Book Reviews - 3 mini Book Reviews: Unsettled Ground; Claire Fuller - Not a Happy Family; Shari Lapena and All the Lonely People; Mike Gayle

Thank You Deb@ Reader Buzz

Whew this has been such a hot and humid weather week with some terrible thunderstorms and a brief loss of power (2 hours) one night while we slept. We stayed indoors with AC as much as possible and spent time with (3) books, watched one movie, Saving Private Ryan and playing gin rummy with my husband.  Speaking of "gin" we tried our gin soaked raisins this past week (10) each evening and so far (it's only been 3 nights so far) we don't see any change in his low back pain or my knee pain but, it says it can take (3) weeks so I'll keep you all posted.

My daughter stopped over with the girls one day and while my husband entertained the girls, playing cards (WAR) for money, we got to chat uninterrupted. He is so good amusing them and they had so much fun. They said they's like to come back to play cards with him again.  He told them "you are welcome here anytime and S the 9 year old said "great, not tomorrow though, we are busy." LOL.  Of course they went home with extra money from their card game winnings, how did that happen?

My (3) days of yoga this week had slightly fewer people than the first week which was nice. I also had an ultrasound this week with good results so that was a relief.  Looking forward to lower temps starting tomorrow - still summer-like though.  

How was your week?

READING

It seems like I've been reading about (3) books a week most weeks and I am happy to report that this week's books were much better than the ones I read the previous week.  I still need to get better control over the books I want to read or have committed to reading so, I bought myself a 17 month planner - fingers crossed, I use it and it helps. In my working life I was so organized - less so as a retiree.

Here's what I finished this week:

Unsettled Ground; Claire Fuller

Tin House Books - 2021

(library hardcover)

Unsettled Ground was a beautifully written story that, quite frankly, left me feeling more than a little "unsettled."

Jeanne and Julius are 51 year old twins who have never left their run down remote cottage in Inkbourne (UK). Their father died when they were only 12 years old (the tragic details are revealed eventually)and as the story opens their 70 year old mother Dot dies of a stroke.  Neither of the kids have had much schooling and Jeanne doesn't even know how to read. She and her mother for years have spent their time tending to a large garden while Julius picked up odd handyman jobs. Neither has held a proper job, they have no real friends nor much of a life to speak of. When their mother was alive the (3) of them were content making music together in the evenings by each playing a different musical instrument. They don't have a car, a television or even a bank account and although they believed the dilapidated cottage was theirs to live in rent free, after Dot's death they learn that is not the case.  With no money, no jobs,  a mother to bury, and now also facing eviction, the reader wonders why the family has  allowed this to happen and wonders why they have chosen to live in seclusion and never asked for help.  

As the reader I felt sad for these characters but, I think they were more comfortable with their life than I was reading about it.  Although most of society might view these individuals as a bit odd, the author makes them seem rather content with life on the whole.  There was a bit of a mystery element to the story which slowly gets revealed and although this story had a quiet feel, it packs an emotional punch. Very will written and highly recommended.

4.5/5 stars

Not a Happy Family; Shari Lapena

Penguin Audio - 9 hours 11 min.

Narrated by Ellen Archer (very good)

(library download)

When millionaires Fred and Sheila Merton are found brutally murdered after the family has gathered for Easter dinner at their Brecken Hills estate in New York, everyone in the family and extended family are soon suspects in the murder.

When the (3) adult Merton children and spouses and partners gather for Easter dinner, everyone is uptight and on edge. Fred Merton is not well liked or respected and has been known to routinely upset the applecart. On this occasion something happens and everyone leaves in a huff, including the maid who had once been a live-in nanny to the children.  By the next day the children: Catherine, Dan and Jenna as well as Irina, the maid, and Audrey, Fred's sister, are suspects in the murders.

This was a very good audio book that hooked me early on and never let up.  None of the characters had any redeeming qualities but I still found the story addictive.  My husband and I listened to this one together and we found ourselves changing our theories a few times as new info got revealed. Fast paced, character driven, with unexpected twists, we liked that extended family members were also introduced along the way for even more mystery.  The detective duo left a lot to be desired and it felt like this was their first case of this type.  The epilogue was a welcome bonus and made me smile.

4.5/5 stars

All the Lonely People; Mike Gayle

Grand Central Publishing - 2021

(finished copy sent to me by Publisher)

Hubert Bird is an 84 year old man who has lived alone after his wife Joyce passed away and his daughter Rose moved to Australia to teach at the University.  Rose calls him weekly to check in and Hubert has painted a rosy picture of his fun life as a retiree so that she doesn't worry about him.  The truth is his life is anything but rosy. He has basically shut himself off from others and the friends he used to have, so when Rose tells him she has taken a sabbatical and will be coming home for a visit, Hubert must change his ways and make friends fast or reveal the sad truth to his daughter.

Told in the present day and through flashbacks to when Hubert arrived in England as an immigrant from Jamaica in search of a better life.  Instead of finding opportunity as a young man in a new country, he faced racism and prejudice prevalent in his workplace and also as he fell in love with Joyce, a white woman who became his wife.  I liked the dual timelines and the overall flow of the story. Yes, loneliness is often reality for seniors like Hubert who live alone and don't have a support system close by.  I thought the subject was handled well and the story was more uplifting than depressing.  This is my first novel by Mike Gayle but, I will be curious to see what other books he has written.  

Rating - 4/5 stars

The Rest of August

I need to read a few more books for my (20) book Summer Reading Challenge - I think I've read 16/20. I'm already thinking and hoping that there will be another RIP Challenge for Fall. I've participated for about 12 years now and am already making a thriller, mystery list for September and October fall reading - not that I want to rush the seasons.

                                         Hope Everyone Has a Great Week!

Glaciers, Alexis Smith

Glaciers; Alexis M. Smith

Tin House Books - 2012

At fewer than 175 pages and with lots of white space, I had a tough time getting through this book this. Initially, I thought it might be just what I needed to get me out of my reading funk, but this just annoyed me.

The protagonist of Glaciers is Isabel, a 20-something who repairs damaged books in the basement of the library. She also likes to collect other peoples discards and on a mission to find the perfect vintage dress.

The writing style is stream of consciousness style where Isabel's undeveloped ramblings are used to describe a backstory or event. For me the best part pf this book was the unique cover which reflects the protagonist's quest to find that perfect vintage dress.

Not my cup of tea - for me a definite skimmer.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Glaciers; Alexis M Smith

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where I share the first paragraph or (a few) of a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon. Honestly, it's the pretty cover that attracted me to this one.

Glaciers; Alexis M. Smith

Tin House Books - 2012

Amsterdam

"Isabel often thinks of Amsterdam, though she has never been there, and probably never will go.

As a child in a small town on Cook Inlet in Alaska, she saw volcanoes erupting, whales migrating, and icebergs looming at sea before she ever saw a skyscraper or what could properly be called architecture.  She was nine years old, on a trip to her aunt's with her mother and sister, the first time she visited a real metropolis: Seattle.  She took it all in--the towering buildings and industrial warehouses, the train tracks and bridges, the sidewalk cafes and neighborhood shops, and the skylike along Highway 99, the way the city seemed to rise right up out of Elliot Bay, mirroring the Olympic Mountains across the sound.  The breadth and the details overwhelmed her, but soon she loved the city the same way she loved the landscape of the old nprth. Old churches were grand and solemn, just like glaciers, and dilapitated houses filled her with the same sense of sadness as a stand of leafless winter  trees."

What do you think? Keep Reading or move on to something else?

(feel free to join in by posting a link to you intro below)

Beside the Sea; Veronique Olmi Page

Beside the Sea; Veronique Olmi Page

Tin House Books - 2012

Beside the Sea is a deeply haunting story of fewer than 120 pages that packs a punch.

A single mother leaves home with her two young sons telling them they are going to see the sea. Stan is 9, and a good son, polite, obedient and protective of his young brother, Kevin, age 5. Stan is always guarded and anxious to please his fragile mother.  With just a few personal items and clothing in their travel bags, and very little cash, it's evident that the unnamed mother has not thought things through before they leave home.

Instead of the trip to the sea being a happy event, it is anything but.  It's winter and the sea is angry and frightening. The flea-bag hotel where they find a room is disgusting, and during their brief stay, it becomes quickly obvious that the mother is troubled, depressed and anxious and her paranoia has only intensified.  Her children, especially the older son, Stan, seems to be used to her erractic behavior and understands his mother's need to sleep away some weekends while the boys amuse themselves.

The reader senses early on that this story is unlikely to have a happy ending.  I loved how this story hit deep into the fractured mind and the darker side of motherhood.  This is definitely not a book for all readers, but those who do read it will not forget the story.

Thanks go to respected blogger, Jackie @ Farm Lane Books, for posting her Best Books for Understanding the Darker Side of Society.

4.5/5 stars

(library)