The Wasp Factory; Iain Banks

The Wasp Factory; Iain Banks

Simon & Schuster - 1998

OMG what a disturbing and twisted story. It took me well over a week to read this book and it's just over 200 pages.

The story takes place on a small remote island off the coast of Scotland and it's told from the POV of a 16 year old psychopath named Frank Cauldhame. Frank had murdered 3 people by the age of 9 -- his younger brother and 2 young cousins and, he gets away with it as well.

Frank's father Angus is a brilliant oddball but, at least initially, he seems harmless.  He home schools Frank.  There is also older brother Eric who was locked up in an insane asylum but, as the story opens he had just escaped. It's a mystery as to why Eric had been confined there.

The Wasp Factory is definitely a disturbing, and yet at times, comical story.  There are some pretty gruesome scenes played out which included the torture of animals (sniff). Frank, despite the fact he killed 3 children, at times seemed like the most normal character once everything is finally revealed in the end.

At times I felt like this might be a DNF for me but, in the end I was glad I saw how this bizarre story played out.

4/5 stars
(personal copy)

Hot Milk; Deborah Levy

Hot Milk; Deborah Levy

Bloomsbury - 2016

Hot Milk was an interesting novel and character study. It's a story that examines the co-dependent, mother/daughter relationship.

As the story opens twenty-five year old Sofia has abandoned pursuing her Phd in Anthropology and her coffee house job to travel to Amelia Spain with her mother Rose in the hopes that the Gomez Clinic there may be able to help her ailing mother.  Rose is an unlikable woman with an array of aches, pains and other ailments, her latest being numbness in her feet making it difficult to walk.  Rose is on a variety of meds, which she may or may not need.  

Sofia's father abandoned her and her mother years earlier and, Sofia hasn't seen he father who lives in Greece since she was eleven.  He now has a new younger wife and baby.

Are Roses ailments real or just a way to guilt her daughter into staying close by her side?

While Rose seeks treatment with the cat loving, Dr. Gomez, Sofia occupies her time with two different romantic relationships and a trip to see her self-entered, father and his new family.

Sofia is a passionate and entertaining narrator. While others see her dark features as alluring and sensual, she sees herself as monster-like.  I found the plot simple but, the writing intelligent and story memorable. There are several funny scenes throughout including one where Gomez tests Rose to determine whether her numbness in her feet is real or imagined, I loved it. There's almost a dreamlike quality to the writing that hooked me early on. The story examines: dependent relationships, abandonment issues and takes a look at quack-like doctors, hypochondria and big-Pharma.  A surprising treat for me and a relatively short novel as well.  I can see why this one made the Man Booker list.

4.5/5 stars

(library)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Commonwealth; Ann Patchett

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph or two, from a book I'm reading or will be reading soon. (Patchett is a favorite author for me)

Commonwealth; Ann Patchett

Harper - 2016

"The christening party took a turn when Albert Cousins arrived with gin.  Fix was smiling when he opened the door and kept smiling as he struggled to make the connection: it was Albert Cousins from the district attorney's office standing on the cement slab of his front porch.  He'd opened the door twenty times in the last half hour--to neighbors and friends and people from church and Beverly's sister and all his brothers and their parents and practically an entire precinct worth of cops--but Cousins was the only surprise.  Fix had asked his wife two weeks ago why she thought they had to invite every single person they knew in the world to a christening party and she'd asked him if he wanted to look over the guest list and tell her who to cut.  He hadn't looked at the list, but if she were standing at the door now he would have pointed straight ahead and said, Him. Not that he disliked Albert Cousins, he didn't know him other than to put his name together with his face, but not knowing him was the reason not to invite him.  Fix had thought that maybe Cousins had come to his house to talk to him about a case: nothing like that ever happened before but what else was the explanation?  Guests were milling around in the front yard, and whether they were coming late or leaving early or just taking refuge outside because the house was packed beyond what any fire marshall would allow, Fix couldn't say.  What he was sure of was that Cousins was the uninvited, alone with a bottle in a bag."

What do you think? Keep reading or probably pass?

Feel free to join in by posting a link to you First Paragraph Intro below.

Notorious RBG: The Life & Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Irin Carmon & Shana Knizunik

Notorious RBG: The Life & Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Irin Carmon & Shana Knizunik
Dey Street Books - 2015

Consider me a new RBG groupie and, if I were the type to get a tattoo, it would be one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. My appreciation for this woman was never fully realized until first listening to this book and then rushing out to buy the hardcover which has lots of photos and illustrations, a virtual scrapbook of her life.

Notorious RBG chronicles the personal and professional life of RBG, a woman who was appointed Supreme Court judge by President Clinton.  A woman who from an early age saw injustice in this world and wanted to do what she could to fix this.  This book gives you a good feel for who she is and what she stands for. Her personal life and her intense love for Marty Ginsburg (deceased 2010) made me teary-eyed.  This book is a beautiful tribute to a woman who for 50+ years has worked tirelessly to advance women and see ALL people as equal with equal rights.

A FEW QUOTES

• "Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time."
• "When the jabot with scalloped glass beads glitters flat against the top of RBG's black robe, it's bad news for liberals. That's her dissent collar"
• "When RBG was asked how she managed to have such an extraordinary marriage, she often answered by saying that Marty himself was extraordinary, and he saw the same in her."
• "She imagined a world where men transformed themselves alongside women and where sexual and reproductive freedom was grounded in women's equality and then she worked to make it real."

How To Be Like RBG

• Work for What You Believe In
• But, Pick Your Battles
• And, Don't Burn Your Bridges
• Don't Be Afraid to Take Charge
• Think About What You Want, Then Do the Work
• But Enjoy What Makes You Happy
• Bring Along Your Crew
• Have a Sense of Humor

And, in case you just can't get enough of RBG there is this amazing coloring book by Tom O'Leary that I feel in love with as well.

5/5 stars

(library audio & hardcover)

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper; Phaedra Patrick

 

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper; Phaedra Patrick

Mira - 2016

In this delightful debut novel we meet Arthur Pepper, age 69. A widower for one year, Arthur and Miriam had been married for 40 years. Arthur's children think that it is time for him to get on with the rest of his life.  So on the one year anniversary of his wife's death his decides to clear away her things and , in the process he finds a "charm" bracelet that he has never seen before. He's curious to find out where it came from and why he never saw Miriam wear it.

When Arthur notices that the Indian elephant charm with gemstone has a telephone number engraved, Arthur decides to find out more about the person who may have given Miriam the charm.  This charm leads him to someone in India, a place he never knew his former wife had lived. What else didn't Arthur know about Miriam?

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a journey of discovery and, although the individual stories behind each charm were fun to read about, the real "charm" of this novel was Arthur's self-realization as he thinks about his own legacy.  I really enjoyed this sweet story with its many funny and endearing moments. In many ways remind me of the writing style of Fredrik Backman.

4/5 stars

(eGalley)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Wasp Factory Iain Banks

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph or two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon. This one will is for the RIP Challenge.

The Wasp Factory; Iain Banks

Simon & Schuster - 1984

1. The Sacrifice Poles

I HAD BEEN making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped.  I already knew something was going to happen; the Factory told me.

Would you keep reading or take a pass?

Feel free to join in by adding your link below.

Random Thoughts and New Books

Oh what a week, last week my still new car with less than 7,000 miles on it was parked while I was in the gym. It was minding its own business when a transport van backed into it. UPSETTING, yes, but fortunately there were witnesses and after a week in the shop, it's back home looking new again at no cost to me.

We've had a lovely change in weather from hot and humid to breezy and high 70 temps with low 50's at night. I'm so happy the AC is off now and I can start thinking about different meals to prepare and apple season.  Today is the official start of football season so I look forward to more free time on Sundays and Monday nights since I'm not a fan but, my husband is.

 (Book Sale Finds)

I loved Cutting for Stone when I listened to it years ago

but wanted a copy for my someday reread shelf

(New Books by Mail)

• Fortress; Danielle Trussonni (Dey Street Books)
• Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady; Susan Quinn (Penguin)
• All at Sea: Memoir; Decca Aitkenhead
• The Christmas Town; Donna Van Liere (St Martin's Press)
• The Flower Arrangement; Ella Griffin (Orion)
• The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating; Elizabeth Tova Bailey (Algonquin)

Have a Great Week All