Still Alice by Lisa Genova

   I started this book yesterday at about 12:30 in the afternoon, and minus a few hours for things to do, I finished it at 11:30 that night. I could not stop reading it. Still Alice impacted me in a way that a book has not in a very long time. When I finished the book I felt, not numb, but very still. It was like I had to let it just sit for a bit before I could move on or I would lose something important.
   Alice is a 50 year old Harvard cognitive psychology professor who discovers that she has early onset Alzheimer's. She is brilliant, loves language and its aquisition, has three grown children and is married to John, a biology professor. Alice and John have slowly drifted closer to their career passions; something Alice notices, but is unable to turn around for them.
   Her struggle to retain herself as she loses the ability to, her frustration, fear, anger; her love, are all wonderfully captured. Alice's family's struggles are painted just as vividly. Still Alice is written in a balanced blending of the first and third person that illustrates the progression of her dementia in way that is both heartbreaking and beautiful. Alice and her family are real, and you want to reach out to her without pity and with friendship to make up for the fear and embarrassment that she is met with.
   Lisa Genova wove a rich fabric in Still Alice that I think all readers should wear on their bookshelves. Her story was just a chance book that I chose at the library, yes, I judged it by its cover. I am glad I did. Writing this review brings back its haunting, sad and beautiful story as though I was in the midst of the tale myself.

Favorite Quotes:

"The clocks in their home rarely knew the real time of day. Alice had been duped too often in the past by their seemingly honest faces..."

"A zealous crowd surrounded and circled a buffet table, aggressively diving in for food like seagulls at a city beach."

"Anna was his older sister. She'd taught him how to snap and blow gum bubbles, and she always gave him her Halloween candy."

"There it was, her Alzheimer's, stripped and naked under the fluorescent lighting, on display for Sarah Something to scrutinize and judge."

"She couldn't wait to smell her delicious grandchildren."

"The tiny, sleeping baby breathed tiny, shallow breaths through tiny, round nostrils."

Overall Opinion:

I know I said this blog was not about self discovery, but I would be a human null if I didn't admit that Still Alice woke something in me.

Rating:

Must Recommend for Reading

Death of the Party by Carolyn Hart

   Mysteries! I love mysteries!! Carolyn Hart was a discovery I made at the library over a year ago; I purely judged that book by its cover when I was choosing. (Alack, overdue fines and a lost book kept me away. Something I'll be avoiding if I am to continue my venture in future.) I picked up Death of the Party for fun. It was.
   Her characters are mystery bookstore owner Annie and her husband Max Darling, a professional mystery solver. They are a completely in love and adorable. In Death, the Darlings agree to assist Britt Barlow. Britt has hidden a murder for a year; at first to avoid unpleasantness for her ill sister, and later because what are you going to do? it's been a year.
   Carolyn Hart keeps the ball rolling, spices her writing with references to other mystery writers, some familiar to me, some not. I enjoy the other references. They intrigue me when I don't know them and allow me to feel insufferably smug when I do.
   It appears, from the two books that I have read, that there is a continuity in her stories and major and minor characters from the tourist town the Darling's live in. I always appreciate that as it makes me feel more connected to the characters. It's an easy way to find yourself invested in their outcome.

Favorite Quotes:

"She strolled away from Britt, arrogant as a peacock, but she forgot it's men as has the fancy feathers."

"Their brightness was cheerless as splotches of makeup on the cheeks of an old woman."

Overall Opinion:

I liked it.

Rating:

Beach Read

Grimpow The Invisible Road by Rafael Abalos

   First things first. Grimpow The Invisible Road by Rafael Abalos follows Grimpow, (that sounded a little obvious after I typed it, but I don't write the stories, I just review them) a 14th century boy who happens across a dead body. Grimpow, (Grim po' ? Grim pow' ?), like other poor boys of his time, is illiterate, but dreams of one day being a knight's squire. After telling his friend Durlib, a thief/swindler and his father figure, about his discovery, they return to the body and discover more mysteries.
   Thus, Grimpow begins a journey that includes the philosopher's stone, the secret of the wise and, of course, the Knights Templar. The story is well told, avoids most dawdling, and has likeable characters. Abalos' book stresses wisdom and knowledge over religion, but as some of the characters that are responsible for guiding Grimpow are good monks, I felt that his conflict centered more around the greed of the powerful and imposition of willful ignorance than God per se.
   I have no qualms about any of my children reading Grimpow, though it seems to be more a boys book than a crossover tale. Plus, I don't know if my boys would get into the story. While it was written well enough and I was interested in seeing the end, it just didn't grab me, and 482 pages are a lot of pages to get through when you lack a hook. The book is translated from its original Spanish, I don't think that had anything to do with it, but without reading it in the original Espanol, who can tell?

Favorite Quotes:

"Nausea quickly ran up Grimpow's throat and stirred the stew that sat so sweetly in his stomach."

"The young lady noticed the boy who stood staring at her, and smiled, sending Grimpow's thoughts scattering like a flock of birds taken by surprise, and turning his cheeks red."

Overall Opinion:

I started on the fence and am swiftly falling to the opinion that says this book was not for me. It seemed to have all the right elements, but was still missing something, umm, how do you say, umm (snapping my fingers), a je ne sais quois? By the end of the book I was flipping through the pages and just scanning to see what happened.

Rating:

1 Time Read (but with the caveat, "You might like it, it just didn't quite do it for me.")

Second Week Wrap

   Celebrated a cousin's wedding, first time in Laughlin, discovered that I love me some penny machines. Lucky Lemurs rock!! Wished a beloved grandmother a very happy 90th birthday this week, and not a frail, can't get around 90, but an active, still out and about, 90th birthday. My Granny is grantastic!!! Gossiped and joked with cousins, spent time being strong armed into sewing a glider cushion cover (115 pound pregnant women are no joke, let me tell you), watched my children play and get sweaty with cousins, once and twice removed.
   It was a really good week... Wait, wait, I think I can do better than that. Last week was wonderful, filled with a living mosaic of faces, food, snapshots of love and peals of laughter. Okay, enough of the smarm and onto the books!
   Five more library books down; two were meals, two were dessert and one was that stuff you eat when you're not sure you're even hungry and it isn't really what you want, but you can't find anything better. I'm halfway through my first library check out. Should be done this week, since we're still on Spring Break (yay!), most of them are fluff I picked out for fun, and I am planning to do as little as possible before we return to school.
   The book snob in me is a little embarrassed about the amount of junk on my list. I think I'm going to assuage the feeling by peppering the Wrap with a judicious use of my big girl vocabulary and vivid word pictures. Judging by my last sentence, I'll be resorting to incredibly long, though nicely phrased, sentences. (That was an unbiased opinion of my sentence structure and form, by the by.)
   Reading has been more and more enjoyable. While books have been lifelong friends and reading a major pasttime spender for as long as I can remember, it has been feeling new these past two weeks. Beginning a new book, wondering how it will be reviewed, which quotes will be chosen as favorites; it is all great fun!
   Getting a little tired of all the "I" usage in the Wrap. Thinking of either omitting them or switching to writing in the third person. Will see next week.

Favorite quote of the week, "Do you know how to spike hair? Because all my spikes go in a specific location." -My fourth, 8 years old, prior to my gelling his hair.

Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott

   Bury Me Deep was fantastic! Written with breathless, run-on sentences and wonderful fragments, Megan Abbott draws you in and keeps you reading until the book is done. The story is based on a true one that took place in 1931.
   The tale stars Marion, a sheltered young wife, left alone in a strange city while her husband works in Mexico. In smaller billing are Lousie and Ginny, two good-time girls with well earned, questionable reputations and no qualms about earning a living and "Gent" Joe Lanigan, the obligatory man's man who runs the town behind and in front of the scenes. A pivotal cameo is put in by Dr. Seeley, Marion's husband.
   Marion, at first naively drawn into the circle, later purposely shuts her eyes so that she can stay in it. There is no good ending for any of the characters. There are no good characters, though some of them have redeeming traits that keep you from despising them.
   Ms. Abbott's writes the way people think; a healthy contempt for the proper use of commas, semicolons and periods, not to mention a callous disregard for complete sentences. Her style makes Marion come off the pages in a way that allows you to feel her awe, uneasiness, doubt and grasping. All of the characters snap with realism and never fall flat.
   If you're wondering what the story is actually about, well, c'mon, I told you there was a lonely married woman befriended by girls determined to thumb their noses at all things polite, who also know someone named Gent Joe. What you think is going to happen will, what you think couldn't happen don't be too sure of.

Favorite Quotes:

"Ride a while and smile the while, dontcha know."

"The music hammered at her and the floors felt sodden with champagne and maybe it wasn't so different from Louise and Ginny's and yet it was. It was. It was because that was their party and this was not. This was not. It was something else and it felt a little bit like these girls had, stiff-faced and cold-eyed, punched a clock."

"The feckless words whistling in her ear, and before she could think, her arm lifted again and she pointed this time at him, trying to rise, shirtfront showgirl-spangled."

Overall Opinion:

Did I say it was fantastic?! Ms. Abbott also offers the additional gift of a synopsis of the true story her book is based on. Yay.

Rating:

Recommended Reading

"C" is for Corpse by Sue Grafton

   The third book in Sue Grafton's alphabet series. I am thinking that, unless something radically changes in one of the books, will not be reviewed for each reading beyond the first one. I can think of a few other book series that will fall into the category of fun reading, same story.
  
For an introduction of Kinsey Millhone, P.I., see my "B" is for Burglar review.

Favorite Quotes:

"He was already slathering Miracle Whip on that brand of soft white bread that can double as a foam sponge. I kept my eyes discreetly averted as if he were engaged in pornographic practices."

"There was so much lyrical music playing overhead, I felt like the heroine in a romantic comedy."

"This was his version of small talk, I assumed. I sat down and let him ramble briefly. He seemed anxious and I couldn't imagine what had brought him in. We made mouth noises at each other, demonstrating goodwill."

"People always love it when you say their dogs are nice. Just shows you how of touch they are."

"I'm not that fast at subtraction so it's probably fortunate that I don't lie about how old I am."

"'Besides, "stupid" is after the fact. I always feel smart when I think things up.'"

Overall Opinion:

The Kinsy Millhone series; always a fun, quick read.

Rating:

Definitely needs one.

A Real Boy A True Story of Autism Early Intervention, and Recovery by Christina Adams

   I have to admit that I was incredibly hesitant to read this book. You know the "must see" movie that everyone is talking about, the one you kind of want to see, but you're not sure if you can handle the heavy theme. That's what I was feeling about A Real Boy. I was wrong.
   The theme is tough. Mrs. Adams and her husband ask themselves and each other unanswerable questions about what caused this to happen. Mr. Adams blames his wife for her use of pitocin during labor, knowing it is unreasonable. Mrs. Adams blames herself, while thinking she would never accuse her husband if the shoe were on the other foot while remembering days that she blamed her husband for things that happened to Jonah, knowing that her blame was equally unreasonable. Their days seem exhausting, draining and confusing. And yet, the story that is woven transcends all of that. Over the cacophony of hurt, anger, confusion, fear, you hear the siren song of their love, determination and hope overwhelm the noise.
   A Real Boy tells the story of the Adam's family discovery that their almost three year old son Jonah is autistic and what they do to help him recover. Jonah's story is beautifully, though a little confusingly told. It is filled with milestones and seemingly blinding quick accomplishments, followed by flashes of setbacks and periods of difficult days that feel more like afterthought inserts. It is sometimes difficult to grasp because you hear good things, good things, good things and then, out of the blue, it has been a bad week all along for Jonah, and by extension his family.
   The overall story is a snapshot of a family smacked between the eyes and hanging on, by hook or by crook, to their love for each other and their son; determined to make the best possible future they can. Yes, the theme is heavy, but A Real Boy is, in the end, a love story.

Favorite Quotes:

"...I kept the milk-based formula and added cheese and ice cream to his diet, in love with watching him eat foods that would strengthen his bones and fill his mouth with pleasure."

"From the kitchen, I can hear Ross's low voice and Jack's softer one as Ross tries to explain Jane's techniques. I've read some autism therapy books, and I am prepared, even hopeful, for a fight, since they say recovered kids often fight in the beginning. So I stay in the kitchen and make row after row of cookies, grim and hopeful, as the cries come from the living room."

Overall Opinion:

I am glad I read this book. Had I not decided to read through the library I most likely would never have picked it up; it would have been my loss.

Rating:

A Good Read