My Own Little Book Corner

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens I enjoyed this book.   It was a little far fetched at times - I mean how many times can you survive surprise attacks and a kidnapping?! The main character, Joe Talbert, is in college given an assignment to interview a stranger and write about their life.   He ends up in a nursing home interviewing a Viet Nam vet who had been convicted of murder.   Joe becomes drawn in by the vet and decides to figure out what is truth and what isn't.  A well told story that had more than one character that re-enforces the idea of how easy it is to judge when you don't know a person and what life has brought their way.   Nowhere is a Place by Bernice McFadden This is a good story, but I didn't like the way it was told.   It switches some between modern day and back through the years to tell the story of a family.   Their life through the generations was anything but flowers and rainbows.  It's hard to ...

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti A well written interesting story of love between a father and a daughter.  Samuel Hawley is a widower and is raising his daughter.  They have constantly moved because of Samuel's lifestyle which has resulted in him being shot many times - thus the title of the book.   I really liked this  book.   It is a touching story of the relationship Samuel has with his daughter, Loo.  It is also a coming of age story for Loo interspersed with the back story of how they have gotten to where they are.   I  liked all of the characters - even though they are not always the people I would want as next door neighbors.   Well written with an ending that helps make the story stay with you. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman I finally read this book after picking it up several times to buy and then putting it back down.   I'm glad I finally read it.   Ove immediately drew me in - I wanted t...

Stan Musial: An American Story by George Vecsey Being a St Louis Cardinal fan, I really enjoyed this book.  Years ago we went to his restaurant in St Louis and he was there.   He was walking the floor and giving out photos that he was autographing for anyone who wanted them.  Such a friendly, unassuming man.  The book really shows what a great man he was - coming from nothing, a hard worker, a great man and ballplayer.  It was interesting reading about the connections that he had - not only with other ballplayers (both on and off his team) but also with the community. A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City" by Drew Philip Ugh! This book brought many mixed reactions. It is the story told by a man who bought a house and an adjoining lot in a blighted Detroit neighborhood for $500 each and set about restoring the house. The interesting part of the book is stories about the neighborhood. The UGH part is when the ...

The Dinner by Herman Koch What a waste of time.   This book failed on many levels.   It is a nice premise - the story is mainly told during a dinner.  The participants in the dinner are 2 brothers and their wives.   But the story is as much about their sons as it is them.   There are a lot of sociopaths with anger management issues and you wonder how they were allowed to continue to behave that way without consequences.  There's also a twist of sorts at the end that made me want to throw the book against the wall,   Just a totally unbelievable story full of people I didn't like. Keeper of The Light (Kiss River #1) by Diane Chamberlain  I probably liked this book a little more than normal because I read it after The Dinner.  Plus I've read other books by Diane Chamberlain and I like her writing style.  This story is a story of love and obsession.   One of the main characters has passed away - Annie - having been shot while doi...

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr This is a book that has been on my TBR list for a while and I'm glad I finally got it.   The story started out a little slow for me, but picked up as I got to know the characters.   There are 2 parallel stories - one in France and one in Germany - during World War II.   One is the story of a family trying to survive the occupation and the other is a story of an orphan who is part of Hitler's Youth Movement.   Each story in itself is a good read and it's interesting how they intersect.  Marie-Laure is a smart French girl who has lost her sight.   Warner is a blonde headed German boy who is also very smart.   They both do what they can to help their side in the war - but Warner, unlike Marie-Laure, internally questions if what he is doing is right. The other characters in the story are interesting and add layers. It is a beautifully written story of love, morality, war, loss, friendship and life.   (Wh...

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey This is a story that took inspiration from a Russian folk tale about a snow girl who came to life.  Jack and Mabel Childress moved to Alaska and claimed land.   They are a childless couple who had lost a baby and were looking for a new start.   One night they build a snow girl.   The next morning it is gone,but a little girl, Faina appears.   She is a child of the woods.   The question that is always in the background is whether Faina is a human or a snow child.   This is a very interesting read on many levels.  A book I recommend. The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon A sort of love story.   The Book of Someday was begun by Livvi Gray when she was a young child living in what appears to be a loveless family.   As an adult, her book gets published.   That is where the main story begins.   The story involves 3 women who don't realize they are connected but different events draw them together. ...

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver I don't know why I give author's second chances sometimes, but l'm a sucker.   Actually I will try again when it is an author that other's seem to like.  So I gave Ms Shriver another shot. The main plot of the story is an older brother whom was always idolized by his younger sister.  He shows up at her house weighing as much as a house.  The long stay is taxing enough on the sisters family, but add his weight issue and things are really heated up.  The sister has to make a decision on how best to help her brother and what she is willing to pay to help her brother.  The story, even with a plot twist that left me rolling my eyes, was not a bad story.  I just don't like Ms Shriver's writing style.  She inserts too many "facts" about diet, America;'s views of obesity, types of diets, etc.   I just wanted a story - not a research paper or sermon. Lies Your Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson I liked thi...

After a 2 year hiatus, I think I will try doing short reviews of books again. I find even if nobody else reads it, it helps me to go back and see my impression of a book to then decide what to read in the future. August 2016 was not one of my better months in reading both in number of books and enjoyment. I would say for the most part, the books I read were ok, but none stood out. So here goes -   Freeman by Leonard Pitts This is a good story that will make you think.   It weaves the tale of people from different areas of life and the country after the abolishment of slavery.  We are introduced to those who have lived the life in slavery and those who have not, but sympathize with those who have.   We see idealist, realist and those who have no hope.  The stories are compelling. The reason I did not rate this book higher is that the entire time I was reading it, I read it as a TV script.   This is not Mr. Pitt's fault, it was just in my head...

Another month - another round of reviews.  These are more my impressions than reviews as I really don't want to give much away.  I've included links in case you are interested in knowing more about the plot. I love books and love that there are so many out there.  I'm always looking for new books to read, so send me your suggestions please. Unbroken by Laura Hildenbrand I feel unAmerican and heartless saying this, but this was not one of my favorite books.  If you don't know about this book, it is the story of Louis Zamperini - a Olympic athlete, turned Air Force member, Japanese POW, returning veteran, husband.  It is a story of survival, resilience and redemption as it says in the title, which I expected to result in a lot of emotion.  Instead, I felt detached throughout the book and I had a hard time reading it.   The main reason being that to me it read too much like a history book.  I just didn't connect with the writing style of ...

Reconstructing Amelia by Kinberly McCreight This was an OK book - not nearly as good as it could have been.  Amelia is a high school girl with all the peer pressure that goes along with it.  She is raised by a single mother with whom she appears to have a good relationship.   The mother is beyond puzzled when Amelia is found after she apparently jumped from the roof of the school.   The story goes back and forth between current and past times painting the picture of what was going on in Amelia's life before that day and what her mom is going through to try to prove that Amelia did not commit suicide.  I liked the plot, just not into the writing style or how the story developed.  At times I felt like I was reading a Young Adult book, but then again, it wasn't.   Some of the story was unbelievable too and some I couldn't understand how they fit.   Not one of my favorites, but I did read it all. The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamb...