Shantaram fans - a long awaited sequel - The Mountain Shadow; Gregory David Roberts

It's been (11) years since Shantaram had been published. This was such a fantastic (944 pp) novel.  I had read and discussed it with a coworker about 5 years ago, and we both couldn't shut up about it. I'm so excited for this sequel, despite it being another hefty tome at (912 pp). Have you read Shantaram? If not, you should try it sometime -- truly amazing.

The Mountain Shadow; Gregory David Roberts

October 13th - Grove Press

(OVERVIEW)

Shantaram introduced millions of readers to a cast of unforgettable characters through Lin, an Australian fugitive, working as a passport forger for a branch of the Bombay mafia. In The Mountain Shadow, the long awaited sequel, Lin must find his way in a Bombay run by a different generation of mafia dons, playing by a different set of rules.

It has been two years since the events in Shantaram, and since Lin lost two people he had come to love: his father figure, Khaderbhai, and his soul mate, Karla, married to a handsome Indian media tycoon. Lin returns from a smuggling trip to a city that seems to have changed too much, too soon. Many of his old friends are long gone, the new mafia leadership has become entangled in increasingly violent and dangerous intrigues, and a fabled holy man challenges everything that Lin thought he’d learned about love and life. But Lin can’t leave the Island City: Karla, and a fatal promise, won’t let him go.

Becoming Ellen; Shari Shattuck

Becoming Ellen; Shari Shattuck

G.P Putnam & Sons - 2015

Ellen Homes is a heartwarming character that was first introduced in Invisible Ellen. Ellen is a physically scarred and emotionally wounded young woman who meets a brother and sister who really care about her and who she begins to trust.

Becoming Ellen picks up where the last novel left off, and IMO, you MUST read Invisible Ellen first. Ellen is now living with brother and sister team, Temerity, a blind violinist and her protective but kind brother Justice.  As Ellen begins to open herself up emotionally, a bus crash and (2) young children who desperately need a caring adult in their lives opens old wounds to the days Ellen spent in the foster care system herself.

While her physical scars are becoming less noticeable and she's lost some weight, she still continues to work at her night time cleaning crew job at Costco, so that she can keep a low profile and not have to interact with a lot of people. Her work life routines and secret hideouts where she can snoop on conversations of the boss and coworkers make her privy to some surprising illegal activities.

Without giving away too much of the story, I'll just say that I thought this was a decent follow-up to Invisible Ellen, but without reading the first book, this story would fall flat IMO.  The first book was all about getting to know Ellen -- the author created a totally believable and endearing character that you wanted to see transform into a happy young adult.  The followup is more about how she is coming out of her shell and some antics that she gets caught up in along the way.  Some of what happens in this one did not feel realistic, but I still enjoyed spending more time with Ellen, an unforgettable character who is worth getting to know.  If you like stories about the underdog - read both of these novels.

3.5/5 stars

(personal copy)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros ~ Purity; Jonathan Franzen

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two from a book I am reading or thinking about reading soon. (Planning to start this one this week)

Purity; Jonathan Franzen

Farrar, Straus and Giroux - 2015

"Oh pussycat, I'm so glad to hear your voice," the girl's mother said on the telephone. "My body is betraying me again. Sometimes I think my life is nothing but one long process of bodily betrayal."

"Isn't that everybody's life?" the girl, Pip, said.  She'd taken to calling her mother midway through her lunch break at Renewable Solutions.  It brought her some relief from the feeling that she wasn't suited for her job, that she had a job that nobody could be suited for, or that she was a person unsuited for any kind of job; and then, after twenty minutes she could honestly say that she needed to get back to work."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 

(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?

The Gates of Evangeline; Hester Young

The Gates of Evangeline; Hester Young

G. P. Putnam & Sons & Penguin Audio

(January Lavoy - narrator)

The Gates of Evangeline is a recent debut which blends mystery, ghost story, romance and Southern Gothic into a very readable novel. It's the first of a planned trilogy.

Charlotte (Charlie) Cates has a lot on her plate.  She's a grieving mother who tragically lost her 4 year old son Keegan. Now divorced and back at her fairly high powered job at Sophisticate magazine she's got even more reason for anxiety with big management changes happening at work.  Even bedtime fails to calm Charlie. She has been plagued with troubling dreams of young children calling out for help in the middle of the night. One small child in particular, a boy named JoJo calling out for help from a small boat in the middle of a swamp is especially haunting for her.

When a former colleague asks her to write a true-crime story about a young boy named Gabriel Deveau who went missing from his bedroom in 1982, his disappearance still unsolved, she accepts the offer. She believes this somehow might be connected to her dream.

Charlie travels from New York City to Chicory, Louisiana to research her story. Staying at the Evangeline plantation with the now 40-something twin sisters of the boy who disappeared decades earlier, she bumps heads with a unique cast of characters while doing her research.  Charlie has her work cut out for her as it's clear some people want long buried secrets to stay buried.

One of the best things about this read were the characters, especially Charlie. All the characters were very well drawn and believable.  The fact that some of them didn't want Charlie around made me wonder about what they had to fear or hide.  Although I felt engaged and invested in the story, it did drag in spots despite having an awful lot going on in it -- grieving mother, mystery, romance, ghost story and plenty of family drama and secrets.  Despite the great atmospheric feel, I might have enjoyed this one even more if it had been a little more straight forward.  Despite that I would still consider reading the sequel when it is released.

4/5 stars

(audio and eGalley)

Late Sunday Blatherings and New Books

How is your Sunday going everyone?  The day is quickly slip siding away it seams and I've been up since 5:30 am . We've had a few days of rain and windy conditions here, I almost turned on the heat when I saw 65 degrees in the house, but opted for the gas FP instead.  Today was sunny and near 60, but the next few days we may see sun and 70 so color me happy! On the dinner front this evening is blackened salmon, green beans and corn bread.

Friday we saw the first day release of The Martian in 3-D; it was incredible - I highly recommend it.

Today I took a shorter walk, and I've been catching up on reviews (not posted yet) but, this week I finished reading - The Gates of Evangeline, Hester Young; The Beautiful Bureaucrat; Helen Phillips; and Becoming Ellen; Shari Shattuck - feeling kinda happy about this. Review ratings range from 3.5 stars to 4.5 stars so it was all good reading or listening more or less.

Several new books made in mysteriously into my house over the last (2) weeks - just how does this happen? PLUS, I am hooked on audio downloads from the library now as well - no more books on cd for me thank you! Audio downloads to my phone are so easy and I can listen on the phone or through bluetooth in the car as well - love.

• Beastly Bones; William Ritter (Algonquin)
• Jackaby; William Ritter (Algonquin)
• A Winter's Night; Valerio Massimo Manfredi (Europa purchase)
• Silent Nights; Martin Edwards (Poison Pen Press)

• The Improbability of Love; Hannah Rothschild (Knopf)
• After You; JoJo Moyes (Pamela Dorman Books)
• A Strangeness in My Mind; Orhan Pamuk (Knopf)
• The Drowning Lesson; Jane Shemilt (Penguin)
• Hunters in the Dark; Lawrence Osborne (Hogarth)

Up Next - After You; JoJo Moyes; In the Unlikely Event; Judy Blume (started this one but had to return it to library but it's back again as an audio download) and Purity; Jonathan Franzen

Have a Great Week  Everyone!

Our Souls at Night; Kent Haruf

Our Souls at Night; Kent Haruf

Knopf - 2015

I loved this audiobook narrated by Mark Bramhall. The story left me feeling a bit sad, and with a thought that I often ask myself these days -- "Why can't people just live and let live?"

The story is a pretty simple one and involves two seniors in their 70's.  Addie Moore and Louis Walters are neighbors. They have both lost their spouses and live alone in the small town of Holt, Colorado.  One day Addie pays Louis a visit, she's lonely with no one to talk to. Her son and grandson live several hours away as does Louis' daughter.

Addie makes a surprising request after asking whether Louis ever feels lonely.  She asks him whether her might consider spending the night with her.  She's looking just for companionship and for a warm body next to her on those cold, lonely nights. Louis accepts her offer, and one night grows into two and then something more.  Each reveals very personal moments from their past as their fondness for one another grows.

Their relationship is problematic: town folks gossip, adult children express opposition and despite pretending not to care what others say, avoiding the subject is easier said than done.

I loved this short bittersweet story. The writing is beautiful and thought provoking and I felt sad that this will be the last book I'll ever see from this talented author, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 71. The story is a mostly hopeful story of friendship, love and understanding between seniors who had all but lost the human contact they once had enjoyed.  I think this book will mostly appeal to readers in the 50+ age range or to readers who have lost a spouse.

One quote in particular resonated with me -- "Who does ever get what they want? It doesn't seem to happen to many of us if any at all.  It's always two people bumping against each other blindly, acting out old ideas and dreams and mistaken understandings."

5/5 stars
(audiobook)

Coming Soon to a Book Store Near You ~ Thirteen Ways of Looking; Colum McCann

A longtime fan of author Colum McCann, I'm looking forward to his latest book, a novella and (3) short stories set to release October 13th.

Thirteen Ways of Looking; Colum McCann

Random House

(Overview)

In the exuberant title novella, a retired judge reflects on his life’s work, unaware as he goes about his daily routines that this particular morning will be his last. In “Sh’khol,” a mother spending Christmas alone with her son confronts the unthinkable when he disappears while swimming off the coast near their home in Ireland. In “Treaty,” an elderly nun catches a snippet of a news report in which it is revealed that the man who once kidnapped and brutalized her is alive, masquerading as an agent of peace. And in “What Time Is It Now, Where You Are?” a writer constructs a story about a Marine in Afghanistan calling home on New Year’s Eve.
 
Deeply personal, subtly subversive, at times harrowing, and indeed funny, yet also full of comfort, Thirteen Ways of Looking is a striking achievement. With unsurpassed empathy for his characters and their inner lives, Colum McCann forges from their stories a profound tribute to our search for meaning and grace. The collection is a rumination on the power of storytelling in a world where language and memory can sometimes falter, but in the end do not fail us, and a contemplation of the healing power of literature.