A grab bag of tales

Let me preface this particular book review with one caveat...I LOVE Neil Gaiman. Seriously. If it was appropriate for a woman my age to still plaster posters of boy crushes all over my bedroom wall, I would. He's just so..so...yummy! I'm getting distracted just by having him on this page looking at me. And that British accent...it makes me melt.

So, you've been warned, this might not be the most unbiased review I've written.

However, I must confess. Fragile Things was HARD to get through at times. Oh! I feel like such an author traitor! I'm sorry Neil! Forgive me, please. I could tell this was a mishmash of all kinds of stories written by Gaiman during all stages of his writer's life. Some are wonderful. Some are hideous. Some I couldn't get through and others still linger in my mind. It was a nice journey to see how Gaiman's style has changed and matured through the years.

Most were "out there," in typical Gaiman style, the style I adore and covet. I love his introduction to the book. He tells the reader where he got his idea for each short story or poem and why he wrote it. I really love knowing that dorky information. My mind gets fat on that knowledge.

My favorite story was a tale about storytelling. "October in the Chair," still has me smiling. It's about months, telling stories, and each month has a very distinct and particular personality. I could see the months, October and August and February, how they might appear, and they were each beautiful in their own way. The tale "Goliath" is the story that inspired The Matrix. Enough said. It's one of those you read twice and say "Huh. That's fantastic!"

I hated "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" simply because I was left with too many unanswered questions. If there is one thing I hate most is having unanswered questions at the end of a story. I can't help it, I guess the Need to Know was bred into me. Or schooled into me. Something.

If you've never read Gaiman, this probably isn't the best book to start with. He is best known for his Sandman and Neverwhere graphic novels, which are, and will always be, near and dear to me. I'm a dork, I freely admit it.

But Coraline will ALWAYS be my favorite creepy story by Gaiman. Always. And it's in production to be released as a movie in 2008! I'm all giddy and stuff.

Buttery yeast rolls and a chicken in the pot

Remember the last book I read by Fannie Flagg and how much I loved it?

"A Redbird Christmas" was just as wonderful. I think I'm going to end up reading ALL of her books, and my life will definitely be richer because of them.

My family has a friend that we've been friends with for as long as I can remember. Her name is Alice. She is a wonderful woman who sits you down to dinner, feeds you way too much buttery, fattening, fabulous homemade food and treats you just like family. She is a lot old-fashioned and has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. Both of these Fannie Flagg books make me think of Alice and every wonderful homemade meal I've ever had at her giant dining room table. Fresh buttery yeast rolls, made from scratch, farm-fresh chicken and veggies from the pressure cooker, loads of rich brown gravy and hand-mashed potatoes topped off with homemade pie or cake.

Rich, fulfilling, satisfying and good for your soul...that's Fannie Flagg, like a meal at Alice's house. And when you read the last page, you can't help but have a smile tugging at the corners of your lips and want to unbutton the top button of your pants.

This is a Christmas story, but who can't use a little Christmas spirit all year round? Are there a few unbelievable, slightly mystical, magical parts? Absolutely. But you know what? Somehow, I believe them. It all works and Flagg MAKES you believe these things are possible, without a doubt. I believe.

Once again, as in "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven," most of the characters are elderly, except for the two "stars" of the story: a crippled Cardinal and a crippled little girl. Neither say much. The cardinal says nothing, but he doesn't need to. The little girl is rather quiet as well, but you love her any way. Maybe you love her a little more because she is so quiet.

The characters are loveable, irritating, frustrating, eccentric, funny and thoughtful and everyone is someone you know. Although I've never been in southern Alabama, where this story is based, I felt like I was home. I felt like I knew every street, every neighbor, every Magnolia. I couldn't wait for the next small town newsletter to come out so I knew what time this month's potluck at the community center would be held or who did what last month.

Going back home for a home cooked meal and family, that's what reading Fannie Flagg feels like.

So, pick up "A Redbird Christmas," grab a glass of milk and a couple of warm chocolate chip cookies and settle yourself in for a trip home. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Like high school English all over again

Remember high school literature class when everyone had to read a selected book and discuss it, line by line? Then write a report discussing the meanings in the book and its overall impact on the reader?

I loved writing those reports. And I LOVED the discussions, where every little thing in the book was picked apart and alternate meanings assigned to colors, objects and words. Foreshadowing elements were found and dissected and the author's TRUE intention argued.

That is how I felt as I read "A Day No Pigs Would Die."

This is a pretty straight-forward coming-of-age novel about a young Shaker boy living with his family around the early 1800s, growing up on the farm and learning some very tough, but necessary, lessons. This book is one of those timeless pieces that can be read at 16 or 60 and the meaning remains unchanged.

I've read a few other reviews about this particular book, mostly reviews about how too graphic some of the scenes were, so graphic the meaning was lost. Yes, there are at least three fairly graphic, somewhat disturbing scenes. But doesn't it say something about the level of writing when the author can make the reader flinch and sweat simply by constructing a believable scene? While the scenes, one of a sow reluctantly being bred, another of a hog being butchered and a third of a terrier and a weasel fighting, were disturbing, they were definitely not unbelievable. They are all something a Shaker boy living on a farm would have experienced and each experience taught the boy something about life he will never forget.

This book is a quick read, the language flows easily from word to word, scene to scene, and its easy to devour chapter after chapter. It's quite thin compared to some of the novels I typically read and easily finished in a day, but worth the time.

Now, if only I could find a nice, local book club...I'd really have a few things to say about this one! I didn't realize how much I actually missed my high school and college literature classes until I picked up this book and thought about the discussions and arguments I could get into over this one!

I'd love to write a book report about it, but I don't think I'll be able to find someone to mark all over it in red pen for me.

It's not about the elephants

Surprisingly "Water for Elephants" wasn't about elephants at all. In fact, there was only one elephant in the entire book and she didn't show up until about halfway through. But that didn't disappoint me at all, and really, I don't think I could have read a whole book based solely upon elephants, as intriguing and fascinating the pachyderms may be, a whole book about them would have been too much for me.

Jacob Jankowski is 90, or 93, he can't really remember. He lives in a nursing home and is coming to terms with his failing body and failing mind. We get a full color, no-holds barred glimpse into his amazing memories, memories of himself as a young man who became an orphan during the Great Depression, dropped out of veterinary school during finals and jumped a rickety train transporting the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The glimpses of Jacob's past are given to us a few chapters at time and nestled between the chapters chronicling his current memory lapses and frustrations with his failing body. One of the most poignant "old man" scenes is when Jacob is looking at his hands, his veiny, thin, hands and realizing how very weak he has become. He hates to look at his own hands, his face, his body, because it doesn't look like himself, it looks like an old man. He comes across as a very cranky old man who is is irritated by the senile old people in wheelchairs surrounding him. If we never learned his past through his memories, he would seem to be a very bitter, very angry old dude. Having the information about his past gives readers a whole new understanding to his crankiness.

Did I mention I had a really, really hard time putting this book down every time I picked it up? Yup, I did. It's not very often I become so engrossed in a book that I want to skip out of real life for awhile, but Sara Gruen's writing made me actually feel like I was there beside Jacob working on the show, smelling the popcorn and the cotton candy and the menagerie animals and falling in love with the circus star, Marlena.

It is obvious that Gruen spent years researching Depression-era circuses and her research paid off in spades. It feels real, not contrived, not just someone's fantasy world. The whole book feels real, like you could just close your eyes, sink into the pages and be right there on the train making the jump from one spot to the next.

I didn't want to leave the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, and being there in my mind brought back some very vivid memories of my own and of running off to join the circus, or, in my case, the carnival.

What? You didn't know that? You didn't know I once ran away to join the carnival? Maybe I'll share that story one day. But not today.

Anyway, read this book if you enjoy a good, believable story told through tremendous writing, real characters displayed with all their flaws and humanity and topped off with incredible research. After you read it, read it again then borrow it to someone else. Share the wealth, share the experience.

I will definitely be heading back for another trip with Jacob, Marlena, August and the Benzini Brothers. They are characters that live in my memory and they are so finely written they almost seem to be real people I once knew. Now that's the mark of excellent writing.

Good for a laugh, a cry and a few deep thoughts

I finished Fannie Flagg's "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven" and all I can say is, "Wow! You have GOT to read this book." My initial thought was, how good could a book be if the author's name is Fannie? I mean, really, I had visions of authentic redneck, sweet Southern tea, down home, back woods kind of reading.

But I was wrong. Yes, it's down home, yes it's kind of backwoods, but you know what? It's a fantastic book. The main character, Elner Shimfissle, is an 80-something woman who is down-to-earth, honest, warm and funny. She could be anybody's crazy old aunt or slightly nutty grandmother. She has touched many, many lives during her years on earth by just being who she is. She cracks me up with her no-nonsense attitude towards life, her love of figs, cats and snails and her fascination with the unanswerable chicken or the egg question. She dies, goes to what is her version of heaven, comes back to life, then dies again.

Almost the entire book is based on the impact her first death has on all those who know her and have been touched by her in one way or another, from a simple act of kindness because she felt bad about feeding an annoying neighbor kid candy laced with Ex-Lax to committing a felony to protect a retarded girl and her mother. Everything she has done during her life touched someone and Flagg lets us see how those small acts that changed lives.

It really made me think about the way people treat each other, and how the small things can mean so much to someone else when to us, they may mean very little. The book really reminds readers to just be nice to everyone because you never know how that small kindness, warm word or fresh slice of caramel cake can impact someone's life. Elner also reminds us to live every day as if you don't expect to live another moment and to savor every sunset because it is the most beautiful show ever created.

And in the end, it really doesn't matter what came first, the chicken or the egg, as long as you treat life like the gift it is and simply be kind to each other.

One from Down Under

I finally finished reading "Theft: A Love Story. Overall, it's a brilliantly written book. The descriptions are lovely, the language crafted with fine tools and the characters fairly well-developed.

The storyline, however, is often hard to follow. The main character Michael "Butcher" Bone, is an Australian artist obsessed with "Making Art," often to the detriment of himself and those around him. He frequently seems quite confused by normal life and is extremely self-centered, pretty typical of most die-hard artists. What makes the story most difficult to follow is the inclusion of the thoughts of Michael's 250-pound, 30ish, mentally disabled brother, Hugh. Hugh, who has the mental capacity of a 10 year old, has the most interesting dialogue and interpretations of situations of all the characters and he, by far, is my favorite. Despite his mental disability he is incredibly insightful and when the author lets us into Hugh's mind the thoughts are fascinating. But the jump back and forth between Michael and Hugh can be distracting and a little bit unsettling.

Unless you are an artist or have had some experience in the business of art dealers and art galleries, some of the situations are quite confusing. I have to admit, there were many scenarios that I just. didn't. get. I admire art from a distance, I like to hang great art on my walls, but I don't get this artist's pride thing or the dealing of art or art scandal and dishonest appraisers. Did I learn anything? Yup. A little bit. But it certainly didn't make me want to run out and purchase any art for too much money. I'll stick to my reproduction prints, thank you very much.

Anyway, the book is good, but be prepared to sit down and really concentrate on what you are reading. This isn't one of those pure-enjoyment, mindless books but it is definitely a thought provoker.

Review of a lousy book

I could not get through "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" by Chuck Klosterman. Could. Not. Do. It. I tried, I did, I gave it as much as I could muster, but I just couldn't finish it. I sent the disks back today with two left to go. Yes, I am a book-on-CD audio-buff. I have an hour drive to work, one way, what else am I supposed to do? One can only take NPR for so long at 6 a.m.

Why did I dislike this book so much, you ask? It could have been the voice of Klosterman himself. Advice to Mr. Klosterman...just because you wrote the book does not mean you should read it. Especially if you have a voice that makes me think of a spoiled rotten Valley BOY. He grated on me with every word. Grated. And that just doesn't happen to me very often. I'm usually a very tolerant person of the irritating voices I've come across. And most importantly, I've never heard such useless drivel in my life. I put that little blue Simply Audiobooks box into the mailbox and wondered why the hell I bothered to waste four hours of my life on such insubstantial crap.

Maybe I'm just not quite low culture enough to understand his seemingly bizarre and completely out-there comparisons. I didn't like the book. Period. Don't read it. If you have a single shred of intelligence, avoid cluttering up your mind with this stuff.