I loved this book. It's a translation from the Swedish into French. The title can be translated as The Ice Princess. Now, as far as translations go, my thinking is this: If I can't read a book in its original language, then I'd rather read the English translation, just because it'll be less work for me. When I was in France last fall, though, and when I saw this book and was immediately intrigued (in part because of the cover, I won't lie), I checked on amazon.com (thank you, iPhone) and saw that it wasn't translated into English. So, I bought the French translation. It has since been translated into English, though, and has recently come out here. So check it out.
It's a mystery, set in a small town in Sweden. Erica has returned home to her small town following her parents' death, when there is a murder that takes place; a childhood friend of Erica's named Alex. The police are of course involved, but so is Erica, trying to find out what happened and why. Along the way, though, many more secrets turn up and there's a lot we learn about this small town.
I was completely intrigued as I read this book. I kept mentally trying to put all of the pieces together, and then kept second guessing myself. "What if it's this? No, it can't be. Oh, but it could be THIS! Or can it? Maybe it's THAT." And I loved that. And there are a lot of pieces to be put together!
I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, too. There are things that happen, like with Erica's sister, that aren't directly related to the murder mystery. But they didn't feel like they didn't belong; I actually really cared about that storyline as well. And the way the author describes Erica's parents' house, where she and her sister grew up...I want to go see that house. She really communicated not just the structure of it, but also the spirit and character of the house.
So. Great story. I didn't figure out whodunit and was surprised, but it made sense. Other mysteries were involved and one really blew me away once I figured it out. I think she's written six more stories written in this small town, and I'm sure they'll be out in English very soon...and I can't wait.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco
I've wanted to read this book for years. Seriously. It's always been like some legendary book that's really hard but really amazing - at least, that's the impression that I had gotten somewhere in my life. I don't even know where. So it was with excitement and nervousness that I picked up this book. And - wow. Here's a quote from early on in the book:
With six letters - Iahveh - he had seven hundred and twenty permutations at his disposal. The repetitions didn't count, because Diotallevi had said that the two hes must be taken as two different letters. Belbo could have chosen, say, the thirty-sixth or the hundred and twentieth.
Huh?
Okay, let's try this one.
"In Isaiah 9:2, for instance, there's the word "LMRBH," lemarbah - which, note the coincidence, means to multiply - but the mem in the middle is written as a final mem."
Um, yeah. Of course it is.
Essentially, I think that this book is waaaaay over my head. I made it to page 62 before being thoroughly confounded and confused and, well, feeling like a complete moron. Maybe someone made a movie out of it that I can try watching?
With six letters - Iahveh - he had seven hundred and twenty permutations at his disposal. The repetitions didn't count, because Diotallevi had said that the two hes must be taken as two different letters. Belbo could have chosen, say, the thirty-sixth or the hundred and twentieth.
Huh?
Okay, let's try this one.
"In Isaiah 9:2, for instance, there's the word "LMRBH," lemarbah - which, note the coincidence, means to multiply - but the mem in the middle is written as a final mem."
Um, yeah. Of course it is.
Essentially, I think that this book is waaaaay over my head. I made it to page 62 before being thoroughly confounded and confused and, well, feeling like a complete moron. Maybe someone made a movie out of it that I can try watching?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Toutes ces choses qu'on ne s'est pas dites - Marc Levy
Or, roughly translated, All of These Things We Didn't Tell Each Other. It's the story of Julia, who is getting ready to marry Adam, until her father's death leads her to postpone the wedding. She's been very distant with her father and is not fond of him. Well, the day after the funeral, surprise! She receives a delivery of a large box...that contains her father! Alive! But it's not really him - it's an android of him, implanted with his memories of up to about a week before he died. The android is an experimental thing that this company he invests in is working on. And it has enough battery power to be "alive" for six days. Of course it looks and feels exactly like a human. So Julia has six days to spend with her "father," during which they end up traveling to different cities and making some interesting discoveries, leading her to question her to-be-rescheduled marriage to Adam.
Well, there's usually some element of the fantastical in Marc Levy's books, and that's part of the reason I like them and find them to have such unique charm. In general, I'd say that the plot lines in his books are very plausible, as long as you accept this one odd ball element as being true. Similar set up here; as long as the reader can accept that it's possible to have an android with a human's memories in it, that looks and acts and feels just like a human...
To me, though, this wasn't my favorite book of his. Part of Julia's complaints about her father is that he always controlled her life - and what happens after he dies, and after his android appears, is that she lets him control almost everything about the next six days. Doesn't seem likely. I actually felt that he was being very manipulative, which was further shown at the end. But if it's for her happiness, is it okay for him to manipulate her like that? I would say no. And the other thing I didn't like is the sudden appearance of Tomas. Tomas, whom Julia had loved 18 years ago. Tomas, from whom her father took her away 18 years ago. Tomas, who was killed a year later. Tomas, who - surprise! - we find out didn't really die. I felt like he just sort of appeared part way through the story because the story needed something.
All in all, I enjoyed the book, and I'd recommend it. But if you're looking for Marc Levy's best book, go to one of his earlier works.
Well, there's usually some element of the fantastical in Marc Levy's books, and that's part of the reason I like them and find them to have such unique charm. In general, I'd say that the plot lines in his books are very plausible, as long as you accept this one odd ball element as being true. Similar set up here; as long as the reader can accept that it's possible to have an android with a human's memories in it, that looks and acts and feels just like a human...
To me, though, this wasn't my favorite book of his. Part of Julia's complaints about her father is that he always controlled her life - and what happens after he dies, and after his android appears, is that she lets him control almost everything about the next six days. Doesn't seem likely. I actually felt that he was being very manipulative, which was further shown at the end. But if it's for her happiness, is it okay for him to manipulate her like that? I would say no. And the other thing I didn't like is the sudden appearance of Tomas. Tomas, whom Julia had loved 18 years ago. Tomas, from whom her father took her away 18 years ago. Tomas, who was killed a year later. Tomas, who - surprise! - we find out didn't really die. I felt like he just sort of appeared part way through the story because the story needed something.
All in all, I enjoyed the book, and I'd recommend it. But if you're looking for Marc Levy's best book, go to one of his earlier works.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
This Must Be the Place - Kate Racculia
This must be the place...right? Well, I found this book at the Doylestown Book Store along with the Jennifer Crusie I read last week. It's another one of those "not yet published" deals; this one will be released in July. So, next month.
Kate Racculia - I had never heard of her, and turns out this is her first novel. I was intrigued by the cover, although they say that you shouldn't judge a book that way. Then when I read the back I was sucked in. It mentions a sudden death and secrets - well, sign me up!
The story centers on four people, mainly. Amy, her husband Arthur, Amy's former best friend Mona and Mona's daughter Oneida. It's about how these people have found each other, maybe lose each other sometimes, and come back together in new ways. Along the way, we learn a lot about each person - sometimes right along with them, as they learn it about themselves.
It was a really cool story, and I enjoyed the characters. There was a big secret that I saw coming, but was only about 60% sure of. There was a small secret that doesn't really affect the plot too much but that I thought was really cool. And there were a few plot twists that I really liked. I also enjoyed the way that she gave glimpses into the characters' futures, sometimes by mentioning things that'll happen years ahead, and it lets the reader put some pieces together. That was a nice surprise.
Overall, I was into the book, but it wasn't as fast of a read as I wanted it to be for some reason. It took me longer to get through than I thought it would - and I don't know if it was the book or if it was me. That said, I'm looking forward to seeing what future novels she brings us.
Kate Racculia - I had never heard of her, and turns out this is her first novel. I was intrigued by the cover, although they say that you shouldn't judge a book that way. Then when I read the back I was sucked in. It mentions a sudden death and secrets - well, sign me up!
The story centers on four people, mainly. Amy, her husband Arthur, Amy's former best friend Mona and Mona's daughter Oneida. It's about how these people have found each other, maybe lose each other sometimes, and come back together in new ways. Along the way, we learn a lot about each person - sometimes right along with them, as they learn it about themselves.
It was a really cool story, and I enjoyed the characters. There was a big secret that I saw coming, but was only about 60% sure of. There was a small secret that doesn't really affect the plot too much but that I thought was really cool. And there were a few plot twists that I really liked. I also enjoyed the way that she gave glimpses into the characters' futures, sometimes by mentioning things that'll happen years ahead, and it lets the reader put some pieces together. That was a nice surprise.
Overall, I was into the book, but it wasn't as fast of a read as I wanted it to be for some reason. It took me longer to get through than I thought it would - and I don't know if it was the book or if it was me. That said, I'm looking forward to seeing what future novels she brings us.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Maybe This Time - Jennifer Crusie
Last Friday night, I did something almost unprecedented for me. I went out. I know! I couldn't believe it myself. I just felt like I needed to go out. So I grabbed my book and my iPod and headed into Doylestown to go sit and relax at the coffee shop. Well, I hadn't realized that it was First Friday, which means musicians playing and other fun things going on, so town was packed. I went into Saxby's, got a cup of coffee, sat down and started to read, and was able to enjoy a small live jazz band! Didn't even need the iPod. Yay.
And it was in Saxby's that I realized that I wasn't going to keep reading the previous book I wrote about. When I was done there I decided to walk around town a bit and went into the local independent Doylestown book shop. As much as I think about an e-reader, there's something about a local, independent book store that just can't be matched. And while I knew that I shouldn't buy any more books, since I'm still not through "the shelf," I wanted to look around.
I was surprised to see an area on one wall called something like Advanced Release Books. I went over and was surprised! They have books there you can borrow for free! I looked into it a little further. There were about 15 or 20 books there, one copy of each. And apparently these are all books that haven't been released yet. I guess publishers send out advance copies...and this is what these are. You can borrow, for free, up to two; you just have to sign them out at the register. And they include a link where you can post your review of the book. I was intrigued and found two books that looked interesting. This is the first of these books.
I'd read one book that Jennifer Crusie had co-written with bob Mayer; it's called Agnes and the Hitman and is a book I completely adored. When I saw this - a new book, coming out in hardcover in September of this year, I decided to give it a whirl. And I am so glad that I did. The story is about a woman named Andie who decides she needs to close out her issues with her ex-husband, North, before she moves on with the new man in her life, Will. And it ends up that Andie goes to take care of these two children of whom North has become guardian; she agrees to do this for one month. Except, of course, there are ghosts. Ghosts of what happened to these children, ghosts of her former marriage to North, and ghosts of dead people in the house where the children live.
This is such a great story. It won't change your world, it won't make you think about realigning your core beliefs, but it will draw you in. Parts are comical, parts are freaky, parts are mysterious, parts are a good love story. I haven't read a book in a long time that's drawn me in as much as this one did. Literally, last night, I looked up after reading; I thought maybe 45 minutes had gone by, and it was about 2 hours. And I couldn't stop reading to go to bed last night; I just had to finish the book. I was that hooked! Andie's relationship with the kids, Alice and Carter...the ghosts haunting this old house...some of the crazy characters, like Andie's mother Flo and a medium...then North and his family...they're all just great. Part of the reason I like Andie so much is because she seems so real, like someone I might actually know. She's got some issues, she's flawed, she's confused on what she wants, she doesn't have perfect relationships. Sounds like me and lot of people I know.
The only thing I didn't like about the book were the names Andie (the main character) and Alice (the girl Andie's taking care of). The way my crazy brain works, those two names are easily confused, so I had to keep stopping to think through who is who. But I think most people's brains work differently than mine do when it comes to names.
Point being: when this comes out in September, go read it. And in the meantime: support your local book stores.
And it was in Saxby's that I realized that I wasn't going to keep reading the previous book I wrote about. When I was done there I decided to walk around town a bit and went into the local independent Doylestown book shop. As much as I think about an e-reader, there's something about a local, independent book store that just can't be matched. And while I knew that I shouldn't buy any more books, since I'm still not through "the shelf," I wanted to look around.
I was surprised to see an area on one wall called something like Advanced Release Books. I went over and was surprised! They have books there you can borrow for free! I looked into it a little further. There were about 15 or 20 books there, one copy of each. And apparently these are all books that haven't been released yet. I guess publishers send out advance copies...and this is what these are. You can borrow, for free, up to two; you just have to sign them out at the register. And they include a link where you can post your review of the book. I was intrigued and found two books that looked interesting. This is the first of these books.
I'd read one book that Jennifer Crusie had co-written with bob Mayer; it's called Agnes and the Hitman and is a book I completely adored. When I saw this - a new book, coming out in hardcover in September of this year, I decided to give it a whirl. And I am so glad that I did. The story is about a woman named Andie who decides she needs to close out her issues with her ex-husband, North, before she moves on with the new man in her life, Will. And it ends up that Andie goes to take care of these two children of whom North has become guardian; she agrees to do this for one month. Except, of course, there are ghosts. Ghosts of what happened to these children, ghosts of her former marriage to North, and ghosts of dead people in the house where the children live.
This is such a great story. It won't change your world, it won't make you think about realigning your core beliefs, but it will draw you in. Parts are comical, parts are freaky, parts are mysterious, parts are a good love story. I haven't read a book in a long time that's drawn me in as much as this one did. Literally, last night, I looked up after reading; I thought maybe 45 minutes had gone by, and it was about 2 hours. And I couldn't stop reading to go to bed last night; I just had to finish the book. I was that hooked! Andie's relationship with the kids, Alice and Carter...the ghosts haunting this old house...some of the crazy characters, like Andie's mother Flo and a medium...then North and his family...they're all just great. Part of the reason I like Andie so much is because she seems so real, like someone I might actually know. She's got some issues, she's flawed, she's confused on what she wants, she doesn't have perfect relationships. Sounds like me and lot of people I know.
The only thing I didn't like about the book were the names Andie (the main character) and Alice (the girl Andie's taking care of). The way my crazy brain works, those two names are easily confused, so I had to keep stopping to think through who is who. But I think most people's brains work differently than mine do when it comes to names.
Point being: when this comes out in September, go read it. And in the meantime: support your local book stores.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Qumran - Eliette Abécassis
Qumran is a site near the Dead Sea that apparently, centuries ago, was a community - perhaps for the Essenes, a Jewish sect. And it's also the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Who knew? I certainly didn't before picking up this book.
I've had this book for a long time - maybe about 8 or 9 years. A coworker had given it to me after he was done reading it. It's a fictional story of some of the Dead Sea scrolls, in particular one that was stolen a few decades ago. In this book, a very Orthodox Jewish man in his early 20's is convinced to join his agnostic father on a quest to find this stolen scroll - a quest that will prove to be dangerous and life-altering.
Or so I assume. I don't know how the quest ended up affecting them. I reallllly tried to get into this book and to love it. It has all the ingredients of a story that will pull me in! But I couldn't do it. I read about 25% of the book and finally realized that I just needed to give up, that it wasn't for me. It wasn't a fast paced book like you might think. I was over 100 pages in before they started their globetrotting. And I think that that was part of the problem for me, why I struggled with it, because it was a slower pace than I was wanting.
So I've given up. After about 120 pages I threw in the towel and offered my surrender. I hope that this book will find its way to the right person who will be able to appreciate it for all it has to offer.
I've had this book for a long time - maybe about 8 or 9 years. A coworker had given it to me after he was done reading it. It's a fictional story of some of the Dead Sea scrolls, in particular one that was stolen a few decades ago. In this book, a very Orthodox Jewish man in his early 20's is convinced to join his agnostic father on a quest to find this stolen scroll - a quest that will prove to be dangerous and life-altering.
Or so I assume. I don't know how the quest ended up affecting them. I reallllly tried to get into this book and to love it. It has all the ingredients of a story that will pull me in! But I couldn't do it. I read about 25% of the book and finally realized that I just needed to give up, that it wasn't for me. It wasn't a fast paced book like you might think. I was over 100 pages in before they started their globetrotting. And I think that that was part of the problem for me, why I struggled with it, because it was a slower pace than I was wanting.
So I've given up. After about 120 pages I threw in the towel and offered my surrender. I hope that this book will find its way to the right person who will be able to appreciate it for all it has to offer.
Monday, May 31, 2010
IOU: New Writing on Money - Ron Slate, Editor
How timely - writings on money as I struggle with my budget and figuring out what I really need to be spending it on. So, you may ask, how much did I spend on this book? Zero. Nothing. That's right! And that's always the best part. It's from Concord Free Press - a new experiment in publishing. Check it out at www.concordfreepress.com. Such a cool concept! You get a book for free, donate to your chosen cause and let them know so that they can track it. Then pass the book on to someone who will do the same. So - I better give this a good review so that everyone will want it.
This is, essentially, a collection of short stories, essays, some interviews, excerpts from books and poetry, all somehow relating to money. As with any collection of works by different authors, some struck me more than others. I didn't love every bit, but overall I really did enjoy this. I'm going to include a few lines from a poem, although I'm hesitant to take lines out of a poem for fear that they will lose their meaning. But here goes. These lines are from a poem called "America" by Tony Hoagland.
But how could he have imagined 100 channels of 24-hour cable
Or what kind of nightmare it might be
When each day you watch rivers of bright merchandise run past you
And you are floating in your pleasure boat upon this river
What an image. Rivers of bright merchandise. And don't we see that, any time we turn on the tv or walk down the aisles of our favorite store? Or turn the pages in a magazine? Or see the ads on our favorite websites? It's all over. And I'm as guilty as the next of sitting proudly in my boat.
It just really struck me.
So - you can't beat the price. And I'll donate, where I don't know yet, and will let them know about that. And maybe, just maybe, hopefully, I'll buy less than what I would normally buy.
This is, essentially, a collection of short stories, essays, some interviews, excerpts from books and poetry, all somehow relating to money. As with any collection of works by different authors, some struck me more than others. I didn't love every bit, but overall I really did enjoy this. I'm going to include a few lines from a poem, although I'm hesitant to take lines out of a poem for fear that they will lose their meaning. But here goes. These lines are from a poem called "America" by Tony Hoagland.
But how could he have imagined 100 channels of 24-hour cable
Or what kind of nightmare it might be
When each day you watch rivers of bright merchandise run past you
And you are floating in your pleasure boat upon this river
What an image. Rivers of bright merchandise. And don't we see that, any time we turn on the tv or walk down the aisles of our favorite store? Or turn the pages in a magazine? Or see the ads on our favorite websites? It's all over. And I'm as guilty as the next of sitting proudly in my boat.
It just really struck me.
So - you can't beat the price. And I'll donate, where I don't know yet, and will let them know about that. And maybe, just maybe, hopefully, I'll buy less than what I would normally buy.
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