Coben, Again

The New York Daily News, on Coben's No Second Chance: "The author doesn't build suspense. HE OPENS FIRE."

For some reason, I wasn't as enthralled by this novel as I was by the first Harlan Coben novel I read (see previous post). Oh, I could hardly put it down, (meaning it's a good read), but the twists and turns became so plentiful and torturous that I could barely keep track (meaning I couldn't detect what was really going on). Who was the kidnapper? Who was the murderer? Who was the hero? This is both the charm and the irritant of the Harlan Coben style. Frustration v. Resolution?

This book is about parenthood and friendship. And, I guess it is also about romantic love v. married love. It's about telling the truth and living with the existence of deceptions perpetrated by those we love and are involved in.

I like the way that the author hooks you from the first sentence, "When the first bullet hit my chest, I thought of my daughter." Then, like so many of my second guessing thoughts, the protagonist opines, "At least, that is what I want to believe". This makes the good doctor (a "plastic" surgeon) so down to earth, so likable, so human. I like that about Coben; his characters are so like real people. Real people in unthinkable circumstances, but real, nevertheless.

Another thing I like about Coben is his descriptive passages. In describing a police detective who had come into his hospital room to interview him, he writes:

"His head was too big for his shoulders so that you feared his neck would collapse from the weight of it. His hair was crew cut all around, except in the front, where it hung down in a Caesar line above his eyes. A soul patch, an ugly smear of growth, sat on his chin like a burrowing insect. All in all, he looked like a member of a boy band gone to serious seed."

I will take a rest from the action packed thriller genre for a while, but when I am back in the mood for an exciting, unpredictable, page-turning read, I will pick up one of Harlan Corben's previous two books, Gone for Good and Tell No One, and perhaps a highlighter for marking passages too good to go unremembered.

"The modern master of the hook-and-twist."

Or so said Dan Brown, author of the widely read novel, The Da Vinci Code, about Harlan Coben's Just One Look.

Suggestions for enjoying this sometimes macabre book:

• Read the preface to the first chapter carefully, thoughtfully. Make notes.
• Underline the first paragraph in chapter one. It is the scariest part of the book.
• Shift gears, step into the story, combine the impressions you've gathered so far with the veneer of normalcy surrounding the protagonist, Grace.
• Prepare to confront the unraveling of secrets and questions and mysteries as you try to get a handle on what's going on. All of this in the setting of a reality which requires the changing of diapers, getting the kids to school, buying groceries, etc.
• As usual, in "this kind of book", the "hook-and-twist" type, try to figure out who the good guy is, who the bad guy is, and what awful revelations are about to be unearthed.
• Are there any real villains or heroes anymore? Is there evil and good, black and white, or does gray fit in there somewhere? Look for unlikely villains, but in this story, look, also for unlikely heroes. What is good that can be picked out of the ashes of disappointment?
  

I haven't really told much of the plot, here, but if you have the stomach for murder and mayhem, or even if you don't, you might just want to read this book in the safety of your own home, cuddled up beside a snoozing loved one, or in the bright sunshine of the beach in the summer. Or with highlighter in hand, for the juicy tidbits of truth and relavency you might encounter. I would read Coben again.

And isn't it a sign of the times that all these authors have a website. A sign of the economic and digital age we live in!

An Elm Creek Quilts Novel

The Master Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini, seems at first like the kind of book you want to read on a wintry afternoon. But, there it was, featured in a Mother's Day Display at BAM. What could I possibly be thinking of? I am a fifty-something woman who would rather do anything than start another crafty project which would end up in a pile, unfinished, along with other impulsive forays into womanhood and homemaking. Nevertheless, I purchased the book and took it home, out of some sentimental feeling and step back in time to my younger, more productive days--back then, when I did make bread and vacuum and cross-stitch, etc.

Reading, I found myself absorbed by the odd assortment of the group who belonged to the Elm Creek Quilter's club. Anyone who thinks quilters are all older women, might remember that some "hobbies"/passions go beyond age issues and other issues in garnering a faithful following. And what challenges would stalk such a group? Again, I could identify with several of the characters and the lives that they lead. Thus, though at times, the repetition or review of events from the point of view of each of the quilters, did become a little boring for me and I skipped more than one paragraph, over all I found that I was drawn into the story and into the environment of the story. There's something to be said for homemaking, home crafting, and even housework: these seemingly mundane activities can bring great comfort, and even great creative juices into play. Quilting allows women to form friendships, express personality in beautiful ways that nurture individualism. Obviously, it is a venture that can become as therapeutic as genealogy in piecing together the puzzles of our lives and try to make some sense out of them.

South Carolina

At the present time, I am somewhat involved in looking at South Carolina history, what with the genealogy connection I have through my dad's Hill line. I am also trying to help a lady from Charleston find her roots. So, in a recent trip to BAM (Books-A-Million), I spotted Shem Creek, A Lowcountry Tale, by Dorothea Benton Frank. I enjoyed reading this slightly irreverant (there is some cussing) story about the protagonist, Linda, who has gotten in one of those deep ruts in life and decides to quit talking about it and do something about it.

The cussing is a part of the culture of New Jersey where Linda hails from and an attitude of almost unconscious disrespect/doubt/disappointment has trickled its way down to her daughters, Lindsey and Gracie, who have largely fended for themselves on a day to day basis, for far too long. Single moms, after all, do have to make a living. Being a natural born mother, Linda yearns for a life where she can be involved more in her daughter's lives. "Natural-born" translates as love and commitment to and for her children.

There are other common themes in this book that will attract the female heart: romance, friendship, the trials and tribulations of divorce, self-reliance, etc. Even if you haven't been one of "those women" you probably have a close friend who has struggled and hopefully, triumphed. My sentence is badly phrased, but you get the idea. Besides, there are plenty of other women characters from whom to draw comparisons and relavencies. This book is just too full of themes for me to discuss it intelligently in this short space and time I've alloted myself. Maybe I should read it again, more carefully, more analytically before I attempt a "real" review.

Lucia, Lucia

Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

I enjoyed this novel despite the fact that I had a hard time relating to the main character. Lucia is a career girl growing up in New York post WW2. She works in the custom fashion department of an upscale department store and she loves beautiful clothes. The author spends lots of words describing - in detail - various character's outfits, which I found a little tedious. She loves being a career girl and isn't willing to give it up for her traditional Italian fiancé. She later falls in love with an uptown man and finds herself in the middle of a "sizzling scandal" (as the book cover puts it.) I would recommend this book.

The Magic of Ordinary Days

This week I read The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel. My mom recommended it to me. She told me when she finished it, she started reading it again right away (something she has never done with any other book). I did enjoy the book greatly. It was set in Colorado during WW2. The main character is a woman who a student of history working towards her masters degree. She has to abandon her plans and enter into an arranged marriage. I won't go into the details, but I did enjoy the book greatly. As she struggles with the accepting the disappointments of her new life, she learns to see the magic in everyday ordinary life.

Summer of the Monkeys

This month, my book club is reading Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls. He is the same man who wrote "Where the Red Fern Grows". I enjoyed this book so much! I was actually laughing out loud. It is about a boy who discovers a tree full of monkeys on his Oklahoma farm. It turns out that a circus train had a wreck and about 30 monkeys escaped. The circus is offering a reward to whoever can catch the monkeys, and this 14 year old boy is determined to collect the reward. Just as in "Red Fern", the boy has a dog who he loves with all his heart. It is obvious Wilson Rawls has been best friends with a dog or two in his lifetime.

I began to tell Chris all about this book and he replied "Yeah, I read that book in 8th grade." Personally, I'm glad I was a grown up when I read it for the first time. I feel like I can appreciate it much more.

The Nanny Diaries

I just finished reading The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. Both these women have been nannies at one time in their life, and base this fictional book on their experiences. It is a funny book that offers a peek into the bizzare world of nannies for the oh-so-wealthy. I enjoyed it, but it does have a fair amount of cussing (from an LDS point of view). It's an entertaining and quick read.

The Taking

The Taking; Author-Dean Koontz; Publisher-Bantam Dell.

Hope and purpose are the themes that drive this book for me. Unraveling and unveiling. Mr. Koontz artfully unravels the mystery and unveils evil, as well as good. The insensitivity of modern society to human suffering might be the platform from which the enemy springs. All of us have the dark corners, the fog obscured environments, and the creeping crawling intrusions into our lives. The desire for a cleansing is universal; catharsis is therapeutic. I feel as though I need to read the book a second time just to see what other morsels of truth or relavence this work has for me.

I have sympathetic leanings toward both the protagonist and her husband. She is a proactive kind of person and he is her deep mirror of morality and stability, though more passive in nature.

Since being diagnosed with lymphoma, I have not invested in a lot of hope. I have turned passive in many areas, a type of giving up, perhaps. I need a bigger purpose outside of myself to justify passion and proactivity.

Finally, I need the confirmation that I can and will make an impact for good in this world. Molly has done that in the book. She will leave a legacy of love and bravery. What will I leave? Who have I helped? Is this a mother thing or a universal need?