I want to give you a reason to support Village House of Books (aside from the fact that we want ALL bookstores to succeed): Starting tomorrow, October 16, and running through Saturday, the 18th, VHOB will donate 10% FROM ALL SALES to Breast Cancer Research. I don't know how much more you can ask from a local bookstore. Please pop in to either of their Los Gatos locations - 326 Village Lane and 21 W. Main Street, from 10-6 all 3 days - and buy some books. You will not only be supporting your local bookstore, but you will also be aiding in the ongoing battle to cure breast cancer. There is no nobler cause.
And while I have you in blog-reading mode, here are the events at VHOB for the rest of the month:
Saturday, October 25, 10:00-12:00 - Hello Kitty Reading Day, celebrating the 40th anniversary of HK
Saturday, October 25, 3:30-5:00 - meet and greet with Jenny Hurwick, author of The Adventures of Frazzle and Twitch
Saturday, October 25, 5:00-6:00 - meet and greet with Christine Z. Mason, author of Boudaries: A Love Story (I just reviewed that on my blog - booksage.blogspot.com - and really liked it) and G. Elizabeth Kretchmer, author of The Damnable Legacy of a Minister's Wife. You'll also get wine (and water for you teetotalers) and hor's d'oevres. Very cool.
Sunday, October 27, 2:30-4:30 - a Halloween celebration with Jeff Baham, author of The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion, a behind-the-scenes look at the amusement park ride. Come in costume.
Saturday, November 8, 4:00-6:00 - meet and greet with Carole Bumpus, author of A Cup of Redemption. (Yes, I know I said October events - so, sue me!)
Lots of fun stuff coming up.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
Recommendations for 2009 (and the cleverness never ends)
This is the penultimate (I love that word) year (2009) for recommendations - prior to the beginning of The Book Sage. For this year, I've got 26 out of 60 to recommend. In case you care, that's 43% of the total. That kind of seems like a lot. But here they are:
Lee Child - Die Trying - Jack Reacher #2
W.E.B. Griffin - Black Ops - Presidential Agent #5 - really like series
Richard North Patterson - Exile - this is excellent and is in my very 1st
Fiction for the Non-Fiction Reader (FFTNFR, Vol. I)
Alex Berenson - The Silent Man - John Wells #3
Jodi Picoult - Handle with Care - just because it's Jodi
Lee Child - Trip Wire - Jack Reacher #3 - an enjoyable series, even
though I stopped after 4 or 5
Harlen Coben - Long Lost - every one is good
Ann Patchett - The Magician's Assistant - only my 2nd one - like almost
all of her stuff - Bel Canto is the best, except for the ending
Nicole Mones - The Last Chinese Chef - she also wrote the Lost in
Translation, which was turned into a movie with Bill Murray and
Scarlet Johanson
Tom Rob Smith - Child 44 - book 1 of a trilogy - also in my FFTNFR,
Vol. I
Jodi Picoult - Plain Truth
Greg Iles - The Devil's Punchbowl - he and Coben are the best at what
they do
Daniel Silva - The Defector - Gabriel Allon #9 - all good
David Rosenfelt - New Tricks - Andy Carpenter #7
Pat Conroy - South of Broad - 1 of my 2nd 12 all-time - the only book
I've ever read where I felt personal loss when 1 of the central characters
died
Nicholas Sparks - The Last Song - you know I like the sap
Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol - still haven't read his last one - sitting in
my TBR pile
Alex Kava - Black Friday - Maggie O'Dell #7
Terry Brooks - A Princess of Landover - don't read much fantasy, but this
is a very entertaining series - Magic Kingdom of Landover #6
Vince Flynn - Pursuit of Honor - Mitch Rapp #12
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith - I like some more than others - I would
recommend about 1/2 of them -
Stieg Larsson - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I was reluctant to start
this series, but I was wrong - this is book 1, and the whole trilogy was
outstanding
Tom Rob Smith - The Secret Speech - Child 44 trilogy #2
Steve Berry - The Paris Vendetta - Cotton Malone #5
Steve Crichton - Pirate Latitudes - his last book - came out after Crichton
passed away
Jodi Picoult - Harvesting the Heart
ONE MORE YEAR! (I see you all cheering!)
Lee Child - Die Trying - Jack Reacher #2
W.E.B. Griffin - Black Ops - Presidential Agent #5 - really like series
Richard North Patterson - Exile - this is excellent and is in my very 1st
Fiction for the Non-Fiction Reader (FFTNFR, Vol. I)
Alex Berenson - The Silent Man - John Wells #3
Jodi Picoult - Handle with Care - just because it's Jodi
Lee Child - Trip Wire - Jack Reacher #3 - an enjoyable series, even
though I stopped after 4 or 5
Harlen Coben - Long Lost - every one is good
Ann Patchett - The Magician's Assistant - only my 2nd one - like almost
all of her stuff - Bel Canto is the best, except for the ending
Nicole Mones - The Last Chinese Chef - she also wrote the Lost in
Translation, which was turned into a movie with Bill Murray and
Scarlet Johanson
Tom Rob Smith - Child 44 - book 1 of a trilogy - also in my FFTNFR,
Vol. I
Jodi Picoult - Plain Truth
Greg Iles - The Devil's Punchbowl - he and Coben are the best at what
they do
Daniel Silva - The Defector - Gabriel Allon #9 - all good
David Rosenfelt - New Tricks - Andy Carpenter #7
Pat Conroy - South of Broad - 1 of my 2nd 12 all-time - the only book
I've ever read where I felt personal loss when 1 of the central characters
died
Nicholas Sparks - The Last Song - you know I like the sap
Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol - still haven't read his last one - sitting in
my TBR pile
Alex Kava - Black Friday - Maggie O'Dell #7
Terry Brooks - A Princess of Landover - don't read much fantasy, but this
is a very entertaining series - Magic Kingdom of Landover #6
Vince Flynn - Pursuit of Honor - Mitch Rapp #12
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith - I like some more than others - I would
recommend about 1/2 of them -
Stieg Larsson - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I was reluctant to start
this series, but I was wrong - this is book 1, and the whole trilogy was
outstanding
Tom Rob Smith - The Secret Speech - Child 44 trilogy #2
Steve Berry - The Paris Vendetta - Cotton Malone #5
Steve Crichton - Pirate Latitudes - his last book - came out after Crichton
passed away
Jodi Picoult - Harvesting the Heart
ONE MORE YEAR! (I see you all cheering!)
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Boundaries, A Love Story, by Christine Z. Mason, ANOTHER Local Author
I want to start this post by saying something pretty emphatically: I LOVE BEING A BOOK BLOGGER IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA!!!!! Okay, now that I've calmed down a bit, I will say the same thing more quietly. We simply have an enormous amount of talented authors here that I get to meet and read and support. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy the national giants - Silva, Baldacci (I'm reading The Target, Will Robie #3, now), Picoult, Griffin, Iles, Coben, etc. But I continually get introduced to local authors who can really write. The latest is Christine Z. Mason.
How did I even meet Christine? Funny you should ask. She came to our VHOB Book Club (now Recycle Book Club) meeting in August to support Ellen Sussman. I met her there, and we struck up an email conversation. She offered to send me her book, and, because I'm very cheap, I jumped at the opportunity. I am so glad I did!
I can never synopsize a book as well as Goodreads does. Here's what they say about Boundaries, A Love Story.
A novel about abandonment and passion, chronicling an imprudent but profound love, a maelstrom of family secrets, and a tragedy . . . This East Coast-West Coast tale tracks the conflicts between individual desire and societal expectations, weaving together the secrets, tragedies, and clandestine affairs of two families, one living in Maine, the other in California.
This book started right out making me feel at home. On page 6, the characters talk about Boston University, where my youngest, Lauren, went to school (and found her husband, Joe), and Boalt Hall, the law school on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Although I didn't go to law school there (I went to Santa Clara University - are you surprised? Shocked, even?), I did do my undergraduate there (I majored in history - not too useful in the job market, methinks). It was fun to see those references. Later in the book, there's even a mention of Solano Avenue, in Berkeley, which is right around the corner from where I grew up in Albany (from ages 5 to 14). I don't need to be able to relate to geographical landmarks to enjoy a book, but I don't dislike that either.
I like the title of this book a lot; because it's about 1st cousins who start spending time together when he's 22, and she's only 16. And it actually is about their love story. Of course the title speaks for itself. But this is about a lot more than just the 2 main characters, Kaia and Mark. It's also about Mark's parents and Kaia's parents and their "interactions." There are a couple of ancillary people, like Chandi, Kaia's dad's girlfriend, and Sig, Kaia's best friend, both in the Bay Area. But, really, it's the 2 central figures and their 4 parents.
You know, I would think some plots are easier to write than others. Christine writes about a very sensitive theme. And she does it in such a way that it's not creepy. In fact, she paints some pictures that do have creepy elements to them. But they do not extend to Mark and Kaia. That relationship seems very natural. I applaud her for that.
Here's another news flash. Boundaries is a 439-page book. I did not tear up until page 384. So, obviously, I didn't emotionally connect with the characters. WRONG! I actually teared up quite a bit in the last 55 pages. But even prior to that, I was very caught up with all of the principals. In this case (don't get used to it!), the tearing up did not reflect my emotional commitment. Why is that? Beats me. It just is what it is. The only thing I can figure out is that some books take longer to build up to the waterworks than others!
The last piece of the book that I would like to mention is that I thoroughly enjoyed how Christine spoke in different voices. Every time she did that, I was able to put myself in the shoes/person of the speaker. And with all of the stuff that was going down, it gave me greater insight into what happened in each case. Again, bravo, Christine.
Did I like Boundaries, A Love Story? I most certainly did. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Is there anybody I would suggest not read it? Definitely not. Pick it up and enjoy the high-end product of another Bay Area artist. They're all over the place, and Christine is one more to add to the group. We are blessed, people.
PERSONAL NOTE: There is a ton of excessive drinking in this book by various parents. My parents were like that. They never were officially classified "alcoholics," but I have no doubt that is exactly what they were. I think that might be why I quit drinking in my early '30's. So, the point of this little personal note is that I had more trouble reading about the drinking than I did any of the other goings-on.
How did I even meet Christine? Funny you should ask. She came to our VHOB Book Club (now Recycle Book Club) meeting in August to support Ellen Sussman. I met her there, and we struck up an email conversation. She offered to send me her book, and, because I'm very cheap, I jumped at the opportunity. I am so glad I did!
I can never synopsize a book as well as Goodreads does. Here's what they say about Boundaries, A Love Story.
A novel about abandonment and passion, chronicling an imprudent but profound love, a maelstrom of family secrets, and a tragedy . . . This East Coast-West Coast tale tracks the conflicts between individual desire and societal expectations, weaving together the secrets, tragedies, and clandestine affairs of two families, one living in Maine, the other in California.
This book started right out making me feel at home. On page 6, the characters talk about Boston University, where my youngest, Lauren, went to school (and found her husband, Joe), and Boalt Hall, the law school on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Although I didn't go to law school there (I went to Santa Clara University - are you surprised? Shocked, even?), I did do my undergraduate there (I majored in history - not too useful in the job market, methinks). It was fun to see those references. Later in the book, there's even a mention of Solano Avenue, in Berkeley, which is right around the corner from where I grew up in Albany (from ages 5 to 14). I don't need to be able to relate to geographical landmarks to enjoy a book, but I don't dislike that either.
I like the title of this book a lot; because it's about 1st cousins who start spending time together when he's 22, and she's only 16. And it actually is about their love story. Of course the title speaks for itself. But this is about a lot more than just the 2 main characters, Kaia and Mark. It's also about Mark's parents and Kaia's parents and their "interactions." There are a couple of ancillary people, like Chandi, Kaia's dad's girlfriend, and Sig, Kaia's best friend, both in the Bay Area. But, really, it's the 2 central figures and their 4 parents.
You know, I would think some plots are easier to write than others. Christine writes about a very sensitive theme. And she does it in such a way that it's not creepy. In fact, she paints some pictures that do have creepy elements to them. But they do not extend to Mark and Kaia. That relationship seems very natural. I applaud her for that.
Here's another news flash. Boundaries is a 439-page book. I did not tear up until page 384. So, obviously, I didn't emotionally connect with the characters. WRONG! I actually teared up quite a bit in the last 55 pages. But even prior to that, I was very caught up with all of the principals. In this case (don't get used to it!), the tearing up did not reflect my emotional commitment. Why is that? Beats me. It just is what it is. The only thing I can figure out is that some books take longer to build up to the waterworks than others!
The last piece of the book that I would like to mention is that I thoroughly enjoyed how Christine spoke in different voices. Every time she did that, I was able to put myself in the shoes/person of the speaker. And with all of the stuff that was going down, it gave me greater insight into what happened in each case. Again, bravo, Christine.
Did I like Boundaries, A Love Story? I most certainly did. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Is there anybody I would suggest not read it? Definitely not. Pick it up and enjoy the high-end product of another Bay Area artist. They're all over the place, and Christine is one more to add to the group. We are blessed, people.
PERSONAL NOTE: There is a ton of excessive drinking in this book by various parents. My parents were like that. They never were officially classified "alcoholics," but I have no doubt that is exactly what they were. I think that might be why I quit drinking in my early '30's. So, the point of this little personal note is that I had more trouble reading about the drinking than I did any of the other goings-on.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Local Authors' Fair
Hi, all you local authors. Fellow local author, and grand dame, Betty Auchard, sent this to me a week ago. So I'm sending it to all of you. Uh, notice that the deadline is either today or Sunday (probably today). Sorry for my flakiness in getting this sent out.
An announcement from the San Jose Library.
Do you know a local author? have you assisted that person with any aspect of research for their book? We are planning an Author's Fair at King Library, in November - coming up soon.
We would love to have your suggestions with contact information for local authors, having very recent publications, whose works are of:
• general interest (non academic)
• either fiction or nonfiction and
• either written in English or have been translated into English
The authors that you recommend should also be very comfortable speaking about their works in English.
Please forward suggestions of authors, the title of their works and their contact information to …, Erik Berman erik.berman@sjlibrary.org by the end of next week - Friday, October 12th.
Do you know a local author? have you assisted that person with any aspect of research for their book? We are planning an Author's Fair at King Library, in November - coming up soon.
We would love to have your suggestions with contact information for local authors, having very recent publications, whose works are of:
• general interest (non academic)
• either fiction or nonfiction and
• either written in English or have been translated into English
The authors that you recommend should also be very comfortable speaking about their works in English.
Please forward suggestions of authors, the title of their works and their contact information to …, Erik Berman erik.berman@sjlibrary.org by the end of next week - Friday, October 12th.
Carolyn Donnell
Monday, October 6, 2014
Some Pics from Recycle Bookstore
I've got 3 pictures to show you. The 1st is The Book Sage cabinet at Recycle Books in Campbell. On the top is our Recycle Book Club selection for October (Tuesday, 10/28). All of the other shelves contain the books that I recommend on Sunday mornings during the Farmer's Market.
This 2nd pic shows the books that are on the top shelf in the bookcase. The 2 standing up on the far left are by the March RBC author, C. Lee McKenzie (Tuesday, 3/24). She will be stopping by to talk about her YA (young adult) book, The Princess of Las Pulgas. To the right of that one is Free Spirit: Growing up on the Road and off the Grid, by Joshua Safran. He will be coming in November (Tuesday, 11/18). Right next to that one is The Mathematician's Shiva, by Stuart Rojstaczer. We will see him in January (Tuesday, 1/13). And, finally, on the far right is Queen Sugar, by Natalie Baszile. We will have the pleasure of her company in December (Tuesday, 12/2). February will be a mystery/thriller writer, but we haven't picked/booked one yet.
And, finally, in the 3rd picture we have a close-up of Shelly King's The Moment of Everything. We will be seeing Shelly 3 weeks from tomorrow night. Even if you don't intend to come to the RBC meeting (although I know you want to!), you will still enjoy Shelly's book. It's a very good read.
Yes, I see that it's too dark
FOOTNOTE (is that better then P.S.?): In the 1st 2 pictures, you will notice a big book standing next to The Moment of Everything. That is Lauri Pastrone's Share cookbook. If you haven't already heard/seen me talk about this, it's a fantastic story. The book consists of recipes from celebrities, famous chefs, and women in war-torn countries. The proceeds from the book go to supporting these women through Women for Women International. It's a great cause and doesn't require anything more than buying an excellent cookbook. Recycle has got a bunch of them in the store.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
2 (relatively) Short Reviews
This week I read 2 books in only 4 days. That's fast for me. HOWEVER, 1 is a collection of 64 essays that are supposed to be funny and clever and whimsical and poignant - I guess. The book is called One More Thing, Stories and Other Stories. The author is B.J. Novak, who was one of the cast members on The Office. He was also a writer, director, and executive producer on the show. You know, I'm not that into short stories and essays. And some of these are only a line or 2 long. So, we're just going to chalk it up to it not being my thing. If I had to rate it, I would give it a 2/4.
P.S. Right when I started reading it, but after Lauren left it for me before she returned to New York, I found out that B.J. will be coming to Rakestraw Books on October 10 and the JCC San Francisco on October 11. Initially I was very excited to see him and was making plans to get to 1 of the events. Now, I'm not so sure.
The 2nd book I read this week is a different story. It's a middle grade book by JZ Bingham called Piranhas Like S'mores. If you remember (and, really, how or why could/would you?), I reviewed JZ's Salty Splashes collection of Children's Illustrated Fiction (this is actually a genre) on April 16, 2013. I really liked those, and I really like this. It's a fast read because it's for middle graders. That doesn't mean that it isn't a good story with a good message and some very poignant moments. But it doesn't overplay the sentimentality.
The book is about 2 cousins, a boy and a girl, who go to the same school and are in the same class. The story is told by 11-year old Klyde (there's a story behind the spelling) and centers on him, his very smart 10-year old cousin, Bonney (it took me a 1/4 of the book to get the Bonny and Clyde reference - duh!), and their friend Seldon. And it's mostly about an aquarium, piranhas, and a science fair. But there is still stuff with parents and pets, along with a few mishaps. I really like the way JZ hones in on the angst that middle graders go through (as best I can remember!) while still maintaining the child in them.
Another thing I enjoyed was the language. There is tons of slang, such as "ginormous" and "sick" (which, here, is a good thing). Klyde makes reference to "Madden football" and also says "...but I'll bet you ten Benjamins he did these drawings when he was younger than me (a reference to "this Picasso dude")." He also compares a dessert to "...an angel's all-you-can-eat dessert buffet." The author even throws in a detailed description of the filter system on an aquarium. I like that she gives her middle grade readers something to learn.
And, finally, we come to my favorite part of any book - the part where I shed a few. That happens twice in the final 10 pages. I would have still liked it without the waterworks, but I so do love to emotionally connect with my characters - whether they're 31, 51, 81, or only 11. Mission accomplished. And you're going to love the final line in the book and the picture that accompanies the last page. I can't give those details away, but you'll know what I mean when you see them.
The book is definitely geared for 8-12 year olds (the definition of middle-grade). But even somebody who just went on Medicare (I'm not mentioning any names!) will enjoy it.
P.S. Right when I started reading it, but after Lauren left it for me before she returned to New York, I found out that B.J. will be coming to Rakestraw Books on October 10 and the JCC San Francisco on October 11. Initially I was very excited to see him and was making plans to get to 1 of the events. Now, I'm not so sure.
The 2nd book I read this week is a different story. It's a middle grade book by JZ Bingham called Piranhas Like S'mores. If you remember (and, really, how or why could/would you?), I reviewed JZ's Salty Splashes collection of Children's Illustrated Fiction (this is actually a genre) on April 16, 2013. I really liked those, and I really like this. It's a fast read because it's for middle graders. That doesn't mean that it isn't a good story with a good message and some very poignant moments. But it doesn't overplay the sentimentality.
The book is about 2 cousins, a boy and a girl, who go to the same school and are in the same class. The story is told by 11-year old Klyde (there's a story behind the spelling) and centers on him, his very smart 10-year old cousin, Bonney (it took me a 1/4 of the book to get the Bonny and Clyde reference - duh!), and their friend Seldon. And it's mostly about an aquarium, piranhas, and a science fair. But there is still stuff with parents and pets, along with a few mishaps. I really like the way JZ hones in on the angst that middle graders go through (as best I can remember!) while still maintaining the child in them.
Another thing I enjoyed was the language. There is tons of slang, such as "ginormous" and "sick" (which, here, is a good thing). Klyde makes reference to "Madden football" and also says "...but I'll bet you ten Benjamins he did these drawings when he was younger than me (a reference to "this Picasso dude")." He also compares a dessert to "...an angel's all-you-can-eat dessert buffet." The author even throws in a detailed description of the filter system on an aquarium. I like that she gives her middle grade readers something to learn.
And, finally, we come to my favorite part of any book - the part where I shed a few. That happens twice in the final 10 pages. I would have still liked it without the waterworks, but I so do love to emotionally connect with my characters - whether they're 31, 51, 81, or only 11. Mission accomplished. And you're going to love the final line in the book and the picture that accompanies the last page. I can't give those details away, but you'll know what I mean when you see them.
The book is definitely geared for 8-12 year olds (the definition of middle-grade). But even somebody who just went on Medicare (I'm not mentioning any names!) will enjoy it.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Part II (see how I seamlessly transitioned to the 2nd part of the review?) of Greg Iles' Natchez Burning
In part I of this review, I basically gave you a synopsis of the book, told you a little bit about Greg Iles and his accident, and quoted 2 very big name authors in their appreciation of Natchez Burning. In this post, I want to give you some personal observations that made the book work so well for me. Here they are, in the order that they appeared/happened.
1. There are a ton of very interesting primary characters, both good guys - Tom and Penn Cage, Henry Sexton, Caitlin Masters, Walt Garrity, John Kaiser, and Sleepy Johnston - and bad guys - Brody Royal, Frank, Forrest, Snake, and Billy Knox, Randall Regan, Glen Morehouse, and Sonny Thorfield. These are just the primary characters from 2005. This doesn't count the central characters from the 1960's - Viola Turner, Pooky Wilson, Albert Norris, Jimmy Revels, Luther Davis. And I'm telling you that there are several dozen more ancillary characters. But here's the thing - I didn't have any trouble keeping track of who was who. Almost at no time did I say: "Now who's this guy/girl?" With the state of my mind, that says a lot about this author's ability to make his characters memorable.
2. Iles describes a particularly heinous race crime as early as page 16. It sets the stage for a whole bunch more that follows. As I mentioned before, it's tough to read, even 50 years after the events laid out in this book. (Remember, it's fiction based on fact.)
3. I got a different set of shakes/willies on page 18 when we find out that Frank Knox got a lot of his weapons in the '60's from somebody he knew at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Why would I care, you ask? Because I did my basic training for the Army Reserve there in 1969. Not a fun place or experience. Of course, it was better than being drafted during the Vietnam era! (My lottery number was 152. I would have gone.)
4. On page 30, we get a little dose of sympathy for one of the bad guys. This happens periodically throughout the book. I give Iles credit for trying to add a little grey to very clear black and white pictures.
5. On page 63, there's a passage about Tom Cage and his nurse, Viola Turner (from the '60's). It made me think of a Dallas episode with JR when it was a hit show back in the '70's. How random is that?
6. Page 87, Henry reads a letter that came from Swan, the daughter of Albert Norris. She taught Henry how to play the piano and a whole bunch more. Loved the letter.
7. On 171, Penn talks about how, when he ran for mayor, he promised educational reform. Now, 2 years later, he says that he has largely failed. I like that Iles throws in some political stuff with Penn - since he is the Natchez mayor.
8. On page 224, Henry spends 10 pages explaining to Penn what happened back in the '60's with the racial crimes. After reading a 1/3 of the book, it helped to put it all in context. In fact, on page 233, I uttered my 1st "Wow."
9. On 273, Iles brings in a new character, and for the next 3 pages he combines drama with humor. It was a nice little interlude.
10. 376-381, a great exchange among Penn, Caitlin, his fiancee and a newspaper editor, and Henry, the reporter who has spent decades trying to get proof of the murders that took place back in the '60's.
11. 385 - A furrowed brow AND an OMG.
12. 450 - I shed tears for a character I only just met. That's how good Iles is.
13. 535 - Caitlin planks for 3 minutes. Are you kidding me? I can barely do a minute. If you don't know what planking is, look it up.
14. 550-551 - More tears.
15. 558 - Just to further prove to you how random I am (are any of you really surprised?), there's a line at the top of the page that goes: "Her eyes are clear and bright..." Do you all know where you've seen those words before? That's right. It comes from The Zombies' hit song from 1964, She's Not There. Pretty cool, huh?
16. 673 - John Kaiser, the FBI agent, explains how snipers shoot through glass. Very interesting and enlightening.
Obviously, it's not important what the specific page numbers are. And you're not going to read the book and reference what I've written above. The whole purpose of this list is just to show you how I was engaged throughout the book. I thought the book slowed down just a tad over the last couple of hundred pages. But, I have to say that this could be more about my attention span (788 pages, after all) than anything that Iles did. So, allowing for all possible factors, I'm still giving this a 3.75/4. And, remember - it's only book 1 of a trilogy. I expect to have many personal notes from you people thanking me for recommending Natchez Burning.
1. There are a ton of very interesting primary characters, both good guys - Tom and Penn Cage, Henry Sexton, Caitlin Masters, Walt Garrity, John Kaiser, and Sleepy Johnston - and bad guys - Brody Royal, Frank, Forrest, Snake, and Billy Knox, Randall Regan, Glen Morehouse, and Sonny Thorfield. These are just the primary characters from 2005. This doesn't count the central characters from the 1960's - Viola Turner, Pooky Wilson, Albert Norris, Jimmy Revels, Luther Davis. And I'm telling you that there are several dozen more ancillary characters. But here's the thing - I didn't have any trouble keeping track of who was who. Almost at no time did I say: "Now who's this guy/girl?" With the state of my mind, that says a lot about this author's ability to make his characters memorable.
2. Iles describes a particularly heinous race crime as early as page 16. It sets the stage for a whole bunch more that follows. As I mentioned before, it's tough to read, even 50 years after the events laid out in this book. (Remember, it's fiction based on fact.)
3. I got a different set of shakes/willies on page 18 when we find out that Frank Knox got a lot of his weapons in the '60's from somebody he knew at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Why would I care, you ask? Because I did my basic training for the Army Reserve there in 1969. Not a fun place or experience. Of course, it was better than being drafted during the Vietnam era! (My lottery number was 152. I would have gone.)
4. On page 30, we get a little dose of sympathy for one of the bad guys. This happens periodically throughout the book. I give Iles credit for trying to add a little grey to very clear black and white pictures.
5. On page 63, there's a passage about Tom Cage and his nurse, Viola Turner (from the '60's). It made me think of a Dallas episode with JR when it was a hit show back in the '70's. How random is that?
6. Page 87, Henry reads a letter that came from Swan, the daughter of Albert Norris. She taught Henry how to play the piano and a whole bunch more. Loved the letter.
7. On 171, Penn talks about how, when he ran for mayor, he promised educational reform. Now, 2 years later, he says that he has largely failed. I like that Iles throws in some political stuff with Penn - since he is the Natchez mayor.
8. On page 224, Henry spends 10 pages explaining to Penn what happened back in the '60's with the racial crimes. After reading a 1/3 of the book, it helped to put it all in context. In fact, on page 233, I uttered my 1st "Wow."
9. On 273, Iles brings in a new character, and for the next 3 pages he combines drama with humor. It was a nice little interlude.
10. 376-381, a great exchange among Penn, Caitlin, his fiancee and a newspaper editor, and Henry, the reporter who has spent decades trying to get proof of the murders that took place back in the '60's.
11. 385 - A furrowed brow AND an OMG.
12. 450 - I shed tears for a character I only just met. That's how good Iles is.
13. 535 - Caitlin planks for 3 minutes. Are you kidding me? I can barely do a minute. If you don't know what planking is, look it up.
14. 550-551 - More tears.
15. 558 - Just to further prove to you how random I am (are any of you really surprised?), there's a line at the top of the page that goes: "Her eyes are clear and bright..." Do you all know where you've seen those words before? That's right. It comes from The Zombies' hit song from 1964, She's Not There. Pretty cool, huh?
16. 673 - John Kaiser, the FBI agent, explains how snipers shoot through glass. Very interesting and enlightening.
Obviously, it's not important what the specific page numbers are. And you're not going to read the book and reference what I've written above. The whole purpose of this list is just to show you how I was engaged throughout the book. I thought the book slowed down just a tad over the last couple of hundred pages. But, I have to say that this could be more about my attention span (788 pages, after all) than anything that Iles did. So, allowing for all possible factors, I'm still giving this a 3.75/4. And, remember - it's only book 1 of a trilogy. I expect to have many personal notes from you people thanking me for recommending Natchez Burning.
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