Augustgods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
This group meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month at the Lakeline store. We initially called ourselves the Magical Mystery Tour for lack of other inspiration. But, because that was a rather mis-leading name, it got changed. What the name attempted to convey is that we read accross a wide spectrum of genres—memoir, history, contemporary fiction, science, etc. I think the term eclectic conveys that much better.
Anyway—to see what we've been reading, check out the list below. I've also included some of my personal impressions of the books as well, so the list is kind of a reading journal. The titles in green have links to additional information that might be of interest to reading groups.
August
gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
July
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
We all three agreed that this one was a disappoinment. Our biggest issue was the main character—we had absolutely no sympathy for her, nor did we even like her. It felt like what we found to be the intriguing parts of the story were the ones that were just glossed over or tied into a too-pretty bow (the mother, the father's death, the relationships of the women). I liked how one reviewer, Janet Maslin, described it: "If a computer had been asked to combine romance, spirituality, nature, tourism and violent self-mutilation it might have come up with something like this." (New York Times, April 11, 2005)
June: no meeting
May
March by Geraldine Brooks
Loved this book. I remember really enjoying Little Women, and March offered a wonderful new perspective to that novel. Mr. March was not really a likable character (definitely flawed), but his story was so compelling and so well told that one couldn't help but be drawn in. Brooks also painted a very vivid portrait of the Civil War and of some of the prominent events and figures of the time. The way she wove this story with that of Alcott's was seamless. There's a reason why this one won the Pulitzer Prize this year.
April: no meeting
March
Assassination Vactaion by Sarah Vowell
Bad. Bad, I tell you. None of us could even get through the first 100 pages. A real disappointment for me, particularly since I had read such positive reviews and really enjoyed seeing her on The Daily Show. I just was not into her writing—no clear narrative, a very random, stream-of-consciousness style (but not in any thought-provoking sense), and uninspired.
February
Dry by Augusten Burroughs
We all really liked this one. It was a hard tale, but it was told with such humor, that we couldn't help but appreciate it. It was interesting timing on our part as well—a large part of our meeting was spent on the whole James Frey-Oprah-fictionalized-memoir debacle, and how it related to Burroughs (who has freely admitted to embellishment in his memoirs). There is even a disclaimer at the front of Dry. Made for some great discussion.
January
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Ugh. A little behind here. It is now August, and I'm finally writing about this book. I liked Maise Dobbs, with all of her flaws. The pace of the book was just okay though. It seemed like the story could have been woven together more strongly (the giant flashback in the middle of the book was kind of annoying in terms of placement, though it was great in terms of story). It was good enough that all three of us went and picked up the second in the series.
November/December
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
I just wasn't that into this one... nor was anyone else I talked to about it. The main character was an interesting fellow, but the book's focus (or really, lack thereof) was not on him. The treatment of the titular American gods was rather frustrating for me (maybe, if I had a masters in world mythology, it might have been a fun time). As for the plot—there was one, but it was stylistically way too loose for my liking. I suspect I would have enjoyed this one more if I was still a pseudo-intellectual literature major snob. Then again, maybe not.
October: no meeting
September
Mistress of the Elgin Marbles by Susan Nagel
There were some things that the author did very well in this book, including painting a vivid portrait of the social vivaciousness of Mary Elgin, illustrating the character of Lord Elgin, and developing a solid story of a failing marriage. But still, this book left me wanting more—more about the marbles themselves, more about the legacy and relevance of the marbles today, more about Mary as a woman after her return to England. I also found myself thinking that maybe Nagel's portrait of Mary was rather skewed toward the positive. The verdict: enjoyable, but somehow not completely satisfying.
August
The Gilded Chamber by Rebecca Kohn
I'd have to characterize this book as very blah. Disappointing. What could have been an interesting and compelling story was essentially just a slightly (and really, I mean slightly) embellished re-telling of the Bible story of Esther. In no way inspired.
July
The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips
My strongest feeling after finishing this book was wacky. This book was wacky. It is an epistolary book, told primarily through letters written by the three main characters (who were all very strange, and very wrapped up in themselves... thus, the wackiness). Sometimes the chronology was challenging to follow, but it was very interesting hearing the story from such different perspectives. Though the ending was not nearly as fulfilling as I had hoped it would be (in fact, the whole last quarter really fizzles out), I enjoyed the wry, dark humor and the journey.
June
Codex by Lev Grossman
I was actually pleasantly surprised by this book... of course, that does not make up for the fact that it left me thoroughly disappointed. Some things just tied up in a bow that was just too pretty, and others ended in a disappointingly bland fashion. The saving graces for me were the interesting ways in which the author tied the modern (MMORPGs, gaming) to the archaic (medieval literature, reading) as well as the wonderfully fascinating details of medieval manuscripts and early vernacular literature.
May
Ada Blackjack by Jennifer Niven
Well... I didn't manage to finish this one, nor did I attend the meeting— but not for lack of interest or anything... what I did read of this book was very well put together and compelling, and at some point, I do intend to finish. (Ugh, I'm becoming a book-group slacker!)
April
The Coffee Trader by David Liss
There were many good things about this book—the historical details, the well-drawn characters, the fascinating glimpses into other cultures... But I came into this book with an expectation of a mystery novel, albeit a literary one, but a novel of suspense. And it just didn't really fit the bill. It definitely had intrigue, and really captured an interesting subject, but I wouldn't call it suspenseful. My preconceptions got the better of me in this case. Not fair, but it's the truth.
March
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
This was not an easy read, and I would never read it a second time, but I think it was well-worth the one time. Critics have called this Lewis's greatest novel, though his rans have never agreed. Being as the only other books I've read by him concerned Narnia, I'm not sure I'm the best judge. But I think I see why there is contention...there was a lot of meat to this story, but the characters, in particular, the narrator through whose eyes we see the story unfold, is not very likeable. It was an interesting take on the Cupid and Psyche myth, and reminded me very much of Gregory Maguire's Wicked and Mirror, Mirror in the style it was told. I'm curious if Lewis was at all an inspiration for his work.
February
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Initially, I was certain I didn't want to read this book. Too violent, too depressing, etc. But then, night before the book group, I was feeling guilty because I hadn't read it, so figured I'd at least start it... I was up until 2:30 am. I could not put this book down, not even to sleep. I was well and truly gripped. A powerful story-- haunting, because it seemed so real. And yes, it was violent, and it was depressing-- but there was also hope, and that kept me going.
January
Mirror Mirror by Gregory McGuire
A strange book. There were some things about it that intrigued me , were interesting, that I liked-- the writing style, the Borgias, the psychological aspects of the mirror, how he wove the fairy tale into a real historical period, with real characters. But some I just didn't get. What was up with those dwarves?