Written by Lauryn Smith “The Divide” by Nicholas Evans is one of those books you can pick up and get lost in, best read on a cloudy day with a cup of hot tea and a sky-high pile of blankets. OK, that sounds a little ostentatious. Let me explain. “The Divide” is a mellow, meandering read. In it, Evans evokes a rustic, hospitable lifestyle, effortlessly inviting readers to experience Montana’s mountains, ranches and genial residents. After reading the book, it is easy to want to run off to a cozy cabin in the woods, take the trails on horseback and then porch it with that steaming cup of tea I mentioned. The fictional story concerns the Coopers, a New York family that spends two weeks each summer on a remote ranch in Montana. On one such trip, the father, Ben, meets an artist from Santa Fe named Eve, for whom he leaves his wife and two teenagers. Around the time Ben walks out on his family, his daughter, Abbie, moves to Montana for college. While still vulnerable from the breaking of her family, Abbie gets involved with a group of radical conservationists, an involvement that ultimately leads to her being wanted for murder and acts of ecoterrorism.
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Written by Lauryn Smith I have been eager to get my hands on Donna Tartt’s third novel, “The Goldfinch,” for quite some time, and recently something fantastic happened. Reviewer Beth Winters surprised me with a copy on my birthday! I breezed through the book, and Miss Tartt, I would be honored to shake your hand. You might be familiar with Tartt’s second novel, “The Secret History.” That book was published in 1992. “The Goldfinch” was published in 2013. Tartt clearly takes her time, but it is well worth the wait. “The Goldfinch” is more than a story. It is a work of art. The novel depicts the fictional life and times of Theodore (Theo) Decker. One day when Theo is 13 years old, he and his mother visit a New York art museum. There Theo's mother dies in an unfathomable explosion. During the scramble of events following the outburst, Theo encounters a dying man who ultimately has a profound effect on his life. The key element: a painting by Carel Fibritius called The Goldfinch, a painting the man implores Theo to take out of the crumbling museum. Tartt transforms what could have easily been a common tale involving broken families, child services, addiction and wealth disparities into a tantalizing story that also involves stolen art, the act of coming of age and philosophical musings. Written by Lauryn Smith Do you believe in magic? Not the magic in a young girl’s heart, but the magic that is alternative medicine. (Sorry, had to.) I never used to oppose the magic of natural remedies, but then I read Paul A. Offit’s accessible and engaging nonfiction book “Do You Believe in Magic?”. Now I am much more leery. Alternative medicine, which includes things like megavitamins, acupuncture and homeopathy, is not all it is cracked up to be, so says Offit in his well-researched, objectively written book on the matter. In fact, Offit presents insurmountable science-based evidence that many forms of alternative medicine do more harm than good. The events Offit chooses to portray in the book illustrate why alternative medicine has become widely accepted as a desirable alternative to mainstream medicine. To many, it is definite, spiritual, meaningful and empowering, and it stems from ancient wisdom... right? Offit explains that there is no evidence that alternative medicine does what it claims to do, that is, heal. I repeat, no evidence. Zip. Nada. Goose egg. (No, personal testimonials do not count as evidence.) In fact, Offit shows that the few studies out there—blame the scarcity on politics—often support the exact opposite. The evidence is not limited to a single arena. Chiropractic manipulations can result in torn arteries. Supplements can cause psychosis, heart arrhythmias, brain swelling and other problems. Megavitamins can increase the risk of cancer. Written by Lauryn Smith I normally do not go for contemporary romance or chick lit like Beth Harbison’s “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Yet here I am, sharing my review of Harbison’s “If I Could Turn Back Time.” (Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook!) Harbison’s book is what I like to call a beach read. It is lighthearted, has some entertaining premises and is easy to grasp, but it is not life-altering, mind-boggling or gush-worthy. “If I could Turn Back Time” is not bad—it is just not great. Harbison tells the story of career savvy Ramie Phillips, a soon-to-be 38-year old who in a moment of recklessness knocks her head and falls unconscious, only to wake up in her childhood home in Maryland as her 17-year-old self. Thrust back in time, the businesswoman is forced to relive her past, which gives her the opportunity to contemplate the choices she has made and to reconsider what she truly desires. Writing from Ramie’s perspective, Harbison illustrates what it is like for middle-aged women to doubt their decisions and to endlessly wonder what their lives would be like under different circumstances. She investigates modern women's emotions, specifically those of women who prioritize growing their careers over finding love and establishing families. Written by Lauryn Smith and Beth Winters Harry Potter is to ‘90s kids everywhere what Simon Snow is to Cath and her peers in Rainbow Rowell’s novel “Fangirl.” Cath takes her fandom to the extreme. Simon Snow T-shirts. Simon Snow posters. Simon Snow busts. She even goes so far as to write Simon Snow fan fiction—and she is good at it. Cath’s fanaticism began as a child, when her mother left the family, leaving Cath and her twin sister behind. Now in college, Cath must deal with the trials and tribulations, both old and new, that compose her life. See our thoughts on Rowell’s novel below! Did you like “Fangirl”? Why or why not? LS “Fangirl” is definitely a quick read. Sometimes you need a story that does not require a lot of analyzing, and I like “Fangirl” for that reason. Rowell’s novel is void of any hugely remarkable facets. There are no twists, turns or “please tell me what happens next” moments, so it is does not really keep you at the edge of your seat. Rowell tells the story smoothly, and the book is interesting in terms of character development. That said, the story is lacking when it comes to substance. Cath’s college experience seems more like an idealized high school experience. For instance, the difficulties Cath experiences are exemplified lightly and given little acknowledgement. Do we really learn anything regarding how Cath felt when her mother left? Not really. We eventually learn how Cath perceives the situation in retrospect, yet we do not feel the consequences. How does that life-altering event relate to Cath’s love of Simon Snow? Such elaboration would have benefitted Rowell’s story. Maybe such gaps are intentionally left open because Rowell intends the story be geared toward twins or people who can relate to Cath’s apprehensive personality. Or, maybe they are left open to avoid complication, as the book's genre is YA fiction. Written by Lauryn Smith Award-winning author Toni Morrison's storytelling is brilliant in her novel “Beloved,” which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. That statement about Morrison’s prose is probably obvious, especially to literature aficionados. Those who do not know of Morrison’s work (heck, even those who already do) should consider reading her perspective-altering novels. Then reread them. And share them. Morrison is an American writer who has won both Nobel and Pulitzer prizes and received numerous other honors. She is known for her bold themes and lifelike characters, both of which are prominent in “Beloved,” a tale about slavery in post-Civil War America. Morrison’s direct, convincing representations of slavery and post-servitude freedom during this era of American history make the book noteworthy. Morrison illustrates the life of Sethe, a character inspired by Margaret Garner, an enslaved black woman in pre-Civil War America. Sethe escapes slavery with her children and runs to Ohio, a free state. After just a month of freedom, she is sought under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Rather than see them forced back into slavery, Sethe attempts to kill her children, succeeding with one, a daughter called Beloved. Years later, a woman enters Sethe’s life. The woman calls herself Beloved. Therein lies the core discourse of the novel. Written by Lauryn Smith If you are unsure whether to read classics by Robert Louis Stevenson, such as "Treasure Island" or "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," pick up a copy of Nancy Horan’s "Under the Wide and Starry Sky" to garner a decision. After reading her novel, you will want to jump into Stevenson’s stories straight away. In "Under the Wide and Starry Sky," another woman-behind-the-man story and Horan’s second novel, Horan captures the charismatic character who is Robert Louis Stevenson, known by his friends simply as Louis, by introducing readers to his American wife, Fanny Osbourne. Following Fanny’s story, Horan exposes the intricacies of life as an artist. Fanny leaves her adulterous first husband at the age of 35, taking her three children with her from San Fransisco to Belgium and later, after tragedy hits the family, to Paris. With the goals of recuperating, studying art and establishing a new and better life for herself and her children, Fanny finds herself at a quiet artists’ colony, where she meets her eventual second husband. Louis, who is 10 years Fanny’s junior and has a personality Horan describes as being a “theater of emotion,” becomes enamored by the down-to-earth, self-sufficient Fanny and pursues her reciprocal desire. Fanny does not take to Louis right away, but after some time succumbs to the charms of the Scottish lawyer turned writer. Louis’s lifelong sicknesses, Fanny’s personal troubles and their expansive travels around the globe cause their relationship to be an adventure full of both high highs and low lows. Written by Lauryn Smith Woman-behind-the-man books seem to be gaining popularity. Paula McLain is back with another, the historical fiction novel "Circling the Sun," in which she adheres to the story of Beryl Markham, a talented racehorse trainer and eventual record-setting aviator. A tale of courage, family, marriage, promiscuity and gossip, "Circling the Sun" is a well-written, intriguing tale of an impressive woman with a personality of questionable disposition. McLain opens the book with a depiction of a harrowing portion of Beryl’s historic 1936 solo flight—an ultimately successful east to west flight from England to North America across the Atlantic Ocean. She then leads into a prolonged reflection of Beryl's life before returning once more to the opening scene. Throughout the bulk of the book, McLain illustrates Beryl’s exploration of her life choices and core memories. Set in the 1920s in colonial Kenya, McLain exposes aspects of the protagonist’s youth that come to shape her character as an adult. Beryl is brought from England to a Kenyan farm as a child, is left by her mother (who after a short time in Kenya returns to England with Beryl’s younger brother), and is hence raised by her father and the local Kipsigis tribe. Members of this tribe call her Lakwet, a name that implies bravery and self-sufficiency, a name that implies a respect for and love of nature, a name that comes to act as the link between Beryl’s adult self and her younger one. Written by Lauryn Smith In addition to being F. Scott Fitzgerald’s muse, Zelda Fitzgerald has inspired writers like Therese Anne Fowler ("Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald"), Sally Cline ("Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise"), R. Clifton Spargo ("Beautiful Fools: The Last Affair of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald"), Nancy Milford ("Zelda: A Biography") and Erika Robuck, author of "Call Me Zelda." Why did Zelda garner nearly as much posthumous acclaim as her literary husband? There are a number of reasons, both glamorous and not-so-glamorous, some of which are uncovered in Robuck’s novel. Robuck's fiction, based on Zelda’s real life, demonstrates how Zelda was artistic in her own right (she was a ballerina, painter and writer), and how at times her mental well-being suffered from the effects of an overtly opulent lifestyle and a struggling marriage. "Call Me Zelda" focuses on the story of the fictionalized Anna Howard, a psychiatric nurse at the Phipps Clinic in Maryland who cares for and becomes enraptured by Zelda. In the book, Robuck illustrates Anna’s past and present and how Anna attempts to reconcile the two through her blossoming friendship with Zelda. Written by Lauryn Smith and Beth Winters Paula Hawkins’s recently released novel "The Girl on the Train" has taken the literary world by storm. In fact, it has been dubbed the new "Gone Girl." The story follows Rachel, an alcoholic who spends more time focusing on the lives of others, specifically a couple she sees every day from the train, her ex-husband and her ex-husband’s new wife and child, than dealing with the reality of her own. More than one Reviewer wanted to to see what all the hype is about. Check out our thoughts below. Did you like the book? Why or why not? LS I quite enjoyed the book… at least until the story’s conclusion, which I found a little Scooby-Doo-esque. You know, the villain reveals his or her master plan to an audience after getting found out. Until that point though, "The Girl on the Train" is a true page-turner in two regards. Firstly, at the end of each section, I just had to know what happened next, and secondly, the writing style facilitates quick reading. A worthy beach read in every sense of the phrase. BW I was not a huge fan of this book. I do not think the story was planned as well as the book jacket makes it seem. There seems to be times when writing that Hawkins was simply going, "Oh shoot, forgot to wrap this part up, I should probably do that,” and rushed to conclusions. I had such high hopes for this book but was not impressed. Hawkins uses many cliches and ideas from other books, so the story does not feel original. My opinion might be different had I not read "Gone Girl" prior to "The Girl on the Train." |
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