JULY READS

[rapa]

"RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT"
SIS BOOM BAH! Almost The Fourth!!!!!

I'm enjoying a seductively funny, sharp novel by Emma Straub, MODERN LOVERS. The cover well describes this as a satisfying book about neighbors and nosiness, ambition and pleasure, the excitement of youth, the shock of middle age, and the fact that our passions--be they food, or friendship, or music--never go away, they just evolve and grow along with us. Good read!!!!

What do you have going?

[Mandy Muffin]

"X" wasn't up to par for my standard of a good read.  I quit about half way through and went to the end chapters to find out what happened. Critics felt like I did for the most part.  Too many subplots, too much detail and not enough character development, etc. Her first stories were crisp and entertaining.  Oh well, two to go.  I may not read them. Sue Grafton is probably struggling to bring the series to an end.  She could be basking in the sun on a tropical island and spending her royalties if it were not for those two last letters.   

[Carci]

I finished A Smile on the Face of the Tiger by Loren Estleman and I'm now reading Ask Him Why by Catherine Ryan Hyde, one of my favorite authors. 

'Tiger' was an OK detective novel but his style of writing did not appeal to me so I probably won't read any more by Estleman.

'Why' puts a whole family in crisis when the oldest son comes home from Iraq under a cloud after only 3 mo. in service.  His teenage brother and sister try to understand what happened... he's shunned by his parents who disown him and the entire community ostracizes the disgraced family.  He is up for court martial  and refuses contact by his siblings. The whole book is told from the perspective of the 2 younger teens, ages13 & 15.

I'm only about half way through it but Catherine Ryan Hyde usually has a message of redemption in her books so I'm hopeful this will be the case again this time. 

[Ioruach]

The June 26 (Summer reading issue) of Parade Magazine, which you may get with your Sunday newspaper, has an interesting article by author, Ann Patchett which identifies her best 75 books of the last 75 years. She lists them by decade-the 1940s, 1950s, etc. It is quite an interesting list even if, as I suspect is the case for most of you, you have read many, many such lists in the past. But I thought it was one of the best lists of "Best" books I have seen, perhaps partly because of the status of the author. It is also interesting to see how many you have read, or are familiar with. It can be found at: Parade.com/bestbooks.

[Mandy Muffin]

Good collection.  I found a handful that were new to me.  Here is the hyperlink if it helps anybody: http://parade.com/485659/annpatchett/the-75-best-books-of-the-past-...

[Ioruach]

Thanks, Mandy. I'm not very good with hyperlinks.

[rapa]

Accidently found a book that surprised me. Picked up what I thought was a novel, really enjoying the first couple chapters, thinking how realistic the characters were. Turns out THE BRIDGE LADIES by Betsy Lerner is a memoir! Betsy stepped in to play with her mother's 50-year-old Bridge club, finding herself impressed by their faithful visits and home-cooked meals. She saw something her generation lacked: Facebook was great, but it wouldn't deliver a pot roast. Book provides an unforgettable story of a bond lost and found between mother and daughter. Recommend for women readers only. Helps if you ever played bridge!

[Ioruach]

I finished Redemption Road a few days ago and enjoyed it, as most of you did. Violent, yes; but a good story, nevertheless.

But a much better book immediately followed; one I can enthusiastically recommend to everyone in this group. It is  Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley.  Lily is a 12 year old dachshund; the octopus is how the author sees the dog’s brain tumor. You can easily imagine that a novel with a focus on a 12 year old dog with a brain tumor will not have a happy ending, but in a way it does. You will have to read it to find out how.

The book is really a deeply moving exploration of love and loss; of life and death. It is compassionate and often thought provoking. There is, for example, a session with, of all things, a tattoo artist where the question of death and dying is discussed. The tattoo artist: “What is death? Is it the end of photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, homeostasis?” Kal has the rhythm of a poet. “The last heartbeat? The last cell generation? The last breath of air?” And also: “If you spend your entire life trying to cheat death, there’s no time left over to embrace life.”

Of course, Lily dies; I’m not revealing anything there. The reader knows that after the first chapter.  What is important is how her life inspired the protagonist, Ted Flask, and changed his life.

There is much more, of course. For example, Ted Flask is gay (as is the author, based on his book profile.) That fact is worked into the novel in a way that I have not encountered before in my reading.  But that did not detract at all from the story; in fact, for me, I think it helped. It helped my understanding of human beings and all their divergent ways, including their equal capacity for love and compassion.

If I were to suggest books that Lily and the Octopus brought to mind it might be A Man Called Ove or maybe The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Many of you would perhaps disagree, but that was my own response. Find the book and read it.

[rapa]

Thanks for the recommend! Will put it on my TBR list!!!!!

[Flowergram]

Sounds like a good read - always willing to learn - it is on my list also.  Thanks Loruach.

[Carci]

Sounds good...  I loved both 'Ove" & 'Fikry'... so it sounds like my kind of book...  Thanx

The little furball in my pic passed away in April after a 1 1/2 yr battle against tracheal collapse and we still miss her everyday so  it sounds close to home and I may cry my eyes out while reading it.

[Ioruach]

Yes, Carci. You certainly will. But at the end, there is inspiration and transformation.

[Ursula]

Carci, this must be a problem with our Shih Tzus because my Sweeney has the same issue.  It just breaks my heart when he chokes, but he still has a big smile on his face and is enjoying life.  Sweeney is about 12 years old; he's a rescue so I don't know for sure.  I keep having these little chats with him about living for another 10 years.  Sigh!!  In the meantime just enjoying each day we get to spend together.  Our fur babies will always have a big place in our hearts.  So sorry for your loss.