Among the Janeites by Deborah Yaffe

Non-fiction - 4 stars

I got this nook book on a whim, mainly because of my ever-increasing love for all things Jane Austen. This non-fiction work by journalist Deborah Yaffe is made up of profiles of a cross-section of members of the Jane Austen Society of  North America (JASNA) and beyond. From Cisco Systems co-founder Sandy Lerner, who spent $20 million of her buyout money on the purchase and renovation of Austen's Chawton House in England, to a speech pathologist who thinks Mr. Darcy and other characters have mild autism, to a nurse practitioner who sees "borderline personality disorder" in some of the characters, to Arnie, who sees subtle clues, disclosing a "shadow story" of abuse beneath the surface,Yaffe writes about fans, fanatics, scholars, and the occasional oddball who all have a deep love, if not obsession with Jane Austen and her works. I really enjoyed the witty style of Yaffe's writing, and I enjoyed learning about the society's founding and annual activities. mostly though, I learned that I am not alone in my love for Austen, and I learned that I am not nearly as fanatical as those profiled in the book. I just like Austen's writing, and her books make darn good movies.

The People of the Abyss by Jack London

Non-fiction - 4.5 stars

I did not know what to expect from this book, as London is mostly known for his Yukon-set fiction, but I will have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this piece of mostly non-fiction work. In many ways an essay on the social issues in the turn of the 20th century East End of London, The People of the Abyss is a peek into the lives of millions at that time and outlines the challenges faced by them to eek out a meager living. It also addresses the homeless situation, perpetuated by the laws and the social programs of the time - a problem we face even with today's homeless society. I really enjoyed this peek into history, a glimpse of the true horrid nature of life in places such as the famed Whitechapel. London pulls no punches describing the wretched nature of the impoverished subculture of workers and homeless. I highly recommend it for those interested in British History or for those interested in social history. Filled with monetary breakdowns of income vs. expenses and with the vivid descriptions that are true to London's style, this book is a true piece of history itself.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Historical Fiction - 4 stars

The description of Wolf Hall from B&N says:

England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?

While this description is certainly accurate, it does not get to the meat of what the book is about. It is really a biopic of the life of Thomas Cromwell, beginning with his adolescence and continuing through the death of Thomas More and the beginning of Henry's disenchantment with Anne Boleyn. Cromwell certainly lived an adventurous life, which prepared him for the political wrangling of Henry's court. I liked this book as it deals in one of my favorite historical periods. However, I can only give it 4 stars as Mantel's writing style can be difficult. This winner of the 2009 Man Booker Prize is informative and sweeping, but not for fans of light reading.

 

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

Historical Fiction -4.5 stars

I am a huge Philippa Gregory fan, and this book is no exception. This standalone sequel to The White Queen is told through the eyes of Lady Margaret Beaufort. As a girl, she had visions of being Joan of Arc and performing some grand feat for God. Instead, she was rejected by her first fiancé, she became first a mother and then a widow at 13, and then married (Henry Stafford)and was widowed again several years later. She wed her fourth husband (Lord Stanley) in a pure business arrangement, including being granted a vow of chastity. While not at the altar or mourning, Lady Margaret was maneuvering in court and out to place her son, Henry, onto the throne as he was the next Lancaster heir. The Red Queen offers a portrait of a woman who refused to believe that she was not the most important in God's eyes. Her arrogance and unrelenting desire for her son to be king prove to be successful as her son becomes Henry VII, father to Henry VIII and grandfather to Elizabeth I. I recommend the book, but I do not like Margaret. Her nickname, "t' old bitch", proves absolutely true.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Fiction - 5 stars

In this full-length novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville is said to have been caused by the gigantic ghostly hound which has haunted his family for generations. However, when Dr. Mortimer involves Sherlock Holmes in the mystery, Holmes characteristically dismisses the theory as nonsense. Claiming to be immersed in another case, he sends Dr. Watson to protect Sir Henry, the Baskerville heir, and to observe the suspects first hand. Mystery abounds in this story, and Megan and I thoroughly enjoyed Conan Doyle's deliberate use of character to keep the reader out of the loop. While it stands on its own as wonderful story, for its time, I can imagine that reading each chapter in The Strand was something for which people held their breath.  Megan and I both recommend it highly!
                       

 

The Gathering by Anne Enright

Fiction - 3.5 stars

As part of my personal challenge to read all Man Booker Prize-winning novels, I bought The Gathering on a whim.  Anne Enright won the Booker prize in 2007 for this work of James Joyce-like drama. In this portrait of a large Irish family, the nine surviving children of the Hegarty clan are gathering in Dublin for the wake of their drifter brother, Liam, who has recently drowned in the sea near Liverpool, England. Veronica, his older sister, goes to collect the body, all the while reliving the secret she shares with him—something that happened in their grandmother’s house in the winter of 1968. It is a novel about love, hate, disappointment, and how secrets and memories affect us until the end. While it is as well-written as Joyce, it is also as depressing and hopeless as Joyce, giving the book a truly Irish quality.

*Note: The Man-Booker Prize is the British award for literary fiction, similar to the Pulitzer in the US.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Historical Fiction - 4.5 stars

When I first began reading this book, I'll admit I was a little skeptical. One reason was the endorsement from Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love on the front cover. I do not think it is a secret that I thought her book was silly, unrelatable, and I didn't care for it. The second reason was that it is written completely in correspondence format - letters and wires mainly. This turned out to be a surprisingly nice change from the traditional novel format. The book itself was a glimpse into a part of history that few people know about, the German occupation of the channel islands off the coast of Britain. This was a fascinating story of a writer, Juliet, who travels to Guernsey and learns the story of a heroic young woman, Elizabeth. The star of the book is the history itself, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to watch a story unfold. The perfect book club book, too!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Fiction - 5 stars

Our February book club selection, Pride and Prejudice, is probably my favorite story of all time. The story is of Elizabeth Bennett, 2nd daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett of the British landed gentry. She is a girl with gumption. In the story, she meets Mr. Darcy, a proud aristocrat who immediately turns her off, and she doesn't mind telling him so. However, she uses such manners and grace in telling him that he is drawn to her spirit despite her dislike and initial refusal of him. As he seeks to win her respect, he in turn makes her fall deeply in love with him. (I know this is a spoiler, but if you don't know the story of P&P, you need to crawl out from under that rock!) Neither of these characters is a pushover, and both have intelligence, integrity, and are incredibly loyal. These characteristics are what make me love them so. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Ratking by Michael Dibdin

Fiction - 3.5 stars

This book is the first in the Aurelio Zen series of mysteries. I enjoyed the writing style, as Dibdin wrote in a very vivid and conversational way. The story - the patriarch of the Miletti family is kidnapped and Zen is assigned to invesigate - weaves in and out of the lives of the Miletti's, their closest companions, and Zen himself. Zen lives with his mother and is in a relationship with an American woman. He's been caught up in controversy and assigned to a desk job in Rome. But, in the end he's a cop through and through. I really enjoyed the book and I'm really excited to read the next. However, I will say I enjoy the short-lived BBC series more than I enjoyed the book - mostly because of Rufus Sewell.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Fiction - 3.5 stars

Little Bee is the perfect book club book. The story of a Nigerian immigrant (Little Bee) to the United Kingdom and the woman she searches for and finds (Sarah), the books deals with real issues. For Little Bee and her fellow immigrants, the issues include the reasons for illegal immigration (horrors from the home countries), life in the British detention centers, and the struggle to survive outside the centers and to "belong." For the other characters in the book, issues like adultery, depression, suicide, and making the right choices are just a few of the issues that make this a complex story full of emotion. Cleave does an excellent job of creating these very different characters, yet portraying them and their issues as very similar, which makes them fit together perfectly. I enjoyed it - easy read and interesting subject matter, and I recommend it to anyone wanting a good discussion book.

Portobello by Ruth Rendell

Fiction - 3 stars

Just to show everyone that I don't only read children's books, I had to post this. I finished this book just before Christmas, and it was a decent read. It is a character-driven mystery written for people who have some knowledge of British dialect and culture. Complete with an anti-hero, an obsessive compulsive savior-figure, and other complex (if not a little weird) characters, Portobello is the cause and effect story of events happening in the Notting Hill community along the Portobello Road. I loved it because, well, I love anything British.  It is definitely not feel-good, but depicts a snapshot of characters who could really exist. A slice of life piece, if you will, for the suburbanites.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Youth Fiction - 4 stars

Another classic from the Mother Daughter book club, Roald Dahl's The BFG is a silly story of a little girl, Sophie, who is stolen by a giant out of her orphanage bed. The big friendly giant (BFG) collects dreams and blows them into the air as children are sleeping. The BFG and Sophie continue on an adventure together that saves the "human beans." Full of made-up words and funny subject matter, this book is easy to read and fun for the whole family.

Score!!!

Megan, Danny and I went to the used book sale at the kids' school, and I happened upon a collection of Agatha Christie novels that someone had cleaned off of her bookshelf. I was so excited I bought all of them. That, with 9 kids' books, and a historical look at the time of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's own investigations of European murder cases) was only $15. What a deal! Earlier in the day, Megan had picked up a cookbook for me, so overall it was an awesome day! I know what I'll be reading this summer...

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Youth Fiction - 3.5 stars - Megan loved this book! It is the story of Danny, who grows up in a gypsy caravan in England, and who works at his father's filling station and auto repair when he is not in school. Having no electricity in their caravan, Danny and his father spend their time storytelling by the light of the gas lamps and have a marvelous life until his father's secret life spices things up a little. This book stays true to one of Dahl's favorite themes that can be found in all of his books - no tv and imagination go a long way. Worth the read, especially for Megan's age group.

The Remains of an Altar by Phil Rickman

Fiction - 4 stars - This is a really decent book. Written in a very British slang-y style, it is truly for those who have at least limited knowledge of the way Brits speak. It is quite the mystery, and the main character, Merrily Watkins, is a female vicar who investigates paranormal activity within her parish. This book, beyond the actual story, gives a good glimpse into the socio-economic struggles that Brits are dealing with. I really enjoyed it - it's a good read.

Prime Suspect series by Linda LaPlante

Fiction - 4.5 stars - These are some great books! If you've ever seen the Prime Suspect series on Masterpiece Theatre, you've seen Helen Mirren as Detective Jane Tennison, the strong, often maligned female detective in the Vice Squad. She struggles with sexism in the workplace while trying to solve murders involving the dregs of humanity.

A Splash of Red by Antonia Fraser

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Another Jemima Shore mystery, this time involving a popular novelist. Lady Antonia Fraser writes a very satisfying book, and while this, like Quiet as a Nun, is not the caliber of her historical biographies, it, too, is very good.

Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Antonia Fraser, the great historian, has also written some fiction/mystery novels. This is one of them, and it is really decent. Jemima Shore is a TV reporter who helps to solve the murder of an old friend at a convent. It is not quite the quality of her historical biographies, but it is a good story and it is well-written.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Fiction - 4.5 stars - Darn that Mr. Willoughby! This is a great story, and it is only not on the level of Pride and Prejudice because the female characters are not as strong as Elizabeth Bennett. I do appreciate the humor in this story (as in most Austen books), but it is still not as compelling as I would like. Yet, it is one of my favorite books on the shelf (thanks Jen for the beautiful brown leather copy!).

Emma by Jane Austen

Fiction - 3.5 stars - Not my favorite of the Austen books. Emma is a self-centered, spoiled, meddling busy-body who goes about her business without any thought of others' feelings. The book is well-written, but goes kind of slow. I could have skipped the book after watching the movie, as Gwyneth Paltrow manages to make Emma at least likeable.