Book Review-Late Summer 2013

A Week in Winter- by Maeve Binchy-Maeve Binchy, one of my absolute favorite authors EVER, died right after writing this book.  It was published posthumously, and I was on the waiting list to read this ever since it came out.  This book was classic Binchy, delving into the intertwining lives of all of her characters, told from all of their different points of view.  I teared up several times while I read this book…not because it was sad, but because I knew it was the last new Binchy I’d ever read.  Her novels have lots of recurring characters, and many of them made cameo appearances in this book, and I teared up whenever that happened too (aw heck, I’m never going to hear about Signora again, etc.)  Many people find Binchy’s books slow, and it’s true, there’s really no action and adventure.  But there is amazing character development and sweet, happy plotlines.  I’ll miss you, Maeve Binchy.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green-I loved this.  When I tell you about it, you won’t want to read this YoungAdult novel, but I hope you do.  Hazel, who is narrating the story, is a 16 year old who has terminal cancer.  She is very clear about it.  She is going to die, it’s just a matter of time.  At her cancer support group, she meets Augustus, who also has cancer, but a more hopeful type of cancer. They fall in love.  This book is funny, heartbreaking, and beautifully told.  Please read it.  And get the tissue box ready.

 

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty-  I really liked this one.  Laura Moriarty wrote The Center of Everything which I recommended to you within the last year, and was the reason I picked this one up.  The setting is Kansas and NYC in the early 1900’s. The chaperone is forty-something Cora Carlisle.  Much of this book explores Cora’s life, alternating between her actual chaperoning of the extremely rebellious Louise Brooks, whose mother hire Cora to chaperone the talented Louise in NYC as she attends dance school there.  I didn’t realize until very late in the book that Louise Brooks was a real person (who become a Hollywood movie star) and much of this book is based on true events in Louise’s life (I think the stuff about Cora was all made up).  I loved the book up until the time in NYC was over.  But then the author made the mistake of following Cora back to Kansas and telling us what happened to Cora and Louise for the entire rest of their lives.  It was drawn out and really not that great.  The book should have ended after NYC.  Anywho, read it!  I think you’ll like it (the first two-thirds anyway.)

Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris-I love all of Sedaris’s books, and have reviewed others.  He writes unconnected essays and is drily funny in a very sarcastic, understated way.  Check out this one or any other of Sedaris’s books if you want a good (albeit irreverent)laugh.

 

 

Brady, Brady, Brady by Sherwood Schwartz and Lloyd Schwartz-I can’t resist a good Brady Bunch memoir, and while this one was no work of art, it was entertaining and I learned a lot of trivia about the Brady Bunch from reading it.  For instance, the alien midgets in the episode where the boys think they see a UFO are the Brady kids’ stand-ins.  Also, the man who wrote the Brady Bunch theme song played the saxophone with his “daughter” in the Fillmore High School talent Show (the one where Mike read the poem and Greg played the guitar etc.)

 

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella-This newest novel by the author of my beloved Shopaholic series, was just so-so.  Read it or not, I don’t care.  Also I’m tired of typing and Jack wants lunch.  Go google this yourself, you lazy ingrates.