The Red Garden

I loved The Red Garden. Once again, Alice Hoffman weaves a tale of small town existence and the deep ties among the people who live there as they struggle with their lives and loves.

As in her other novels, Hoffman gives the reader great consolation and inspiration and shows that we all carry our own powers of restraint and forgiveness -- as well as recklessness.

This is a compelling novel written in Hoffman's magical and sensual prose.

Not to be missed.

-Anne

If you enjoy books by Alice Hoffman, you may wish to consider these authors as well:

Laura Esquivel
Alice McDermott
Sandra Dallas

Irish Thunder: the Hard Life and Times of Micky Ward

I was curious about this biography by Bob Halloran when I discoverd  it was the basis of the movie "The Fighter" (with Mark Walberg).

These sentences toward the end of Irish Thunder perfectly sum up the career of boxer Micky Ward: "It was an uncommon success story. At one point, the kid from Lowell was being promoted by a guy who couldn't promote fights in his home state, managed by a novice manager, and trained by his brother, a former crack addict. Meanwhile, any one of his seven sisters could barge into his locker room drunk at any time. Yet, inside this maelstrom was a calm but violent fighter."

I knew nothing of the boxing world. Learning the ins and outs of how matches are arranged and promoted was  fascinating. The vivid descriptions of the boxing matches, punches thrown and damage done made me feel as though I were there.The relationship between the brothers Dickie and Micky was also interesting. I just wish that the book delved more into Micky's personal life.

 -Natalie

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

The author of The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating finds unlikely companionship in the form of a snail while she is bedridden with a chronic illness.  Her friend brings her the snail in a pot of violets, and soon Bailey is intrigued by its habits and endeavors to learn more about it.  Bailey is in the right situation to observe a snail, an activity that takes much time and patience.  Being cut off from the rest of the world, the author appreciates connecting with nature in this way, and having the snail around has a calming effect and keeps her spirits from sinking too low.  She even thinks about similarities between her condition and that of the snail.  Bailey learns about everything snail-related and enlightens the reader.  Hers is a well-written reflection on these quite fascinating little creatures.  The book provides inspiration not only for those whose worlds have become much smaller due to physical ailments but also for the rest of us to be able to appreciate the smallest wonders of nature.

-Elizabeth

Reading in 2011

If you are like most people, you probably read within a narrow subject or genre range. If you made a New Year's resolution to get to those books you never managed to open last year, here is a list of "reading challenges" that will help to broaden your reading tastes.

I Owe You: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay

I am about 1/3 of the way through John Lanchester's I Owe You: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay and am enjoying it. This is an account of the recent meltdown of the world's financial system written in terms that are understandable by those among us who are not derivatives traders. We've all heard and read about credit default swaps and hedge funds and derivatives. But if you are like me, much of this goes in one ear and out the other. I get the gist, but the details escape me. I Owe You is the perfect tool to put the whole financial crises in perspective and explain, in some detail, how we got into the mess we are in. While the book is written for the average reader, it requires some concentration and re-reading to get all the facts straight, so it might not be the thing to bring to the beach.

Given the complexity of modern finance, it is not surprising that many of the financial products described here ended up being so Byzantine that the people who cooked them up could not keep them straight. No wonder the rest of us are confused.

-Paul

The Wave: in Pursuit of Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean

If you are not afraid of the ocean, you should be. And if you read The Wave: in Pursuit of Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey, you definitely will be. At the very least, you will stay out of choppy seas.

Casey spends time with extreme surfers who cruise the world looking for enormous waves to surf, waves so large that they need to be towed onto them with jet skis. She describes huge ocean-going ships and their encounters with towering rogue waves, freak monsters that dwarf the waves around them. Some ships return to tell their tales; others only offer clues through their wreckage. Casey talks with scientists who study waves, and she relates what we know about them and what remains to be learned. This is a very good treatment of something most of us take for granted.

This book should appeal to anyone interested in science, sailing, and especially to fans of surfing. In fact, to me the biggest negative of this book is the excessive time the author spends on surfers and surfing.

If you like this book, try anything by Jon Krakauer or Sebastian Junger.


-Paul

Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations -- One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson has been on my to- read list for years now. I finally made the time to read it and am glad that I did: what an incredible story!

Three Cups of Tea is the true story of a mountaineer's failed attempt to climb K-2 and how this failure turned into a lifelong calling to build schools for the incredibly poor isolated villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson's insight into the people and cultures of these countries and his willingness to learn from them is truly exceptional. His respect for these villagers and their respect for him is palpable. It is a remarkable story of people brought together by a common purpose.

I don't what to give too much away. Read it and enjoy the journey!!!

-Natalie