Votes are in, and we chose Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin.
Discussion will begin August 5. Happy reading!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Vote for your next book!
Our next book choices are: Celia Garth, by Gwen Bristow; How High the Moon, by Sandra Kring; Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin; The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, by Kelly O'Connor McNees; and Spooner, by Pete Dexter.
Please email me your votes (kzmclain@comcast.net) by Sunday, June 26. Happy reading.
Please email me your votes (kzmclain@comcast.net) by Sunday, June 26. Happy reading.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Secret Life
For me, reading The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes was a bit like eating fruit for dessert – it tastes good, but it doesn’t really completely satisfy.
I have never read anything by Diane Chamberlain, who appears to be quite prolific. Some of the reviews of this book on Amazon indicated it took a bit longer to get into this book than some of the others she has written. I can’t compare, but I will say that it took some time for me to get into this book. Once I did, I found the author’s writing to be quite good, drawing me into wanting to read the next chapter.
Having said this, I struggled with this book on a number of accounts. I have said before, if one wants to enjoy reading, one has to very often suspend reality. And so I tried very hard to convince myself that it was possible that a 16-year-old girl with no parents could be convinced to become involved in a kidnapping. And not just an ordinary kidnapping (is there such a thing?), but the kidnapping of a very well known public figure. However, CeeCee seemed to be so sensible in all other aspects of her life that it really was hard for me to overcome this nagging doubt that this basic element of the book would happen.
I was intrigued by the underground network that helped her escape with Cori, and wondered if such a thing actually exists. Don’t know. Seems unlikely.
The other thing that I really struggled with was Cori’s rejection of her mother during her college years and after. I recognize that the boyfriend was largely responsible for this rejection, but I felt as if the author didn’t present Cori and Eve’s relationship in such a way to indicate that Eve had been very overprotective. There were a few comments by Eve’s husband that he should allow Cori to be hurt, experience shyness, etc., but not to the extent that you would totally reject your mother.
Furthermore, it seemed somewhat unrealistic that the governor/university president would so quickly fall in love with his daughter; likewise, the sister. Finally, recognizing Cori’s intense dislike for her mother, it troubled me to see just how quickly she forgave her and came around to her side. Though, maybe that just indicated that her anger was never really genuine.
This review makes it sound as though I heartily disliked this book, and I didn’t. As I said, I found it very readable once I got into it. I liked most of the characters (not Timothy and his brother, of course). I enjoyed Marian very much, and also liked Eve’s husband (though I have to admit he was much more forgiving of someone who had fed him so many untruths than I would have been).
Having Eve be so sick with rheumatoid arthritis provided depth to the book that I liked. It provided a realistic element.
I’m curious to know if all of you were able to suspend reality better than me. Also, who were your favorite characters and your least favorite characters, and why? Would you read anything else by Diane Chamberlain?
I have never read anything by Diane Chamberlain, who appears to be quite prolific. Some of the reviews of this book on Amazon indicated it took a bit longer to get into this book than some of the others she has written. I can’t compare, but I will say that it took some time for me to get into this book. Once I did, I found the author’s writing to be quite good, drawing me into wanting to read the next chapter.
Having said this, I struggled with this book on a number of accounts. I have said before, if one wants to enjoy reading, one has to very often suspend reality. And so I tried very hard to convince myself that it was possible that a 16-year-old girl with no parents could be convinced to become involved in a kidnapping. And not just an ordinary kidnapping (is there such a thing?), but the kidnapping of a very well known public figure. However, CeeCee seemed to be so sensible in all other aspects of her life that it really was hard for me to overcome this nagging doubt that this basic element of the book would happen.
I was intrigued by the underground network that helped her escape with Cori, and wondered if such a thing actually exists. Don’t know. Seems unlikely.
The other thing that I really struggled with was Cori’s rejection of her mother during her college years and after. I recognize that the boyfriend was largely responsible for this rejection, but I felt as if the author didn’t present Cori and Eve’s relationship in such a way to indicate that Eve had been very overprotective. There were a few comments by Eve’s husband that he should allow Cori to be hurt, experience shyness, etc., but not to the extent that you would totally reject your mother.
Furthermore, it seemed somewhat unrealistic that the governor/university president would so quickly fall in love with his daughter; likewise, the sister. Finally, recognizing Cori’s intense dislike for her mother, it troubled me to see just how quickly she forgave her and came around to her side. Though, maybe that just indicated that her anger was never really genuine.
This review makes it sound as though I heartily disliked this book, and I didn’t. As I said, I found it very readable once I got into it. I liked most of the characters (not Timothy and his brother, of course). I enjoyed Marian very much, and also liked Eve’s husband (though I have to admit he was much more forgiving of someone who had fed him so many untruths than I would have been).
Having Eve be so sick with rheumatoid arthritis provided depth to the book that I liked. It provided a realistic element.
I’m curious to know if all of you were able to suspend reality better than me. Also, who were your favorite characters and your least favorite characters, and why? Would you read anything else by Diane Chamberlain?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)