Probably one of the most awaited books of the year, The Lost Symbolth. I have enjoyed his previous books, most especially Deception Force and Angels and Demons. I admit that this is not the greatest literature in the world, but it is enjoyable and allows the reader to escape into a world where one is privy to a secret or secrets that you have never known to exist. Brown's works are pretty formulaic, but with that said, they are always page-turners. I enjoyed The Lost Symbol, but not as much as Angels and Demons. The plots center around Robert Langdon, a well-respect symbolist, being summoned to a locale in which he will need to decipher massive amounts of clues/symbols to solve a mystery. Along that journey he will meet an intelligent woman, a grotesque figure, and law enforcement agents. He will become involved in hair-raising experiences from which mere mortals would have a difficult time escaping. Along the way Langdon keeps the reader engaged by parceling out clues to the mystery until the end when he summarizes his findings for all involved.
Robert Langdon is summoned by his good friend and mentor, Peter Solomon, to Washington, D.C. at the last minute to fill in as a lecturer for a meeting at the U.S. Capitol. He carries with him a small parcel, securely wrapped, that had been entrusted to him for safe-keeping. The secrets and mysteries of The Lost Symbol center around the initiation and rites of the Freemasons and the influence that they have had on the leaders of the U.S. from George Washington. In the span of a mere twelve hours we are led on a chase through the city, its buildings, the secret laboratory Peter's sister Katherine, and landmarks galore. In order to save Peter's life, Langdon must uncover the truth behind the Ancient Mysteries and reveal them to Mal'akh, the androgynous villain of the novel. At times the book and I got bogged down in all the scientific and philosophical research that Brown includes. I almost felt that he had to include every fact that he gleaned from countless hours of research.
With all that said, the book was enjoyable, exciting, and engaging. As usual with Brown's books, I had to consult art history books and look at paintings and architecture in a way that I had not before. A knowledge of Latin enables a reader to stay a step ahead of the narrator. Review of the book have been mixed with reviewers trying to find holes in Brown's research. The reality is that this a work of fiction and not an exposé of the world of the Freemasons. There have been enough of those. If the reader suspends belief, it will be a roller coaster ride through Washington with Robert Langdon.
arrived on September 15
Cokie Roberts, author of Founding Mothers, published her second book, Ladies of Liberty, on the influential women of the early days in 2008. The research that went into both of these volumes is well documented and presented. Roberts has a style of writing that makes history comes alive, although, I must admit, that some sections were much more alive than others.
Roberts begins Ladies of Liberty with the election of John Adams to the presidency and continues to the presidency of James Monroe. Throughout this time frame we are introduced to the women behind the men. The stories of these incredible women are retold mainly through their letters to the Founding Fathers and other women of their inner circle. These women were really movers and shakers and influential as they were the eyes and ears of their husbands who were often the only connection the men had to the home front as they were carrying out the business of the new country. Roberts' history is really storytelling at its epitomé. We are treated to scene after scene in the lives of women like Abigail Adams, Louisa Johnson Adams, Dolley Madison, Betsy Monroe, Theodosia Burr, Rosalie Calvert, Martha Jefferson, Martha Washington, and even Sacajawea.
I was especially intrigued by the strength that these women showed. The story of how Sacajawea was so confident in her guidance of Lewis and Clark as they trail blazed the Louisiana Purchase kept me turning pages, eager for her next adventure and discovery. The fortitude of Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, is for us And then there was Dolley Madison. She set the expectations for what the home of the President and the first lady should be. Abigail Adams is a woman about whom I can never learn enough. No matter what book I read I always pick up a new tidbit or insight into her life. She was a woman to be reckoned with in her time. Who else would write to a President and ask that he bring her son home from Russia because it was too cold and the salary was not enough to sustain life there?
Roberts pays special homage to women who were social reformers, those who sought to care for orphans and the education of women. As a graduate of Wellesley College she remembers and honors those whose mission was to serve and not to be served. Likewise, we should not forget the likes of Emma Willard and Rebecca Gratz.
As I was reading this book a number of recurring themes stuck in my mind. I kept wondering what it would have been like and how our history might have been different if communication had been better. We would have known that treaties had been signed before battles fought. I am amazed at the mortality rate of children and how mothers and fathers dealt with these tragedies. Along the same vein, the mortality of women in childbirth was as scary. And yet women still endured pregnancy one after another. What if our Founding Mothers had access to birth control? Finally, we should take note and be thankful for all that our ancestors endured and the pride that they had for their families and their country. They serve as an example for us all.
I must confess that it is hard for me to be unbiased in discussing a Chris Crutcher book because he is just the most incredible writer for young adults (and adults, too). He speaks to teens as if he were one. On a visit to our school in 2005 he spoke extemporaneously to the students who laughed, cried, and were completely enthralled. He is a writer who has the power to change lives and I know that he has done that. Deadline is an extraordinary book to say the least. It has all the hallmarks of a Crutcher novel: frank language, intense life and death situations, exciting sports scenes, dysfunctional families, moral dilemmas, secrets, and a message of hope.
Ben Wolf has his routine sports physical before starting his senior year. But this physical was anything but routine when the doctor asked that Ben and his parents come in for a consultation. Ben arrives by himself and after pressuring the doctor to speak to him alone learns that he has a terminal blood disease. The doctor discusses treatment options, but Ben refuses to be a part of that or to tell his parents. He is, after all, eighteen years old and an adult in the eyes of the medical world. Ben decides that he will live the next year as normally as possible. I can't imagine harboring this secret as an adult, let alone a teenager. Ben will make the most of his year. He tries out for the football team despite being a very short and small person and with his brother, Cody, ends up a true her. To wait for his spring season sport of cross country would be just pushing his luck too far. He is determined not to die without making love and set his eye on Dallas Suzuki who has a secret as startling as Ben's.
There ancillary story lines, which piece together contribute to Ben's self -discovery and introspection. Father figures abound. There is Rudy, fan of Malcom X, battling demons of drugs and alcohol and a sordid past who is Ben's sounding board. Coach Banks understands Ben's home life and shows up with all the fixings for Christmas dinner. Ben's father is on the road but tries his best to be there for his son. And then there is Mr. Lambeer, Ben's government teacher who goes through the motions of teaching and is content to only teach what is in the biased textbooks. Ben's choice of Senior project puts Lambeer on the defensive and he obstinately fights Ben to the end as he tries to complete the research and implementation of the project. Armed with a copy of Lies My Teacher Told Me and Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, Ben is determined to get the most out of his classes and he will not let Lambeer or any other teacher stand in his way. Guiding Ben along his fateful journey is his spiritual mentor and heart, Jesus, really pronounced Hay-soos. ( I couldn't help think of Crutcher'
s story of when his brother broke his prized "Jesus Saves" statue and he ended up with "esus Saves.")
Chris Crutcher's wit shines through Deadline. There are some scenes that are down right hysterical, not what you would expect from a book in which the underlying theme is death. I dare any reader not to be fully engaged with the characters and story of this book. It is emotional, touching, and dramatic. Thank you Chris Crutcher for another fantastic book!
Reading a Maeve Binchy book is like sitting down with a cup of tea and some old friends in a quaint little sidewalk cafe. It is watching the world go by and knowing that everyone you see has a story. Heart and Soul is quintessential Binchy. The novel opens as Clara Casey takes the job as director of St. Brigid's new heart clinic. As she staffs the clinic we get to meet all the main characters of the book, many of whom have appeared in Binchy's previous books. There is Fiona, a nurse whom we met in Nights of Rain and Stars, Brenda from Quentins and the Feathers from Scarlet Feather. Dr. Declan Carroll signs on as the cardiologist for the clinic and Ania, a Polish immigrant trying to start anew after her life is turned upside down, is hired to provide support where needed. We also get glimpses into the lives of Clara's daughters, Linda and Adi.
The lives of all these characters intersect and merge as Binchy weaves her tale of life in Dublin. It is a story of love, hurt, joys and of course, sorrow and tragedy. We witness self-proclaimed aristocrats treat Ania as nothing more than a servant as she and their son Carl grow closer together. Our hearts ache for Father Bryan Flynn as he tries to defend his reputation from hurtful accusations. Through her writing Binchy makes us care about these people. They are her friends and we come to think of them as ours.
The read is a fast one, but one that is also to be savored. Upon completion, you are filled with a sense of literary satisfaction much as that cup of tea satisfies that need for comfort in a hectic world.
On 20 April 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold carried out a plan of murder and suicide as they terrorized the students of Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado. The story of the two disturbed young men and their 13 victims occupied headlines and was told and retold in newspapers and periodicals for the better part of the year following the shootings. Even today saying "Columbine" has become a reference to a school shooting rather than the name of the high school. It is an indelible mark that the two young men made on the minds, hearts and souls not just of the citizens of Colorado, but of all the United States.
Dave Cullen in Columbine revisits the tragedy in a very erudite but accessible narrative. He has culled the reports of psychologists, FBI agents, Jeffco officials and interviews with students, parents and teachers. He reveals some of the myths and cover-ups that surrounded the reporting of this event and ensuing investigations as reported in main stream media. Cullen has relied extensively on the reports and investigations of FBI Supervisory Special Agent, Dwayne Fuselier and quotes him through the process of the investigation through the ensuing lawsuits. Cullen has an extensive section of notes at the end of the book that enlighten the reader as to where he had access to pieces of information. That section, the timeline of events, beginning in January 1997, the index, and acknowledgements give substantial credibility to this book.
In an interesting style, Cullen interweaves events before the tragedy with the actual events of April 20th and the months and years after that horrendous day. He takes a theme or an emotion and fully describes it in relation to the different time periods. In this way he allows the reader to understand more fully the cause, event, and effect.
With every incident of school shooting in the United State, the public has grappled with what motivates a shooter. Certainly, there must be a profile. Cullen concludes with studies from the FBI and Secret Service (p. 322) that there is NO profile. The only common trait to the time of the study was that the shooters were 100 % male. They were not loners, nor did they "snap."
In April, at the school from which I retired, we embraced the ideals of Rachel's Challenge, named for the first victim of the Columbine shootings. As a school community we committed ourselves to work together to keep such a tragedy from occurring here. It is imperative that we listen to each other and not be afraid to voice concern when students may be troubled. Dylan and Eric were masterful at saying and doing the "right thing" when in counseling or dealing with their parents and friends. Teachers, counselors, and friends need to be vigilant to be able to read through this façade.
This is a powerful book and recommended to adults and students alike. May we never have to bear witness to another such tragedy.
Definitely needed something on the lighter side after Wintergirls. Mary Higgins Clark's Just Take My Heart filled the bill. Clark is one of the most prolific mystery writers, publishing a new novel each April. This is classic MHC with the parade of characters that enter and exit through the novel. In Just Take My Heart there are really two story lines, one involving the murder of Natalie Raines and the subsequent trial with prosecutor Emily Wilson and the second, the psychotic stalking of Emily by her next door neighbor, Zach, whom we learn is a serial killer.
Natalie has been dead a little over 2 years when evidence surfaces that Gregg Alldrich, her estranged husband and always a person of interest in the case, is actually the murderer. The evidence is purely circumstantial, but deemed credible. Emily is assigned to try the case by DA Ted Wesley who is in line to become a high-ranking official in the Federal government. As she prepares her case and throughout the trial, the reader learns more about the private life of her. She has been left a widow when her husband Mark was killed in the Iraq War and she has had a heart transplant. As she prosecutes the case we see that the most and only compelling evidence comes from a career criminal/burglar, Jimmy Easton, who testifies that Gregg hired him to kill Natalie.
At the same time Zach has been finding ways to get into Emily's house. He has set up a microphone to hear her in the kitchen and has offered to watch out for Bess, Emily's dog, while she is preoccupied with the trial. We know what he is planning and can only hope that she figures it out quickly.
The novel is enhanced by two television shows Courtside TV and Fugitive Hunt. They both have a role in the climax and conclusion to the novel. As I was reading this book and knew very early on how it was going to end, I became frustrated with "too easy to solve" mysteries. I have always enjoyed MHC books, but it seems that they have become more easily solved lately. I don't know if this is because I am so familiar with her writing or she has become a bit more formulaic. I have concluded that maybe I should not look at the books from the viewpoint of trying to solve the mystery, but instead trying to figure out how the protagonist will solve it. That adds a bit more to the reading of the book. I enjoy her stories and will continue to read them, but definitely with a different perspective now. Just Take My Heart is a good read when you want a light summer book.
Laurie Halse Anderson is without equal when she writes about teenagers and the angst that so often overtakes their lives. Speak and Twisted are two of her previous books that leave the reader emotionally drained. Wintergirls is a remarkable addition to this genre. As a professional educator who has worked with teenagers for the last 35 year of my life and as a mother, this book is frightening and leaves you with a knot in your stomach as if you had been punched. Anderson is in the minds of her protagonists and she opens those minds to her readers.
Wintergirls opens as Lia has been informed about Cassandra (Cassie) Parrish's death alone in a motel room. The two girls were best friend from grade school to just a few months before the onset of the novel. They are "wintergirls", stuck between two worlds- life and death. Lia declares that she and Cassie were no longer best friends and then is haunted by the fact that on the night of her death Cassie tried calling her 33 times. What ensues is the struggle that Lia faces every minute of every day, every time she tries to eat. Her mind can only see the calories that each morsel contains. The reader sees her falling so fast into a chasm from which she will be hard to rescue. She has had two in-patient treatment hospitalizations for her disease. She learned not how to cope and overcome her disease, but only how to play the game to appease those who are trying to help her. (She has sewn quarters into the pocket of her robe so that it will appear she has not lost weight for her Tuesday weigh-ins that her stepmother does according to her discharge instructions.) But, she is determined to win the challenge even if it threatens her life also. There are always five more pounds to lose and another person to deceive, including herself. Her coping mechanism of cutting adds to her desperate state and the pain we feel for her.
The relationships in the book are complex. Lia lives with her father, divorced from her mother who is a very successful surgeon, her stepmother, and her stepsister, Emma. Each impacts her life in positive and negative ways, but it is Emma who is always on Lia's mind. Elijah, the young man who finds Cassie and who works at the motel where she died, provides an outlet for Lia. With him she can be herself, but that platonic relationship just is too good to be true. We as readers keep hoping that someone will be able to relate to Lia and finally help her.
Laurie Halse Anderson allows readers into the mind of Lia with the way the type is set in the book. We are privy to Lia's real thought as they appear with a line scratched through them. And we are reminded constantly of the 33 times Cassie tried to call Lia. Then there is the incredible chapter 04:00 the consists entirely of Must.Not.Eat. repeated over and over, but the last words on each line are always Must.Eat.
This is a disturbing book, but it is a book that cannot and should not be put down. There has been a concern that for those who are battling disordered eating diseases, the book may be a trigger and should be withheld - censored - from them. But it is one of the few books that can really speak to someone who suffers from anorexia or bulimia. If it can help one person realize that help is available and there are people who truly care about them, then the risk is worth it. And even when you do finish the last page, close the cover, and put the book back on the shelf, I guarantee that it will never leave your heart.
The Defector is the latest offering in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva and it is clearly a sequel to Moscow Rules. Silva is one of my current favorite authors and I eagerly anticipated the release of this novel all winter long. It is one of those books that you just can't put down, definitely a page-turner.
To quote Machiavelli, "If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. " and so begins The Defector with its theme of revenge. Six months have past and Gabriel is back at the Umbrian villa with his bride Chiara. He is trying to finish the restoration of a painting for the Vatican when he is informed that Grigori Bulganov, the Russian who saved his life, has disappeared from his sanctuary in London. Russian officials insist that he has redefected to Russia, but Allon and those from King Saul Boulevard contend that he was really kidnapped. And so the stage is set for Gabriel to assemble his team to find out what really happened.
The novel is full of plot twists and the usual globe-trotting... from Umbria to London to Paris to Saranac Lake and the Adirondacks to Langley, to Russia, Zurich, Lake Como, and ultimately Saint Tropez. Of course at the center is the Russian arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov, whose wife was smuggled out of the country by Allon in Moscow Rules. There is no length to which he will achieve his revenge and it will be Gabriel who will pay. As Ari Shamron, the Israeli spymaster, cautions, the key to success for any operation is silence, speed, and timing. All three elements must be in place as the novel reaches it climax in the snowy, cold birch forests of northern Russia. Here we hold our breath as helpless bystanders watching the action that tests men and women's courage and fortitude unfold.
Silva has mastered Shamron's mantra in his own writing. His command of words is timed perfectly, eloquently silent when the mood commands it, and proceeds with speed when he needs it all to come together. Although the plot can be misconstrued as formulaic, the complexity of interweaving all the elements is incredibly sophisticated. The only downside of having read this book as soon as it was published is that we now will have to wait an interminably long time for the next Daniel Silva tome.
As someone who has always been interested in college marketing, helping students find the right place for them to continue their education, and understanding the selection process, I was excited to learn of this new book and immediately put it on my "Wish List." I was even more excited when my daughter purchased it for me for Mother's Day. Admission is a multi-faceted novel based on some experiences of Korelitz who was an applications reader at Princeton University, the setting of the novel.
On one level it is a fascinating look at how the admissions departments at exclusive institutions of higher education build their classes each year. For many of us who have spent our lives in the educational sphere, understanding how bright kids get passed over for admissions, has been a major concern. Portia Nathan is nearly forty, has worked for numerous colleges, and is sharing her life and her house with Mark, an English professor. It is a routine admissions trip to high schools in the northeast that proves to be the catalyst for all the action in the book. Portia travels to the Quest School, an experimental school in New Hampshire where she meets two people who will turn her life upside down. John, a teacher at the school, was in the class behind Portia at Dartmouth College and Jeremiah, a student who definitely marches to the sound of a different drummer, impact her life and the novel's progression.
On another level, the novel is an admission of what Portia's life has been and will be. The reader meets her mother, Susannah, best friend Rachel, significant other, Mark, and Helen, a dinner guest who was anything but gracious. Portia needs to balance all these relationships with the demanding job of reading and recommending for admissions a record number of applications. the insights into both are heart-wrenching and worth the lengthy read.
I was fascinated with the book. I never really thought about the role of a college recruiter as a double edged sword. On one hand s/he entices students to apply to a college, but then knows that not all qualified students can be accepted. It drives home the point that guidance counselors need to be proactive with admissions counselors, students need to show what they can bring to a college class, and parents don't help a son or daughter's chances by multiple contacts with admissions offices. Portia's journey takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions. It's a scary ride at times, full of ups, downs and curves that are unexpected.
A colleague gave me a copy of Death at Blenheim Palace for a quick and easy read. It is #11 in the Charles and Kate Sheridan detective series by Robin Paige, the pseudonym of the husband and wife team of Susan Wittig and Bill Albert. The novel takes place at the home of Winston Churchill early in the 20th century during the rule of Edward. It was an entertaining novel that also included many references back to Woodstock, Rosamund's Well and the time of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Kate and Charles are visiting Blenheim Palace - he to investigate the theft of jewels and she to research a book. Upon their arrival they realize that all is not really well in the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. The duchess, formerly Consuelo Vanderbilt, and the Duke are in the midst of marital woes. She has produced the heir and the spare and so the Duke has turned his attention to Gladys Deacon who would eventually become his wife.
Events become more complicated when one of the housemaids is murdered and Charles enlists the aid of a young man, Ned Lawrence, who is consumed with making brass rubbings in neighborhood churches. Lawrence was later known by the name Larwrence of Arabia. If he were not scared of breaking into churches, he surely could be a "mole" downstairs in the Blenheim household. He does manage to get some information as the mysteries.
The resolution to the mysteries was fairly obvious, but the read was enjoyable and about England. How bad can that be?
Probably one of the most awaited books of the year, The Lost Symbolth. I have enjoyed his previous books, most especially Deception Force and Angels and Demons. I admit that this is not the greatest literature in the world, but it is enjoyable and allows the reader to escape into a world where one is privy to a secret or secrets that you have never known to exist. Brown's works are pretty formulaic, but with that said, they are always page-turners. I enjoyed The Lost Symbol, but not as much as Angels and Demons. The plots center around Robert Langdon, a well-respect symbolist, being summoned to a locale in which he will need to decipher massive amounts of clues/symbols to solve a mystery. Along that journey he will meet an intelligent woman, a grotesque figure, and law enforcement agents. He will become involved in hair-raising experiences from which mere mortals would have a difficult time escaping. Along the way Langdon keeps the reader engaged by parceling out clues to the mystery until the end when he summarizes his findings for all involved.
