Thursday, June 30, 2011

Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier; Plume Publishing, 2010


Reviewed by Angela Tuuri



Remarkable Creatures recreates the true story of two women in the 1800's in Lyme Regis, England who make remarkable scientific finds. These two women--Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, struggle to make inroads in the very male-dominated field of paleontology. Their fossil finds open the scientific minds to the world of the dinosaurs and the extinction of species, and establish the women's (eventually) esteemed position in that scientific field. If you are looking for a very enjoyable read that is set much closer to home, try the classic book The Egg and I. Set here on the Olympic Peninsula, author Betty McDonald tells the very funny, touching tale of 1920's newlyweds who persevere with hard work and a survivalist mentality. Sandra Dallas' book Whiter Than Snow shines because of the author's wonderful abilities as a storyteller with folktale qualities. I especially liked "Prayers For Sale".



Remember Me?

Remember Me?, by Sophie Kinsella; Dell Publishing, 2009


Reviewed by Tina Lakenes



Sophie Kinsella's heroine Lexie wakes up in a hospital bed and soon realizes that she has lost the past three years of her life in Remember Me?. Amnesia has robbed her of recent memories, but the 'new' things she discovers about herself--shiny new hair, pearly white teeth, ultra-toned body and fine manicure helps to soften the blow. She doesn't recognize herself, and her new life...including her handsome husband, or her posh loft apartment. Will she find her 'way back'? I stayed in the Kinsella mode with The Undomestic Goddess, the story of an overworked lawyer who makes an expensive error and loses her job. This former lawyer becomes a maid for a family, and decides she is happier not being overworked (in the legal profession) after all. I was intrigued by Kevin O'Brien's novel Last Victim. Twenty years after a group of teenagers caused the disappearance of a classmate, the ill-fated group is killed by hit men who make the murders look like suicide.




Friday, June 10, 2011

The History of White People

The History of White People, by Nell Irvin Painter; W.W. Norton & Company Publishing, 2011


Reviewed by Renee Bush



I love it when the study of history shows that a so-called universal truth that has been around forever turns out to really be quite new. Painter's latest book The History of White People examines the history of “whiteness” as a racial category and rhetorical weapon: who is considered to be “white,” who is not, what such distinctions mean, and how notions of whiteness have morphed over time in response to shifting demographics, aesthetic tastes, and political exigencies. The author focuses primarily on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and how the concept of race based on skin color is largely an invention of the Victorian era. For a change of pace, try The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery, about Renee--the concierge of a "snooty-type" Parisian apartment building, who hides her brilliance under a frumpy exterior. My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Taylor, really "hits home" with me. I read this book right after my own mother suffered a stroke. When the author's analytical left brain is damaged, she learns that her here-and-now right brain has a lot to teach her.

The Knitting Circle

The Knitting Circle, by Ann Hood; W.W. Norton & Co. Publishing, 2008


Reviewed by Anne Ficarra



Here is one novel where I wasn't crazy about the chapter-by-chapter character format at first, but eventually appreciated it. Ficarra's The Knitting Circle is a book centered on coping with loss, friendship and yes, knitting. While mourning the death of her young daughter, Mary Baxter--the main character--learns to knit, and discovers that knitting soothes without distracting. The story is well-written and hangs together throughout, but I wish the author would have given more complete details of the knitting patterns. Another enjoyable read is After the Workshop, by John McNally. This funny story reminded me of John Irving's The Water-Method Man in the way the character describes what happened to him. The book includes cool quotations about and by writers on the art of writing. Now, I'm saving the best for last here--Birdology, by Sy Montgomery. I loved this book! Sy really kindled my interest and appreciation of birds. Her essays are engaging...I feel like I really know her. I was completely blown away by the intricacies of bird life, how smart they are, and how important they are to our environment.