Novel Whore

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Finally, I don’t know what has taken me so long to read Beloved by Toni Morrison, although I always believe books come into your life when they are meant to, just like friends. I’ve always loved Morrison’s writing style, and Beloved is no different. Centered around Sethe, an escaped slave, her children and the mother of her lost husband, Baby Suggs, we watch as a ghost takes over their lives. The story is so compelling, the trials of slaves that make the bile rise to your throat, and the way Morrison slides the scales of suspense, literally had me up until 3am to finish reading. I couldn’t put it down.

The one thing that I kept thinking though was why in the hell Oprah thought this book would make a great movie. I honestly haven’t seen the movie, so I can’t say it didn’t live up to the book, but the power in Morrison’s words, the scenes she evoked in my head and heart, I just can’t see translating to the screen. Very few movies are able to capture the truth the way Morrison does in words. …continue to the book review of Beloved by Toni Morrison

I have a confession, I have a sick obsession with the Holocaust. I wasn’t alive, my parents weren’t even alive, but we are part German, even if my great great grandparents had already emigrated out of Germany, I still feel responsible. I wonder what I and my family would have done as we watched our neighbors and friends being taken from their homes. Would we have stopped them? Hid them? Risked our lives? By high school I had already read Night by Elie Wiesel, Primo Levi’s If This Is A Man, Diary of Anne Frank, and numerous other books that were available. Our final project in English my senior year was to read a book on a historical figure, and I chose Hitler. Instead of the thin books available in the school library, my teacher forced me to head to the large library in a nearby town and grab The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. There is still so much to learn and remember, so I picked up Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay a few years ago. …continue to the book review of Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

After a long snowy weekend I ventured to the Doylestown Library to spend some time amongst the stacks, get some book recommendations from the librarians, and of course come home with an armful of delicious novels. One of the selections recommended was Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie, a Pulitzer Prize winner. I wasn’t blown away by the characters as much as I pitied them, and not in a good way. I always wonder if I could be friends with characters, whether I like them or not, as it’s often more fun to love to hate someone than it is to recognize that they are invisible and add no value to your life, and unfortunately I could have found much better bed mates than Vinnie and Fred.

Vinnie and Fred are both American professors spending time doing research in London. Fred is dashing, young, and married, while Vinnie is dumpy, middle aged and a spinster, though she has enjoyed sex as she continually points out. …continue to the book review of Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie

Reading a book that was actually written in the period the characters are living always adds a sense of drama for me. Obviously it’s much easier for the writer to catch the small details that transformed lives in the period, but it’s easier for me to also understand the differences and similarities, often unexpected. The The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton is set in the late 1800’s and was written by Wharton in 1920, so she had a pretty good idea of the morals and daily events that took place in drawing rooms across New York City at the time.

I fell in love with The Age of Innocence by simply envisioning myself dressing for dinner, attending the opera at least once a week, and being able to act like a lady without looking like a pompous idiot like I sometimes fear in my current life. Imagine not only walking down 5th Avenue in NYC, but being one of the elite families that founded NYC and contributed to the mecca of westernization it is today. Ah, but back to the story… …continue to the book review of The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to think back on the best love stories that have been captured in novels, at least according to me. Whether you have found your true love, are still searching, or having finally decided true love doesn’t really exist, these novels are sure to pull at your heart. In no particular order:

1. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks – Who hasn’t dreamt of a love like this? And the ending? Tear my heart out Mr. Sparks, go ahead, do it again. Even the movie makes me cry, and if I pass it while searching for something I MUST stop and watch it. Sigh. Let’s just go ahead and add A Walk to Remember and Message in a Bottle for those days when you really feel hopeless.

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – Another fabulous time travel novel with Claire (what is with Claire’s in time travel novels?) who is torn between her husband and lover, separated by a century. …continue to the book review of Top Love Story Novels