds himself on the wrong side of the law, and is being accused of being a trigger-happy cop who has actually committed murder. He has been put on suspension, and has decided to fill his free time by counseling others on the police force who needs advice or assistance in working through their problems. His first consult is with a fellow cop, Samson, who was one of his former partners. Several young blonde girls have disappeared, and among them is Samson’s daughter. He is desperate to find her, as he feels that her life is hanging by a thread. Alex Cross puts his own career in jeopardy to help this terrified father find his child, and therefore find the serial killer behind this string of disappearances. At the same time, Cross is fighting his own battle, preparing for a court case that will determine his fate.
As Cross struggles against the ticking clock of a serial murderer, and grows less and less confident in his own case, he must rely on his own psychology training to get himself through his most challenging times. As one reviewer commented……the end of Cross’s trial is absolutely mind-blowing!
“It’s okay, I know I’m weird-looking, take a look, I don’t bite”…… and such is the story-line for author, R. L. Palacio’s newest book…Wonder. It has always been a mystery to me why anyone can be non-compassionate, when it comes to treating others who have challenges or frailties. If you are fortunate and blessed to be what we think of as “normal”, then that should make it compulsory to be kind and sympathetic to those who were not so fortunate. The story of August (Auggie) Pullman shows the kind side of kind people, and the cruel side of cruel people……with not all cruelty coming from his child peers……hard to believe that adults would ever be as cruel as they sometimes are.
Auggie is just 10 years old, and is starting in a private school for the first time. He has a very severe facial deformity that causes others to feel very sorry for him, or very cruel to him. He has a great attitude, as evidenced by the first sentence of this review, but even with the best attitude, his everyday life is full of very high moments as well as those dreaded low ones. Author Palacio captures the story of Auggie’s personal growth as well as others who surround him each day. It is a complicated web of emotions among family and friends as they cheer for him as he learns some of life’s hardest lessons.
Whether author Palacio had intended it or not, the book has spurred a new discussion of showing compassion and a sense of humanity when interacting with those who through no fault of their own, have physical or mental challenges. Hopefully, those who read the book, or see the movie, will either reinforce their current sensitivity toward those like Auggie, or will have a change of heart and develop the sensitivity they should have as a human being.
It has been said of Winston Churchill, “He was speaking to the nation, the world, and indeed to history……..Author, Anthony McCarten, has written a very descriptive non-fiction novel, The Theory of Everything, about Winston Churchill, the man, the politician, and the Prime Minster of Great Britain. He faced many daunting and stressful moments during the Nazi terrorism in Europe. His main goal was to make sure that Great Britain retained its sovereignty, even secretly giving a passing thought that a peace treaty with the Nazis Regime might have to be a consideration.
Many of our oldest citizenry can remember as children, their families huddled around a radio which had a very weak signal, causing it to sound like a scratched record. They were waiting on the next speech from either our President or Winston Churchill as to what was happening in the war. Churchill was known for his inspiring speeches. Those speeches were not in any way impromptu, but instead were rehearsed and revised as needed before being given publicly. One reader said that one speech made them.want to sign up for a war that happened even before their parents were born. Churchill was most definitely a great motivator when it came to his speeches.
We tend to place such people as Churchill on a pedestal, thinking they do everything with perfection, but McCarten’s novel shows the human side of such a leader, the side that we all have of human vulnerability. The vulnerability of a man on whose shoulders rested the fate of the world during the spring weeks of 1940. He, like every other human being, wrestled with self-doubt, actual failures, and the baggage given to him from a distant and judgmental father.
The Theory of Everything is considered by most reviewers to be a very interesting and worthwhile read about Churchill, World War II and just in speech writing in general. The book is slated to become a movie starring Gary Oldman.
As a New York Times bestselling author, Greg Kincaid has presented himself as a lover of dogs (and cats), a believer in the human spirit, and a strong affection for the family unit. His previous books in the series, A Dog Named Christmas, and A Christmas Home, follow the everyday life and passion for dogs that the main characters in the books possess. The McCray family from a small town in Kansas give Kincaid’s books their personality and authentic feel.
The newest in the series, Noelle, is more about the McCray son, Todd, who was described in previous stories as having some sort of mental challenge, but was never mentioned again. Now, this new book finds Todd coming back home to be one of the directors of a newly formed animal rescue group. Of course, Todd cannot resist a newly found homeless dog who survived in a ditch, even when its companion dog did not. Todd names the new adoptee, Elle. She does not fit the expectation of a perfect dog, but that may be a good reason for Todd to adopt her. Elle knows how to make the most of her experiences with people by showing them unconditional love.
There are many stories packed into one book with Noelle. There is the story of Todd and his girlfriend, Laura, the continuing story of Todd’s mother, Mary Ann, and the story of Abby and Link’s dissolving marriage. One reviewer commented that each story could be a book of its own.
Greg Kincaid’s books are filled with stories and characters that all ring true to the spirit of the Christmas season. They are books for dog or animal lovers, those who are lovers of all things Christmas, or anyone who enjoys excellent, solid family stories written in “simple, everyday prose, the warm, somewhat mushy, and equivalent of a Hallmark movie”.
The subject of Mother/Daughter relationships is complex at best, but add the usual components to a very unique, over-structured environment, and a very exciting novel can be written. This is exactly the premise of author, Celeste Ng, in her current novel, Little Fires Everywhere. There is much to be learned about the idyllic community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. It is a community planned with every detail in mind. At first thought, it seems like a great idea, but in this novel, the reader will see that such over-planning can cause a whole host of problems.
