Small Great Things; Jodi Picoult

Small Great Things; Jodi Picoult

Ballantine - 2016

Jodi Picoult's latest novel is compulsively readable and pushed many of my hot buttons -- the topic racism and prejudice.

At the center of the controversy is Ruth Jefferson, a well respected labor and deliver midwife in Connecticut.  Ruth is African American and the only black employee on her floor at the hospital where she works.  One day while Ruth is caring for a newborn, she gets an uncomfortable vibe from the father of the infant.  The next think she learns is that she has been reassigned and that she is not to care for Turk and Britt Bauer's newborn son Davis.  The Bauer's are White Supremacists and, they do no want any black employees caring for their son.

When a medical emergency involving the baby occurs and the infant dies, Ruth is fired from her job and arrested.  She soon finds herself in the midst of a court battle and she's been assigned a white public defender.

This is such a powerful story. It's told from the POV's of Ruth, Turk Bauer, and Kennedy, Ruth's public defender.  I loved Ruth's story from her humble childhood, and her reasons for becoming a nurse and learning of all of the difficulties she has experienced in her life.  Turk Bauer's story was tough to read about and at times I literally felt sick.  There were graphic descriptions of violence against blacks, Jews, gays and immigrants.  Kennedy's story and position was one I didn't always agree with but, I understood why she acted the way she did at times.  This is a story that evokes all kinds of emotions, I loved the majority of this book until a fairy-tale like ending spoiled it a bit for me.

The title, Small Great Things, comes from a Martin Luther King quote -- "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way."

4.5/5 stars

(review copy)

Great Books with a New England Setting

I've lived in New England, (2) different states, my entire life. I love when I read a book and the author makes reference to a town, a park, a university, etc. that Ive visited or am familiar with.  So now that fall is right around the corner I wanted to share some of my favorite books that take place right here in New England.

Massachusetts

1. Defending Jacob; William Landay
2. Shutter Island; Dennis Lehane
3. Cascade; Maryanne O'Hara
4. The Heretic's Daughter; Kathleen Kent
5. Ethan Frome; Edith Wharton
6. The House of Seven Gables; Nathaniel Hawthorne
7. The Handmaid's Tale; Margaret Atwood
8. Dreamcatcher; Stephen King
9. Lisa Gardner Thrillers (all)
10. Tess Gerritsen Thrillers (all)

Connecticut

1. The Hour I First Believed; Wally Lamb
2. Did You Ever Have a Family; Bill Clegg
3. Last Night at the Lobster; Stewart O'Nan
4. Interpreter of Maladies; Jumpa Lahiri
5. Three Weissmann's of Westport; Catherine Schine

Rhode Island

1. The Marriage Plot; Jeffrey Eugenides
2. A Guide to Newport's Cliffwalk: Tales of Seaside Mansions & the Gilded Age Elite; Ed Morris
3. London is the Best City in America; Laura Dave
4. Sudden Sea: Great Hurricane of 1938; R A Scotti
5. The Witches of Eastwick; John Updike

Vermont

1. The Secret History; Donna Tarrt
2. Light on Snow; Anita Shreve
3. Water Witches; Chris Bohjalian
4. Second Glance; Jodi Picoult
5. Crossing to Safety; Wallace Stegnar

New Hampshire

1. A Separate Peace; John Knowles
2. Sea Glass; Anita Shreve
3. The Hotel New Hampshire; John Irving
4. Nineteen Minutes; Jodi Picoult
5. Labor Day; Joyce Maynard 

Maine

1. Olive Kitteridge; Elizabeth Strout
2. Maine; J. Courtney Sullivan
3. Shadows on the Coast of Maine; Lea Wait
4. Salem's Lot; Stephen King
5. Empire Falls; Richard Russo

Do you have some favorite New England based books?

Winter at the Door; Sarah Graves

Winter at the Door; Sarah Graves

Dreamscape Media/Bantam 2015

The first book of a new series, Winter at the Door,  is a mystery set in rural Maine.  

Lizzie Snow just may have made the biggest mistake of her life.  Then a former romantic interest recommends her for a new job, she decides to leave Boston for a job with the Bearkill Maine police force.

Lizzie had her other reasons for wanting to  relocate to Maine.  She has reason to believe her young niece Nicki who was kidnapped 9 years earlier just might be in this area of Maine.  Lizzie's introduction to Maine and the police force gets off to a rocky start. She is never given a clear description of her duties are except that there is a possible cop killer in the area but, the victims deaths are made to look like possible suicides.

I loved the setting of this book, it felt very atmospheric, deep woods Maine in winter. In general, the story held my interest, but, I think the story and the characters could have been further developed. There seemed like an awful lot going on and, not everything seemed to relate to the central mystery.

3.5/5 stars

(library audio book)

Badlands; CJ Box

Badlands; CJ Box

Macmillan Audio - 2016

(Book #2 in the Cassie Dewell series)

Grimstad, North Dakota is a booming oil town and because of that a town where everyone once knew their neighbors has seen an influx of newcomers, both good and bad elements.

The story begins with Kyle Westergaard, a 12 year-old boy with limitations due to fetal alcohol syndrome.  Kyle's mother and her current partner do not provide much more than a roof over the boys head and for extra money Kyle has a newspaper route.  One day while Kyle is making his deliveries he sees an accident and finds a duffle bag on the side of the road. The bag is heavy but he manages to carry the bag home on his bike. The bag contains a large sum of money and drugs worth millions.

It was great fun listening to this story unfold  with many edge of your seat moments as unsavory individuals pop in and out of the story. Cassie Dewell, Chief Investigator and Sherrif John Kirkbride are quickly involved in a high stakes case between a ruthless Salvadorian MS-13s gang, a biker gang and crooked cops. This was one of those audio book experiences that made our recent road trip great fun.  January Savoy did a great job with both the female and male voices. 

Although it's not necessary to read book #1 of the series, Highway, first, that one was a fun listen as well even though, I enjoyed this offering more.

4.5/5 stars

(library audio book)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Hot Milk; Deborah Levy

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon.

Hot Milk; Deborah Levy

Bloomsbury - 2016

2015. Algeria. Southern Spain. August.

"Today I dropped my laptop on the concrete floor of a bar built on the beach.  It was tucked under my arm and slid out of its black rubber sheath (designed like and envelope), landing screen side down.  The digital page is now shattered but at least it still works.  My laptop has all my life in it and knows more about me than anyone else.

So what I'm saying is that if its broken, so am I."

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?

They Left Us Everything; Plum Johnson

They Left Us Everything; Plum Johnson

(a memoir)

G.P. Putnam  & Sons 2016

They Left Us Everything was such an enjoyable memoir. It's the kind of story that anyone dealing with eldercare issues should be able to relate to.

When Plum Johnson's 93 year old mother died, she took on the task of cleaning out the 23 room house her parents had raised the family in since 1950. Located in Toronto Canada on the shores of Lake Ontario, the location more than the house in its current state made it prime real estate property.

Plum was the oldest child, in her early 60's at the time of her mothers death. She had three younger brothers. For 20 years she had been caregiver to her parents, first to her father with dementia and after his death, to her demanding mother who lived 40 minutes away.

As Plum begins the task of cleaning out her parents home, each nook and cranny she shifts through, unearths memories and things about her parents she never knew. She sorts through personal letters and childhood memories which stir much emotion.

I loved this story from the family dynamics to how what she thought what would be a 6 week project took her16 months to complete  An intimate look at the mother/daughter relationship, a journey on life and loss, and definitely a story that will make you appreciate the time spent with family while you have the chance.

4.5/5 stars

(review copy)

R.I.P. XI

R.I.P XI is a reading celebration started by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings eleven years ago. It's a celebration that runs from September 1 through October 31st. Check out Carl's blog for detailed info but, basically just have fun reading scary stuff or watching scary films.

Carl's overview

The review site

Reading and film subject matters would fall into some form of the following areas:

• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Gothic
• Horror
• Dark Fantasy

There are only two expectations if you want to participate with us:

• Have fun reading (and watching).
• Share that fun with others.

I plan to read (4) books (from my shelves - another bonus) for this challenge. I've included a brief description of each.

(Update - 10/31/2016) BOOKS READ

1. The Wasp Factory; Ian Banks---The polarizing literary debut by Scottish author Ian Banks, The Wasp Factory is the bizarre, imaginative, disturbing, and darkly comic look into the mind of a child psychopath.
2. The Heavens May Fall; Allen Eskens--Detective Max Rupert and attorney Boady Sanden’s friendship is being pushed to the breaking point. Max is convinced that Jennavieve Pruitt was killed by her husband, Ben. Boady is equally convinced that Ben, his client, is innocent. As the case unfolds, the two are forced to confront their own personal demons.
3. Pretty Girls; Karin Slaughter --Pretty Girls is a gritty, disturbing, psychological thriller. The Carroll family has never been the same since the disappearance of daughter and sister Julia from her college dorm some 24 years earlier. 
   I haven't read this author in several years and always enjoyed her psych thrillers previously but, wow, has her writing become disturbing. It's overridden with violence and brutality against women and, was very tough to listen to.  I had to fast forward over some of that violence.  Definitely not recommended for the faint of heart.
4. The Girls She Left Behind; Sarah Graves --A few months ago I listened to the first book of a new series by Sarah Graves. The book was Winter at the Door, with protagonist, Lizzie Snow. In that story Lizzie had just relocated to rural Bearkill, Maine to accept a job as Sheriff's Deputy. Previously, Lizzie had been a homicide detective in Boston but, relocated hoping to follow a lead concerning her missing niece Nicki.  Although this story is the second book of a series, there is plenty of background information provided so that you need not feel compelled to read book one before trying this one.  Overall, I enjoyed listening to this mystery. It's a bit darker than book one but, not overly so.  Lizzy is a decent protagonist but she can be a bit of a flake when it comes to romantic interests.  I loved the cold, dark, rural Maine setting of both of these books which makes the mystery aspects more atmospheric.  Kirsten Potter is a great audio book narrator as well.

How about joining this Fright Fest?