The Murderer's Daughter by Randy Susan Meyers

This is a beautifully written book, with great characters and it is so difficult to read.  This is the story of Lulu and Merry.  When the girls are small, their dad kills their mother, slices Merry open, and then fails to kill himself.  He is sentenced to life in prison and the girls are sent to live with their maternal grandmother.  Upon her death, they are abandoned to the foster care system.  This book follows them as they grow up and try to build lives of their own, never losing sight that they are all each other has.  They both struggle with guilt and their complicated feelings for their father.  It was really really haunting and good but not for the faint at heart.

Up from Orchard Street by Eleanor Widmer

This book took a few chapters for me to get engaged in.  HOWEVER, after that, I really loved this book.  It is the story of an emigrant family in New York.  The matriarch Manya, is a widow raising two small children, her son Jack and her little sister sent from Odessa.  The story follows Manya, her child, her sister and her grandchildren.  It is an enlightening story about what life was like for those in the Jewish Ghettos of New York.  I really liked this book, it would be fabulous for a book club study.  According to the book notes, much of this story was autobiographical and this is the now deceased author's only novel.  She did write a book about censorship and  testified as an expert witness in an obscenity trial involving the banning in San Diego of Henry Miller's controversial novel, "Tropic of Cancer." Fascinating and so different from any of my experiences.  A great book!

In Lucia's Eyes by Arthur Japin

This is the book that explains why Cassanova became Cassanova.  Cassanova was a real person and he wrote a book about his life.  This author takes one detail from that book and weaves this story.  It is about Lucia, a young woman who is stricken with smallpox and lives, but is horribly disfigured.  In order to survive, she dons a veil and become a courtesan.  It's a good book and an interesting story.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This book is not for everyone but I liked it a lot.  It reminds me of Neil Gaiman's Star Dust.  It is a fantasy.  It is beautifully written but until you get used to the prose can be a bit of a struggle to get into.  It's about the battle between two magicians.  They have each selected an apprentice to compete against each other.  I can't describe much more without it coming across as confusing so this is stolen from Wikipedia:The Night Circus is a phantasmagorical fairy tale set near an ahistorical Victorian London in a wandering magical circus that is open only from sunset to sunrise. Le Cirque des Rêves, the Circus of Dreams, features such wonders and "ethereal enigmas" as a blooming garden made all of ice and a fire-breathing paper dragon. The circus has no set schedule, appearing without warning and leaving without notice; they travel in a train disguised as an ordinary coal transport. A network of devoted fans who style themselves "rêveurs" develops around the circus; they identify to each other by adding a splash of red to garb that otherwise matches the characteristic black and white of the circus tents. The magical nature of the circus is occluded under the guise of legerdemain; the illusionist truly transforms her jacket into a raven and the fortune teller truly reads the uncertain future, and both are applauded for their ingenuity.
The circus serves a darker purpose beyond entertainment and profit. The magicians Prospero the Enchanter and the enigmatic Mr. A.H— groom their young proteges, Celia and Marco, to proxy their rivalry with the exhibits as a stage. Prospero teaches his daughter to hone her innate talents by holding ever larger and more complex magical workings in her mind. Celia takes her position on the game board as the illusionist, adding tents and maintaining wondrous aspects from the inside. Mr. A.H— trains his orphan ward with books in the ways of glyphs and sympathetic magic. Marco takes a position as majordomo to the producer of the circus; he works from the outside in, connected to the circus but not a part of it. The two generate nightly wonders for the circus and for each other, soon falling in love despite being magically bound to a deadly competition with rules neither understands; the magical courtship strains the fate laid out for them and endangers the circus that has touched the lives of so many and cannot survive without the talents of both players.

An Available Man

This book is about dating after the death of a spouse.  It was a great book, hopeful and beautiful.  Edward's beloved wife has died.  He becomes the target for widows, divorcees, friends of friends, etc. who are looking for an available man.  His adult stepchildren have placed a singles ad for him.  His former fiance has reappeared.  Edward just wants to be left alone, but slowly reemerges.  It is a great book. 

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

Lately, and not on purpose, I have been reading a lot of fiction that centers on China, Japan, North Korea, etc.  (The Buddah in the Attic, Nothing to Envy, the Shanghai Sisters, Dreams of Joy).  This book takes place in Hong Kong.  I am always confused about Hong Kong, is it China, is it not, so I googled it.  Here's what I found:  Hong Kong is a group of islands off the coast of mainland China.  While part of China NOW it is one of two 'special administrative regions' of China.  It runs itself in all areas except for foreign relations and military matters.  At one point it was a British colony and then was occupied by Japan during WWII. 
The book covers two time time periods.  The first centers around the occupation by Japan, the atrocities committed then and the interplay between the Chinese and the foreigners who made Hong Kong their home.  The second is that of 10 years (or so) later.  The reprecussions of what occurred during the war and the secrets that came out of that time.  The two main characters are Claire, the piano teacher who has been hired by a very wealthy, influential Chinese family, the Chen's, to teach their daughter and Will, the Chen's driver..  It turns out that Will used to be involved with a cousin of the Chen's.  This was a very interesting book and I learned a lot. 

The Zoo Keeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

This was February's Book club book.  I would say that most of the group really enjoyed it.  It is the true story of a Polish family who ran the Warsaw zoo and hid numerous Jews within the zoo to save them from the holocaust.  It was a fascinating story but was told oddly.  The author would spend page after page on the minutae of the animal world and then in one sentence would gloss over a story of human tragedy or courage.  So much of the book I found myself thinking, WAIT!  Tell me more about that!!  Overall it is well worth the read and would inspire me to read more about particular incidents.  A good gateway book.

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

This was January's book club book. I would say that 90% of us liked it. However, you have to be hardy and courageous to get past the first couple chapters. Then, it's all good. Well, it's not, but it's not harrowing.

This story is about an Indian infant who is given up for adoption and her birth family and her adopted family. It was really good and really educational and I liked it a lot.

Her adopted family consists of an Indian man who lives in America with his American wife. Really worth your time.

Horns by Joe Hill

This was the 2nd of three books that I got in homage to Halloween. It centers on Ig, who wakes up one morning to discover horns growing from his head. Along with the horns, comes a few strange abilities. We also meet Ig's best friend Lee, his brother Terry and his now-deceased true love, Merrin. Merrin was murdered and while Ig was suspected, no one has ever been charged. The book was good, the premise was great but I didn't feel like it lived up to the possibilities. I would definitely recommend it and would be interested in reading more by this author. He also wrote 'Heart-Shaped Box' which I feel like I heard about but maybe not?

Maisie Dobbs (series) by Jacqueline Winspear

It is rare for me to come across a series such as this having NEVER heard of it before. I LOVE THESE BOOKS!! There are 8 and I read all 7. The newest just came out and I have it on hold and I can't wait to read it. If you like Alexander McCall Smith you will love these books. (As a side note, WHY have I not blogged any Alexander McCall Smith?).

Maisie Dobbs is a young woman of meager means. She is the daughter of a vegetable vendor in pre-WWI England. Upon the death of her mother, she goes into service as a housemaid of a weathly family. The family recognizes her uneducated intelligence and assists her in gaining an education. She comes under the tutelage of Maurice Blanche who is a doctor, an expert in forensics and an investigator. Maisie apprentices under Maurice and then becomes and investigator and psychologist on her own. The books follow her personal life and the cases she takes on. They include flashbacks and memories of the Great War, in which Maisie served as a nurse and lost her great love. It is a fascinating look at war and its continuing effects on society, relationships and people. It shows how out of the War, huge opportunities became available for the lower classes and women. I LOVE THESE BOOKS. :)

Icebergs by Rebecca Johns

In WWII, a plane goes down on the icy, desolate coast of Canada. Two of the Canadian airmen aboard survive. They begin a trek to make it back to safety, only one will make it.

This book follows the families of the two men from that time until current day. The two wives had become friends while the men were missing and the survivor was recuperating. They both of children, move to America and their lives continue to intermingle. A lot of questions are raised as to how all their lives would have been different if the other man had also survived or if their fates had reversed.

This book was good and the writing is similar to her other book The Countess (which I preferred). Her style is a bit heavy and drags a bit. Of course, I have said that a lot lately so it may be more my state of mind than the author's writing style.

The Queen of Hereafter by Susan Fraser King

Did you know that Queen Mary of Scotland is a Saint? She was married to King Malcolm who killed Macbeth. This book was really interesting. In it, Mary becomes a friend to her Lady in Waiting Eva who is sent to court as a hostage, a bard and a spy to the Queen. The story follows life at the court, Eva's conflicted loyalty to her family and to the Queen, and Mary's struggles. Mary would have rather been a nun than a queen. It is a good history lesson and I learned a ton about a period of time I know virtually nothing about. It did want me to go re-read some Shakespeare though.

After You by Julie Buxbaum

I finished this book this afternoon and I LOVED it. It is a simple story, well written, I loved the characters and I just really really loved this book.

Ellie, suffering from the loss of her unborn baby, Oliver and the withering of her self and her marriage is shocked when she learns that her best friend Lucy has been murdered. Not only that, but Lucy's daughter Sophie, age 8, has been a witness. Ellie immediately rushes across the Atlantic to London to be with Sophie.

Focusing on Sophie, her marriage completely collapses. Ellie is shocked to learn things she didn't know about her husband, her best friend and herself.

This was a lovely book (which pays homage to a fabulous book The Secret Garden) and I loved it. Did I already say that?

The author also wrote the book The Opposite of Love which I will be reserving as soon as I finish this post!

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

I started this book, set it aside and then tried again. I really really liked this book. Set in the midst of the Vietnam war, a young woman has set out to become a female photojournalist. She is there, in part, to uncover the truth of her brother's death. She meets a man, falls in love (or something), suffers through his death, the death of friends, the collapse of a nation and the turmoil of war.

In some ways it is darker than this description and some it is lighter. It is about love and loss and war and horror.

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Wow. There are certain books that stay with you. That are haunting. That change how you think of things. That make you feel like you aren't sure what happened....but that something important has taken place and maybe you better go back and read it again and figure this out. That you should read more about the subject, the author, that you should figure out what is real and what was fantasy.

These types of books are few and far between (The Sparrow, Life of Pi, The History of Love and now Beatrice and Virgil).

This book was so engrossing. I don't think it has chapters so once you start it, its hard to take a break. And then once you finish it, you find the need to just sit and think about it and then think about it. I know that many people I know will hate this book. It is a book for READERS.

So what's it about? Hahaha. Throughout this book, people are asking 'what's it about?'. Some stories are about nothing and everything. This story is about 2 Henry's and their written art and taxidermy and the holocaust and death and loss and love and how fake hapiness might be the first rung on the philosophical ladder that leads to real happiness. I loved this book. LOVED this book. I am glad Yann Martel is a writer. Thank you Yann Martel.

Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes: A Novel by Cathy Holton

Three friends, living outside Atlanta, decide to take control of their lives and get revenge on the husbands who have done them wrong. They will lie, cheat, and blackmail in order to regain control over their lives.

This book is cute and fun and interesting.

The Cookbook Collector: A Novel by Allegra Goodman

The flyleaf refers to the author as a modern-day Jane Austen. Um, yeah. Why would you do that to someone? This book was good, but clearly, it was going to be a disappointment. The story lacks the humor of Austen, but it was good.

It's about two sisters who are complete opposites. One is about to be rich in the dot.com explosion. The other is a wanderer who can't seem to get it together but is blissfully unaware (they are no Elinor and her sister in Sense and Sensibility). It was interesting and a good read.

Waiting: A Novel by Ha Jin

This book was very interesting. Especially if you like reading about other cultures. It takes place from 1960s through 1990s China. It is the story of Lin. He is a doctor and lives in the city, away from his wife and daughter who are in the rural countryside. His wife was chosen for him by his parents who needed someone to take care of them in their ailing states. Lin and his wife never really lived together, sharing a home only during brief holidays. Lin is embarrased by his rural wife and starts a romantic, non-physical relationship with a nurse at his hospital. Yearly, he returns to the country-side to ask his wife for a divorce which is not granted for 19 years.

The book portrays life in China which is quite different than life in the US during the same time period. It brings up topics for discussion as to the nature of love, marriage, home, friendship, duty and the power of anticipation. What is worth waiting for? At what point should you give up waiting and make a life out of what you have? What is love? Is the love you want as a young person the same as the love you want as an older person? Can you grow to love someone? I found the book interesting and thought provoking.