Shopgirl by Steve Martin
I had been wanting to read this for a while because I like Steve Martin and thought it would be fun to read what he wrote. I was predisposed even to like this book because it had gotten such good press. I didn’t like it. The characters where not very engaging and since it is written in third person omniscient, it makes it even more difficult to get close to the characters. I didn’t feel like Martin even liked his characters. So because he didn’t like them, I didn’t like them. I will give it props though for a sorta unexpected twist at the end.
The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart
Lana Bob! wanted me to read this book so we could discuss it. I picked it up at the library and started to read it only to realize that sometime in the past year and a half, not only did I read it, I bought it and subsequently loaned it to someone and now don’t remember to whom. Reading it, I had this very weird sense of déjà vu and while I had completely forgotten the plot, I did remember reading it before. This is the worst case of mommy brain I’ve ever experienced and I have to say that it’s pretty darn annoying.
The book, however, is good, even the second time around. It has a nicely paced, unraveling plot that engages you in the story and the characters. I both rooted for, was mad at, and ultimately was happy for Cameron, the main character. I was angry with, and felt sympathy for, and ultimately admired Sonya, Cameron’s long lost friend. I guess this is chick lit, I don’t know. That category is sort of a catch all for any novel involving female main characters. But regardless, it’s an interesting story, pretty well told and it got total bonus points for being set in Oxford, MS and Boston, MA, as I have been to both places and since I was most recently in Boston, even knew where they were part of the time.
The Quilter’s Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini
I bought this book in Boston in a used bookstore. Nerd shopping, gotta love it.
I started reading this book and almost put it down because the dialog was so stilted and bad. I was interested in the story though, so I kept reading and I’m actually kinda glad I did. It’s sort of a “Fried Green Tomatoes” story where the older character tells stories from the past and indeed those were the best parts of the book for me. With a close second place going to the parts actually discussing the quilts. Maybe it’s the artist in me, but I’m always interested in hearing other people discuss their craft. While the actual application might be different, often the process and the principles are the same and I love that. When I looked the book up at amazon.com, I realized there are multiple in the series. I might just have to check out the others and see if Jennifer gets any better with the dialog thing.
Jesus Rode a Donkey: Why Republicans Don’t Have the Corner on Christ
by Linda Seger
A non-fiction book I picked up at the library because the title actually made me laugh out loud. The subject matter isn’t all that laughable however. Linda addresses all the hot-button political topics and does so in a very readable style. It helped me clarify my thinking on a few issues and gives some nice biblical support for and against several of those issues. My Republican friends, don’t get your hackles up too much. She is excellent in pointing out that we all need to work together to solve these problems and that we need understanding and kindness on both sides of the political spectrum to accomplish change. I think it’s pretty good reading for pretty much everybody.
