Sunday Salon Review

I've just joined an online group called The Sunday Salon as indicated in the title of this post. The idea is to post your book reviews each Sunday and everyone in the group will be able to read them. So here's my first of many reviews for this group.

                                        LOOKING FOR THAT HAPPY PLACE

I would like to think of Russo as being one of my favorite authors but don't feel qualified to make that statement since this is only the third book I've read by him....Empire Falls and Bridge of Sighs being the other two. But I will say that I've loved all three and look forward to going back and reading some of his earlier works. So when writing this review, I'm not sure if his writing style has changed or if he has, in fact, gotten better. All I know is that I think he's a great storyteller and That Old Cape Magic keeps proving that point over and over.

I've been so looking forward to August '09 because there were four books coming out that I've been eager to read....South of Broad by Pat Conroy, Rules of Vegeance by Christopher Reich, The White Queen by Philippa Gregory and That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. I thought I'd start out with the Russo book and right off the bat I've hit a home run. I loved it!!!!!

There are many authors out there who write stories with very little dialogue and, most times, they are not my favorite books simply because the author's storytelling capabilities aren't good enough to pull this off. In Russo's book, I didn't care if the characters said one word to each other because the story he was telling was just so interesting that I failed to notice the lack of discourse.

And boy does Russo love his bridges. I've only read three of Russo's books but each one prominently mentions a bridge. In Empire Falls, it was the Iron Bridge that separated the mansion of the Whiting's from the rest of blue collar Empire Falls. The Bridge of Sighs is an actual bridge located in Venice and it's the last thing a prisoner walks over before being imprisoned in that famous city. Is Russo trying to tell us something? Do his characters cross over into their own prison of sorts as a penance when crossing these bridges? In this book, the bridge of note is the Sagamore Bridge. It represents two weeks of happiness to Jack Griffin's family as it leads to Cape Cod....their ultimate vacation place and their reprieve from the Mid f'n West as his parents liked to call it.

Russo has so many subplots in this book, one of which is the story of a childhood summer on Cape Cod where young Jack meets young Peter Browning and has the most idyllic two weeks of his life as Peter's family is everything Jack wishes his was and Peter is the friend he always wanted. Four decades later, it is this story (Summer of the Brownings) that Jack is destined to tell and it's something he's had in the works for years but he can never seem to finish it. It makes me wonder if this story (That Old Cape Magic) is also something that Russo has been dying to tell for years and perhaps he too has been sitting on it for a long time.

This is only one of the stories Russo tells. He goes through Jack's life with his academically snobbish parents, Jack's marriage to someone he makes unhappy, Jack's desire to be rid of his parents' influence and, most importantly, his desire for a place to scatter their ashes. This book is chock full of everything an avid reader is looking for. I can't say enough about it.

On a personal note, I really related to the main character in this book being so close in age and experiencing two weeks of bliss each year while on summer vacations with my own family. In my case, it wasn't the Cape, it was Riverhead out near the Hamptons. Taking that car ride from Brooklyn, New York and traveling on Montauk Highway until we finally passed "The Big White Duck" which was, in a sense, our Sagamore Bridge, is something I vividly remember. From that point on, my three brothers and I knew everything was going to be happy. My mother liked my Dad more during those two weeks of the year and even thought her four kids weren't too much of a burden.

Russo talks about happiness perhaps being "a place". This gave me some food for thought because I clearly could relate to that place (Riverhead) bringing me more happiness as a young child than anything I had ever known. Are we all searching for that happy place? Surely Jack was in That Old Cape Magic. You'll have to read the book to see if Jack finds his "place of happiness".

5 of 5 stars

Wondering if this applies to Mary Jo Kopechne's parents' flag??

CBS/AP) Barack Obama issued a presidential proclamation Wednesday, ordering that U.S. flags around the world fly at half-mast in honor of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who died late Tuesday night.

The proclamation applies to flags at the White House, public buildings, and U.S. embassies, consulates and military installations around the world as well as those on U.S. Navy ships - but the orders are customarily observed by anyone who flies the flag.

The flags are ordered to fly at half-mast until sunset on Aug. 30.

"Senator Edward M. Kennedy was not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy," the president said in a statement accompanying his decree. "

Senator Kennedy was also involved in this accident driving off a bridge into the water and not reporting it for ten hours.  There was a girl in the car at the time who died.....her name was Mary Jo Kopechne. I was nineteen years old at the time and it's something I never forgot.  It taught me that it was great to live in a free country......especially one where money could buy you "real" freedom.   A week after the incident, Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended two-month sentence.  The diver who recovered the body felt sure if he had been called at the time of the accident, he could have saved her.  But Kennedy decided not to call until he had met with all of his handlers to concoct his story which, to this day, is not plausible.

So What Do You Think????

DO THEY LOOK ALIKE????

Brady -- Born 8/16/08............................. Katy-- Born 8/08/09

OUR LITTLE IRISH TWINS

A Multitude Of Reviews Today

THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW OF IT ALL

After finishing The Narrows, I realized it was the 16th book I had ready by Michael Connelly which means I have read more books by this author than any other. Fans of Connelly will understand the reason for this is simply that he doesn't write a bad book (Chasing The Dime being the only exception). Of the 16 books, this was the tenth one in the Harry Bosch series, a character much beloved by Connelly's readers.

Harry starts off this book as a retired LAPD homicide detective....retired not because of age but because he was sick of the bureaucracy. Connelly loves to have characters from one book/series show up in another and this is the case with The Narrows as Harry is asked by Terry McCaleb's (Blood Work, A Darkness More The Night) widow to look into Terry's death. Terry was a retired FBI agent who had crossed paths with Harry during his career. At the time of his death, he was a heart transplant recipient operating a charter fishing boat with his partner Buddy.

Enter the "poet", Robert Backus of "The Poet" fame. He was probably the most despicable of all serial killers thought possibly dead at the end of that book but apparently very much alive at the beginning of this one. And what would Backus be without Rachel Walling, the FBI agent who shot Backus and hopefully killed him in "The Poet". They say all roads lead to one and this story will have many of our favorites involved in catching the poet once again. This time the road involved is called Zyzzyx Road; an exit off a desert highway and also the buriel place of many more of Backus' victims. As the FBI tries to unravel the clues, Harry is one step ahead of them as he realizes that McCaleb's death is tied to this infamous serial killer.

The Narrows also gives us a look at Harry's softer side as he tries to establish some kind of a relationship with his young daughter Maddie who is living in Las Vegas with Harry's ex Eleanor. He sets up an efficiency apartment in Las Vegas just to be closer to her and, little does he know that this next case will bring him to Vegas for reasons other than seeing his little girl.

One of the most exciting things to happen in this book is a phone conversation Harry has with someone from the LAPD who tries to convince Harry to come back to the police force. Apparently there's a three year amnesty going on where they are looking to get back some of those experienced detectives who have left the force on their own. If Harry would consider coming back within this three year period, he would not have to take any of the police academy tests in order to do so. You know that every Bosch fan out there is looking to see Harry back at his old stomping grounds.....Parker Center. Next up for me is The Closers and I'm hoping it finds Harry sporting his badge once again.

If I Don't Like It, You'll Know It

BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER AT SALLY'S OR WHEREVER!!!

Call me insensitive; call me unsympathetic; call me jaded; but don't call me someone who thought this book was inspirational. I usually get my book recommendations from other reader friends or from high ratings from other Amazon reviewers. In this case, I got this recommendation from one of my doctors who told me the book was terrific. After he said that, I immediately came home and checked out the Amazon reviews and it looked like all of the reviewers concurred with my doctor. Why is it then that I don't agree? It's probably because of all of the adjectives I've attributed to myself above. Let's face it.....I didn't like Tuesdays With Morrie either.

But I still can't understand why so many people think this book is so good and even consider it "inspirational". How can I be so wrong? I teetered on despising it. I get the whole homeless thing and how it happens and how it happens many times to people who had great jobs and have lost everything...even their families. But the thing I don't get, and the thing I'll never get, is why don't they just get a job? Okay I know that a job at McDonalds or in a retail store is not going to give them the kind of life they are used to but at least it will give them a bed to sleep in and a stove to cook on. But instead, this particular homeless person (author) decided to live in his car and take handouts from people who actually went to work every day and made money so they could be able to donate this same money to places who in turn feed the homeless.

During parts of the book, I felt like I was reading about the daily existence of high school kids where they go over someone's house in the middle of the day to watch TV and smoke some weed. Because many days, this is what Richard Lemieux did.....when he wasn't playing on the homeless softball team, of course. And why don't I consider someone who lives in their car and drives their friends around during the day, homeless!!! His situation was so much better than someone living on the street. But such is the life of Richard Lemieux who finds himself no longer with the company he founded and the family he supported. His homeless journey will lead him to write a book about his experiences.

The inspirational part of the journey for me wasn't that of the homeless people but that of the people at the Salvation Army and other charity organizations who are so selfless in giving up their time and money to help these people. That was what was truly inspirational to me.

And I know that the writer of the book is not an experienced author but this book read like a high school senior's journal. You might wonder why I even finished it and I'll still wondering what the answer is to that question. I'm sure many of you will not agree with me but I feel I must state my case and my reasons for not being among the dozens of "lovers of this book". I think I mainly feel sorry for his family who had to take this journey with him whether or not they did it alongside of him or in the background.

And lastly, all the political bashing just made me dislike the book even more. I guess the author loved the theory of capitalism and achieving the American dream when it was all going well for him but, once the tides turned, it was obviously the system's fault and apparently not the author's. Well at least he's made enough money from this book to get out of his car. I sure hope he's made it up to his poor dog who was forced to live in a car while Richard went about his daily activities with his friends. At least Richard got to get out of the car most of the day while poor Willow had to stay in there. I think I had better end it here before I get myself even angrier over this situation. Needless to say, it's not a book I'll be recommending to anyone. One last thing though....is the cover picture meant to look like someone who has no teeth or is that accidental?? See I told you upfront I was jaded.

Will Probably Be My Favorite Book of 2009

Last month I decided that I was sick of reading mediocre books and came to Amazon to see what I could come up with. What I was specifically looking for were five star books that had hundreds of positive reviews.....this way I would know it wasn't the author's friends boosting the average. I came up with two books that fit the bill...."Cutting For Stone" by Abraham Verghese and "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. I read "Cutting for Stone" earlier in July and it lived up to every positive review on this site. I just finished reading "The Help" and I only have one word for it...WOW!!!!

I was on the edge of my seat reading this book as if it was something in the mystery/thriller genre. But the feeling inside of me was one of pure fear....fear that these women would get caught...fear that all of their plans would be futile and fear that a heroic act would not somehow be rewarded.

This is a story set in the early sixties in Mississippi when "colored" people were forced to use separate water fountains, ride in the back of buses, be persecuted or prosecuted if they were caught speaking to white people and made their livings working for these same white people who enacted all of these laws. Having lived in the north, I can't even imagine what this was like. I went to school in Brooklyn in the early 60's and sat in classrooms with these same people who were being persecuted in the south and ate lunch with them and played with them and never even thought anything otherwise about it. I'm not saying this to sound sanctimonious....I'm just telling it like it was. So to read this book was a real eye opener for me.

There's a real heroine in this book in the form of Skeeter Phelan. She has just graduated from college and is interested in a career in journalism. Many of her friends are already married and have "help" working for them. As Skeeter looks on and sees how they are treating their "help", she sets in motion something that could spell disaster not only for herself but for many of the maids working for these families. She decides to write a book about it and enlists the aid of some of the same maids working for her friends. Talk about an eye opener...this will be a book written from the maid's perspective....something never done before because no one has ever given them a voice. As much of a heroine as Skeeter is, the true heroines will be these "colored" maids who are risking everything, even their lives, to tell it like it is. You can just imagine what's going to happen if this book gets published.

I have to say that I was on the edge of my seat reading this novel as Skeeter was sneaking around in the stealth of the night trying to interview these different maids. It is so well written and is such an inside look at the way things really were. The author herself is from the south so what she is writing is obviously based on first hand knowledge. One of my favorite quotes in the book might even be something she heard while growing up -- "They say it's like true love, good help. You only get one in a lifetime."

When I think of maids, I think of people who might cook and clean and tidy up. In the south, however, these maids actually raised the children of the white people for whom they were working. These young children grew up loving these maids sometimes more than their own mothers. So the goodness pouring out of the hearts of those considered as "help" far exceeded anything I've ever imagined.

If you want to read one great book this year, pick up "The Help". There is no way you will be disappointed. In a few of the other reviews here, others have mentioned reading Mudbound after reading "The Help". I've already ordered it and look forward to continuing my education on this important time in history.....one many would like to forget but one that definitely needs to be acknowledged.

A BOOK REVIEW

FINDER'S TALENT IS NO VANISHING ACT!!!

I don't think there's any mystery/thriller author out there whose new books I look forward to more than Joseph Finder's. His newest one, Vanished, was particularly the case because this is the beginning of a "series" for Finder. I don't know about you but, as a reader, I love getting involved in a series of books featuring one main character.

I have some favorite series that I follow and it seems that the most important thing for the author to do is to develop a character that the reader not only understands but is rooting for every step of the way. Finder scores high points with his introduction of Nick Heller an ex-Special Forces veteran now working for an upscale corporate investigative firm. I will admit here that I often wished that if Finder ever started a series, he would do it based on the main character from Power Play, Jack Landry........he was my favorite Finder character ever.

I'm one of the lucky fans who gets copies of Finder's books prior to their publication as I'm such a longtime fan. I've read everything he's written. But he also knows that this will not sway my reviews in any way.....I tell it like it is.

With that being said, I loved the beginning of this book with Heller being sent on a mission by his employer, Stoddard Associates, to find a cargo plane holding billions of dollars that has gone missing. Within minutes of his arrival at the airport, Heller has it figured out. But at the same time this is going on, a much more important mystery is unfolding. Heller receives a phone call from his nephew telling him that his Dad, Heller's brother, is missing and his mother, Heller's sister-in-law is in the hospital in a coma. Heller drops everything to come to his brother's aid....even though they have been estranged for years.

What follows is the type of story Finder has mastered. On the surface, it appears that his brother has been kidnapped but Heller seems to know better. Working closely with his sister-in-law and nephew, Heller dechiphers every single clue until he's able to unravel the mystery. Throughout his entire discovery mission, he doesn't know who to believe. It becomes more entangled when Nick realizes that his brother discovered some discrepancies in his job involving mergers and acquisitions.I have to say I was a bit lost in this unraveling and the ending was a bit convoluted for me. Whenever I have to go back and reread the end of a story because I didn't understand it, I then know it's a little contrived for me.

I'm excited just knowing that Finder is probably penning his next Nick Heller story. I'm looking forward to some further development of this character and continuing with my corporate education by Professor Joseph Finder. I think the author has a hit on his hands with this series and I look forward to Nick Heller becoming as popular a fictional character as Connelly's Harry Bosch or Childs' Jack Reacher.

Happy 21st Birthday Melissa!!!!

Today is my niece's 21st birthday. Not only is she my niece but she is also my godchild. Melissa was born in Connecticut to my brother Kelly and his wife Barbara. They moved around a bit as a result of my brother's job with Kraft General Foods but settled in Naperville, Illinois when Melissa was young.

She's a senior in college right now but spent most of her high school years playing soccer and was even given the nickname "Boomer" because she scored so many goals. She was my brother Kelly's little athlete. Practically every picture I have of Melissa growing up shows her in her soccer uniform.

Her one wish when she turned 21 was to spend it in Las Vegas so, needless to say, my brother made sure her wish came true. Her entire family is there with her right now along with some cousins, aunts, uncles and her grandmother. We have always referred to my brother Kelly as a "wheeler and dealer" so this request was right up his alley. They're staying at the Wynn Encore and Kelly already texted me telling me how beautiful it is. My only regret is that I'm not there with them. Here's a picture of Melissa with her sister and two cousins....From left to right...Melissa, Ryan (my brother Bobby's son and also my godchild), Tracy (Melissa's sister) and Brendan (my brother Michael's son and also my godchild by personal request).

Celebrating a 21st birthday in Las Vegas was also something I did with Michael when he turned 21 so I think she might be following in his footsteps. I just remember having the greatest time there on that vacation and I'm sure Melissa is going to have as much fun as he did on that trip.

I bought Melissa a special present for her 21st birthday.....a Michael Kors watch. Michael Kors is her favorite designer so I knew she would love this. I made sure my brother had a picture taken of her opening up her gift. I know it's not as good as a trip to Vegas but I bet it runs a close second. I bought her the one with the white chain link band because this seems to be so "in" right now. I hope I picked the right one. This isn't the clearest picture of Melissa with her new watch but it serves the purpose.

Because they've lived so far away from us, I haven't gotten to spend as much time with Melissa as I would have liked but have watched her grow up through pictures and their few visits here back east. She really has grown into a beautiful young woman and I'm very proud of her.

So Melissa, here's a great big 21st birthday wish from your Aunt Nancy. I'm sure it's going to be great having your very first "legal" drink.

Enjoy.

She's Here -- Katy Elizabeth

On Saturday morning at 5:47AM, Katy Elizabeth Love graced us with her presence as she entered the world and became part of our family.

I received an email from Bryan's mother Darlene wondering why this baby is now three days old and I have yet to post it on my blog. So here she is for all to see......our precious little bundle of joy.

I will post more about the delivery tomorrow but wanted to make sure I made the Florida grandmother happy. Enjoy.