Category: General Fiction/Literature Page 16 of 49

20 Books of Summer 2020: Wrap-Up

20 Books of Summer
Well, that’s a wrap on the 2020 20 Books of Summer. You may accuse me of playing fast and loose with the challenge (and you’d be right!), but this seems like a casual enough thing that I really don’t care (and I can’t imagine anyone else does, either). As I mentioned last month, I did a lousy job of taking into account new releases, review copies, and life when I made the original list. I made a valient effort, but I just couldn’t post about all these books by September 1 (I did read all of them by the end of August, I note only semi-defensively), but in that last week, it hit me, June 1-August 31 isn’t really “Summer.” It works as a rough designation, but June solstice to the September equinox is a better definition. I’m not that pedantic though (well, about seasons). But here in the States, “Summer” also is defined as the period from Memorial Day through Labor Day, which was just the time I needed to get everything posted.

So I’m calling this a win. I liked the focus this gave me for the last couple of months, and I know I read some things I’ve been meaning to read for months because they were on this list and I couldn’t make (yet another) excuse to put it off. I think next year I’ll do a better job of taking into account New Releases when I make my list (how Peace Talks wasn’t the first book I put down I’ll never know) to make life easier for me–I also think I’ll put down more of the books I own, but keep delaying on. I really like freeing up space on my (literal) TBR shelf.

I had a lot of fun doing this and looking at others working their way through the challenge. Congrats to the winners.


✔ 1. Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why by Alexandra Petri (my take on the book)
✔ 2. The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold (my take on the book)
✔ 3. Screamcatcher: Dream Chasers by Christy J. Breedlove (my take on the book)
✔ 4. The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton (my take on the book)
✔ 5. Fair Warning by Michael Connelly (my take on the book)
✔ 6. One Man by Harry Connolly (my take on the book)
✔ 7. The Curator by M. W. Craven (my take on the book)
✔ 8. The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge (my take on the book)
✔ 9. The Rome of Fall by Chad Alan Gibbs (my take on the book)
✔ 10. American Demon by Kim Harrison (my take on the book)
✔ 11. Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne (my take on the book)
✔ 12. Betty by Tiffany McDaniel (my take on the book)
✔ 13. Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire (my take on the book)
✔ 14. Curse the Day by Judith O’Reilly (my take on the book)
✔ 15. Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn (my take on the book)
✔ 16. Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin (my take on the book)
✔ 17. Muzzled by David Rosenfelt (my take on the book)
✔ 18. Bad Turn by Zoë Sharp (my take on the book)
✔ 19. The Silence by Luca Veste (my take on the book)
✔ 20. The Revelators by Ace Atkins (my take on the book)

20 Books of Summer Chart Aug

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XII., iii.-vi.

Fridays with the Foundling
Tom Jones Original CoverWe’ve spent some time with Sophia, her cousin and her father, as they left that Inn and traveled toward London. Now it’s time to get back to Tom Jones, the man this History is about to see what he does when he leaves the same Inn after that eventful night. I really liked the way this week’s chapters started. Fielding being Fielding:

At length we are once more come to our Heroe; and, to say Truth, we have been obliged to part with him so long, that, considering the Condition in which we left him, I apprehend many of our Readers have concluded we intended to abandon him for ever; he being at present in that Situation in which prudent People usually desist from enquiring any farther after their Friends, lest they should be shocked by hearing such Friends had hanged themselves.

But, in reality, if we have not all the Virtues, I will boldly say, neither have we all the Vices of a prudent Character; and tho’ it is not easy to conceive Circumstances much more miserable than those of poor Jones at present, we shall return to him, and attend upon him with the same Diligence as if he was wantoning in the brightest Beams of Fortune.

It’s good to be back with Tom, even if he doesn’t seem much like the man destined for a hanging right now—he’s heartbroken and lost. He actually loses it on poor Partridge shortly after they leave in pursuit of Sophia. They eventually patch it up and Tom figures since everything else in life has gone wrong, he might as well pursue glory and join the army.

Partridge tries to dissuade him, in part with flowery religious talk. Which is almost immediately shown to be empty when a poor beggar crosses their path, seeking aid. Partridge has no patience for him, but Tom chastises him and gives the man some money. The man offers to sell him a notebook, that Tom soon discovers belongs to Sophia—and contains the missing hundred pounds! Tom takes the beggar’s name so he can arrange some award money to be sent to him once he delivers this book to Sophia.

I did enjoy the beggar grumbling to himself as he left about his parents never having sent him to school to read. If only they had, he wouldn’t be in this state.

Tom and Partridge carry on for a while and eventually stop in an in ann which is also playing host to a puppet show. The puppeteer has removed Punch and Joan from his shows so that they’ll teach morality. Tom suggests that the removal makes them dull, and the two argue a bit before the landlady interrupts to complain that no one does Bible stories anymore in those shows.

I’m not sure what Fielding is going to do with this stuff, but I think I’ll find out next week. In the meantime, Partridge convinces him to get a room for the night (wouldn’t want to travel at night) and get some overdue sleep. And we’ll leave it there for now.

It was good to be back traveling with Tom, but I wish I knew where things were going.

Pub Day Post: As the Stars Fall by Steve N. Lee: A Girl and Her Dog. A Dog and His Girl.

As the Stars Fall

As the Stars Fall

by Steve N. Lee

Kindle Edition, 300 pg.
Blue Zoo, 2020

Read: August 19-20, 2020

What’s As The Stars Fall About?

This is told from the perspective of a young homeless dog, struggling to survive on the streets of some town. He scavanges to get by and has learned that dogs who aren’t his mother and siblings and people aren’t to be trusted. He can’t find his pack and isn’t doing a great job of feeding himself when he’s found by a young girl who convinces her Daddy to bring him home.

Slowly, he learns to trust Mia and her Daddy. Soon, Mia is everything to her dog, Kai, who learns that if he just waits long enough (and it’s hard to do), she’ll come home from school.

We spend a few quick years with the two, watching Mia grow up and some other things happen. But no matter what happens, Kai waits.

What Can You Safely Say About the Ending?

This is a classic “Dog Book,” in the vein of Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Marley and Me, and so on. Which should tell you everything you need to know about what the ending of the book involves, so you go in fully warned.

That said, this is a different kind of read than those and will approach it in a different way.

What’s the intended audience?

I’m guessing this is aimed at kids—old enough to handle hard things (both those that happen to people and dogs), but it can be enjoyed by teens and adults, too (as long as they can handle the opening chapters coming from the point of view of a very juvenile narrator).

But all the promotional materials invoke A Dog’s Purpose, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Marley and Me, and One Good Dog, none of which are fitting for a kid. So I don’t know what to make of that. I guess I’d call this an All-Ages book (with the provisos I listed above).

So, what did I think about As The Stars Fall?

It was a sweet little story about the love of a dog for his girl, and a girl for her dog. Yes, it gets hard to read because this sweet little story involves some loss, too. But that only makes the high points better.

Actually, I should add that the story about the love of a father and daughter for each other was just as sweet and just as heart-wrenching.

I chuckled frequently—not just at Kai’s antics, but at the way he thinks about his people. I “awwwwed” more than once at Mia’s treatment of her pup.

This is a very nice book (I’m wanting to overuse the word sweet and am having a hard time coming up with an adequate replacement) that I enjoyed, heartily recommend, and can see myself re-reading regularly.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion and this post. I thank him for it.


3.5 Stars

The Rome of Fall by Chad Alan Gibbs: 90s Rock and High School Football Combine for a Shakespearean Tale

The Rome of Fall

The Rome of Fall

by Chad Alan Gibbs

Paperback, 260 pg.
Borne Back Books, 2020

Read: August 15-17, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

During the tenth month of the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, as foretold in the book of Garth, the gods unleashed a plague upon Rome. Not a plague of frogs, or lice, or locusts—those would have been fine. The Coosa River did not run red with blood—that would have been okay, too. No, the gods were not messing around that October, and they blighted our fair town with a pestilence of heel, toe, do-se-dos that seemingly afflicted everyone in school but Jackson and me. Like a zit, Dixie Dancehall & Taxidermy materialized overnight, filling the void of Main Street cruising with, perhaps, the worse recreational activity in the history of human recreation: Country. Line. Dancing.

What’s The Rome of Fall About?

If you’ve ever asked yourself what would a Julius Caesar fanfic told through the prism of High School Football and 90s Rock look like, have I got a book for you…

Marcus Brinks spent the first semester of his senior year as a new student in Rome, Alabama before moving back to Texas with his father. To say that that semester was radically life-changing is to misunderstand both terms. Twenty-three years later, he returns to Rome to care for his dying mother, and to teach English at his old High School. In the intervening years, Brinks had fronted a very successful 90s indie band (for one album and an aborted tour, anyway), graduated from Harvard, and then spent sixteen years living on a beach in Jamaica, coasting on the fading fumes of his fame.

In 1994, Brinks had been befriended by Jackson and Silas. Jackson was a third-string QB with delusions of grandeur and a gift of gab (and brag, come to think of it). Silas was a white kid obsessed with gangsta rap who dreamed of coaching football—he couldn’t play, as he was on crutches due to Muscular Dystrophy—but he understood the game better than Jackson (or many others) ever could and with a passion that surpassed theirs, too. All of them were the victim of bullying by Deacon, the first string QB, who was as arrogant as only starting football stars can be. Jackson and Silas had a plan to bring Deacon down and disgrace him, but Brinks didn’t want to go along with it—until Deacon beats him up for the crime of being friends with Deacon’s girlfriend, Becca.

* And, we might as well be honest, Brinks wants to be a lot more than friends with her.

In 2017, Becca teaches at the middle school, Jackson’s the High School Football coach, and is pretty much the town’s biggest celebrity. Silas is now wheelchair-bound, and is his offensive coordinator. Something happened between Jackson and Brinks and they haven’t spoken in decades, and Brinks has no intention of breaking that streak. Deacon is a pretty successful local businessman, jealous of Jackson’s status, and is determined to bring him down (and wants Brinks to help). Oh, and adult Brinks can’t help himself and is determined to be a lot more than friends with Becca this time.

We bounce back and forth between the timelines, seeing both how Jackson, Silas, and Brinks plot against Deacon—and what drove them all to it. While eventually, we figure out what drove the rift between Jackson and Brinks, why Deacon and Brinks almost get along, and why they (and others) are plotting against Jackson. Mix in some high school fun, some good times with friends, a budding and rocky romance (in both timelines), some good 90s music nostalgia, a little teaching humor, and a whole lot of heart—and this becomes a novel that’s almost impossible to put down and that’ll hit you on several emotional levels at once.

All the characters are familiar at once, yet feel like Gibbs was one of the first to write about High School sports and those who aren’t part of the Team. Their adult versions all feel like genuine extensions and evolutions from who they were in High School. I’d have enjoyed hanging out with everyone but Deacon in High School and in 2017, I think I could’ve had fun with Brinks, Silas, and Becca. And at times the book almost makes you feel like that’s what you were doing. The relationship between Brinks and his mother was one of the best parts of this book, providing mirth and pathos. I’d likely recommend the book based only on the strength of it—and really, it’s not that important to the book overall.

Talking about the Julius Caesar of it All

On the one hand, Gibbs isn’t even a little bit subtle about the novel being a cover* of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, occasionally, maybe even going over the top with it. That said, there were a couple of references that I didn’t pick up on right away, and then felt really dense a few pages/chapters later when I stopped myself to flip back and re-read a little bit.

* Given the general rock music vibe that permeates this novel, I figure I should stick with music terminology whenever I can.

I grant you, it’s been decades since I last read the play (I think it’s one of the two Shakespeare plays I’ve read recreationally and for school), but I think Gibbs nailed it. He got all the major and many of the minor details right while keeping the whole thing feeling fresh and new. Frequently I thought the way he worked things in was pretty clever and unexpected.

What if you’ve never read/watched the play, will you be lost? Nope. It won’t matter at all to you. But if you have, you’ll appreciate the whole thing on another level.

The Little Things…

As with so many areas of life, it’s the little things that move a book from good to memorably entertaining. Yes, there are a lot of funny scenes, moments, and characters in The Rome of Fall, but Gibbs nails the little things in the narration. Things that don’t move the plot forward, or even really reveal much about Brinks or anyone else—but they add just the right bit of flavor to the book.

A non-exhaustive list of examples includes the aforementioned Line Dancing (it gets better from there) scenes, a nice bit about an overcooked steak, Brinks’s theories about things invented by bored teens in Rome, a line about armed teachers, and almost every conversation between Brinks and his mother that doesn’t advance the plot.

So, what did I think about The Rome of Fall?

“Okay, maybe I wasted some of my life, but people do still talk about our band. If we’d followed up with a bunch of shitty albums, no one would care anymore. But we didn’t, and they do. Not doing anything for the last twenty years wasn’t the worst career move.”

If Dear Brutus had been a real thing, I’d have left college before their album was released, and I might not have paid attention to them. But I’m close enough to the right age to remember the feel of that era of music and what those bands—especially of the indie/college rock variety—meant to their fans (yeah, it’s similar today, but with Spotify/Youtube, etc., it’s a little easier to connect with a band/their music than it was in the days of CDs and cassettes). A week or so before I read this book, a one-and-done band from about the same time that I loved launched a Kickstarter for a live album (recorded in the 90s). You wouldn’t believe how fast I contributed—me, and enough people to fully fund within a day—because of what emotions and memories that tapped into.

The Rome of Fall anchors itself in that feeling and then capitalizes on that to tell its stories. Really, the novel has nothing to do with the music of Dear Brutus. At the same time, it’s all about it. It’s about the ideas, the emotions—and the girl—that prompted Brinks to go all-in with his music, it’s about what the band’s dissolution did to him, and then what might lead to more of that music. I can’t say enough about that aspect of the novel.

Beyond that? Strip away the Shakespeare and music, and you have a charming and earnest story about High School and the way it shapes our lives, loves, friendships, and attitudes for the rest of our lives—and just what it takes to (maybe) shake them off. Failing that, how adults can channel the lingering effects of High School into both positive and destructive changes to their lives. It’s a strong novel that’s just a whole lot of fun (that sneakily works in some deeper material). Highly recommended.

N.B.: I won a copy of this book from the author in a giveaway on Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub and just wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks to both! You should probably also check out the post about the book on the site, it’s a good one.


4 Stars

20 Books of Summer

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XI., ix.-BOOK XII., ii.

Fridays with the Foundling
Tom Jones Original Cover

Those Members of Society who are born to furnish the Blessings of Life now began to light their Candles, in order to pursue their daily Labours for the Use of those who are born to enjoy these Blessings. The sturdy Hind now attends the Levee of his Fellow Labourer the Ox; the cunning Artificer, the diligent Mechanic, spring from their hard Mattress; and now the bonny House-Maid begins to repair the disordered Drum-Room, while the riotous Authors of that Disorder, in broken interrupted Slumbers, tumble and toss, as if the Hardness of Down disquieted their Repose.

Fielding calls this chapter, “The Morning introduced in some pretty Writing. A Stage Coach. The Civility of Chambermaids. The heroic Temper of Sophia. Her Generosity. The Return to it. The Departure of the Company, and their Arrival at London; with some Remarks for the Use of Travellers.” The utter lack of humility aside, he’s not usually given to such, shall we say, thorough, chapter titles but that does a good job of summarizing things. Sophia and her cousin take off for London after giving the Landlord a gift (Fielding leave it up to our imagination), but fails to give one to his wife (she discovers that she lost a hundred pounds somewhere). They arrive in London, and Sophia makes a hasty (but polite) departure from her cousin to head off to the house she hoped to stay in.

Sophia’s not so sure that Mrs. Fitzgerald is really as virtuous as she claims and even doubts some of the story we got in the last few chapters. Fielding gives a little morality lesson to go with this about suspicion. It’s an odd little digression at this point in the narrative, but setting aside the awkwardness, it was a nice little bit of writing.

That’s the end of Book XI, so XII starts off with the typical Chapter 1 discourse. This time, it’s an apology for his use of classical quotations, allusions, and references, and how often he doesn’t attribute them well. It’s not my favorite Chapter 1, but I appreciated his defense, ancient authors are fair game, but he wouldn’t do that to a contemporary and rob them of their due.*

* Okay, it sounds dumb when I summarize it. But Fielding pulls it off with aplomb and style.

We get back to the story, and see what Squire Western’s up to on his pursuit of Sophia. The Squire is all out of sorts, bemoaning his state, and carrying on (as he’s pretty want to do). Parson Supple’s traveling with him, and tries to console him about missing his daughter. Western clarifies things for him, he’s lamenting missing hunting season. They come across a hunting party and ends up spending the day and dining with a fellow squire. He has such a good time that he totally abandons the chase for his daughter and goes home.

Such a devoted father…really, he’s an example to us all.

Back to Tom next week, so we can see how he does on his journey (probably not as well as Sophia, but better than her father, is my guess).

PUB DAY REPOST: Betty by Tiffany McDaniel: A Beautiful Novel about a Tragic Childhood

Betty

Betty

by Tiffany McDaniel

eARC, 480 pg.
Knopf, 2020

Read: July 25-28, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!


I’ve struggled with this one for days now and was tempted to say something like, “It’s a Tiffany McDaniel book. This means the writing is gorgeous, the subject will provoke you, you will be moved. And did I mention it’s wonderfully written?” But I knew I couldn’t post that…it doesn’t actually tell you anything about this book (“Tiffany McDaniel” and “gorgeous writing” is essentially a tautology) and since when do I express myself in twenty-seven words?

Who’s Betty About?

Yeah, I normally ask what a book is about, but the what is so unimportant in this book a reader could be excused for not remembering. You won’t forget the who anytime soon. The who is what matters.

It’s about a young, poor family’s struggles between 1939 and 1973—with a focus on 1961-73 (when Betty was 7-19) when the family settles in Appalachian Ohio (and largely stays there). The father is of Cherokee descent (Tsa-la-gi. A-vn-da-di-s-di), the mother is white—and you can imagine how easy life was for them and their children in that time (harder for Betty who takes more after her Cherokee lineage, while her siblings favor their mother). While none of the children has an easy life, there’s a greater degree of difficulty of Betty.

I could spend a good deal of time talking about various family members, but I’m going to focus on two of them.

Landon Carpenter (a.k.a. “Dad”)

When Landon Carpenter met Alka Lark, he was working as a gravedigger, he later worked at a clothespin factory—and then several other jobs, including a stint in a coal mine (which left him with a permanent limp due to a beating given by racists), while the family moved from state to state. When they settled in Breathed, Ohio*, he became known for selling moonshine, herbal remedies (based on “Cherokee wisdom” that was essentially what he happened to make up on the spot), and hand-crafting furniture.

* A fictional city that also served as the setting for The Summer that Melted Everything—one of several nods to that work included here.

But really, what he does with his time is father his children and try to take care of his wife. They don’t all appreciate it, or understand what he’s doing, but they’re (largely) devoted anyway. He will be frequently found passing on a bit of received knowledge through myths or parable form. He wasn’t ready to be a father when he became one and two decades later, he still wasn’t entirely ready when Betty arrived (or her younger siblings, either), but he rises to the occasion as best as he can. I don’t get the picture that he’s the easiest guy to get to know or get along with for prolonged periods. But for those who do get to know him, he’s clearly a loyal and supportive friend.

Betty (a.k.a. “Little Indian”)

Either as a quirk of personality or because she’s physically closer to her Cherokee heritage (likely a combination), Betty embraces the cultural lessons her father passes down more readily than her siblings do—and always wants more. She’s naive, inquisitive, and somehow despite everything she witnesses innocent and optimistic (not precisely, but that’s the best word I can come up with). Life hands her horrible experience after horrible experience, and while momentarily cowed, she comes back, wiser, but still innocent. Toward the end of the book, she has a couple of experiences (one thing she’s told about, one thing she witnesses) that drive her to the breaking point—but even then she holds on for a little longer.

She’s our Point of View character and doesn’t understand everything that’s going on around her for most of the book—things really kick off when she’s seven, after all. So we see a lot of the book through unreliable eyes, but very reliable emotions and reactions. From the latter, we can get a good understanding of what’s going on, better than she can.

The Magic (for lack of a better word)

In McDaniel’s The Summer that Melted Everything, many things happen that may be supernatural or magical in origin, there’s a semi-magical realism feel to it. That’s not the case here. Nor is the source of the “magic” in this novel one mysterious stranger.

The power that keeps Dad and Betty—and the rest of the family—going comes from story. Dad’s constantly telling stories to his children, Betty in particular—and, we learn, he even tells stories to his friends (I don’t think Landon’s wife has much patience for many such stories, as much as she needs them). Betty typically doesn’t tell her stories to anyone, but she writes them down, filling notebooks with them. Some she keeps, some she buries (to preserve or to hid), some she gives away. By their use of story—sometimes use of words—Dad and betty keep themselves, and those around them, going. They inspire, encourage, and teach with them.

A story that Betty’s mother tells her is arguably the most powerful story in the novel—and it explains more of the novel than anything else. Her story, is wholly true, and wholly heartbreaking, but even that comes down to the power of storytelling.

Drawbacks to the book

I don’t really want to label these as problems with the book, but there are a few things that keep me from being as enthusiastic about Betty as I was for The Summer that Melted Everything (which I am enthusiastic about to this day). I basically proselytized readers over that book, I won’t go that overboard for this.

The first is that it took me far longer than it should have to get what McDaniel was trying to accomplish, I kept waiting for a plot to emerge, and there’s never much of one by design. Instead, as I indicated above, this is about the characters. Growing, developing, faltering, stumbling, and retreating. It’s about how they react to the events (or non-events) in their lives that matters, now the events themselves. It’s entirely possible that this is all me and not the text. But I don’t think that’s the case (or I wouldn’t have gone on about it).

Secondly, the non-Carpenter characters. With two notable exceptions (the town Doctor who comes running when they call; and a friend of Landon’s who rents them the house they settle in. But the rest of the people (almost without exception), are simply horrible. Some of the Carpenters are okay, and most of them demonstrate growth (at least). But everyone else is horrible, blatantly so…so many people in authority of varying degrees are just horrible, spiteful, evil people. And it’s just hard to read that. I firmly believe in man’s inhumanity to man, but it’s usually tempered, at least on the surface/occasionally, with something positive. We aren’t given anything to look to and say, “Hey, there’s someone decent”, or “There’s someone doing something decent. Spiteful, racist, ignorant, misogynous, capricious, and evil. Those are the words that come to mind as I think about the non-Carpenter characters, and it’s just hard to read them.

So, what did I think about Betty?

I started off liking it, and that feeling slowly grew. There weren’t many moments that wow’ed me, but there were a handful that broke my heart. I sincerely want another 50 pages of the Dad’s odd little myths (some of which, I’m pretty sure contradict themselves, which Betty sees and rolls with). I wanted to help Betty through her challenges, to at least shoulder some of her burden with her.

And did I mention the prose is fantastic?

That said, I don’t think I connected with the characters (particularly those who aren’t Dad or Betty) the way McDaniel wanted me to. I don’t think there’s enough going on to urge people to read this, but I will recommend it strongly. That said, I think I will be in the minority with this book and most readers won’t understand my hesitation to rave over this. I do recommend this book, I do plan on re-reading it in a year or two, and I will be first in line for McDaniel’s next book.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this. I also want to thank McDaniel for approaching me to let me know it was available for request. None of the above kept me from giving my honest opinion.


4 Stars
20 Books of Summer

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK XI., iii.-viii.

Fridays with the Foundling
Tom Jones Original CoverAllrighty, folks…buckle in. We’ve got to get through 30 pages here to get back on schedule.

We start with Mrs. Fitzpatrick telling Sophia what has her on the road, essentially recapping her entire life from the time she married Mr. Fitzpatrick. It takes three long (by Fielding’s standards) to get through. In short, she was taken in by his (fleeting) charms—a personality that disappeared soon after their wedding, and looks that went the way of all things. He, on the other hand, seemed primarily interested in her “Ready Money” (in the words of one of his impatient creditors). Even as she becomes aware of the latter, he’s able to talk her into returning to Ireland with him and to take up residence in an increasingly gloomy house. From this point, we get a tale of repeated arguments, infidelity (on his part), imprisonment in her quarters, and attempts to force her to sell part of her landholdings.

What a great guy, eh?

They’re interrupted briefly by the landlady with news that the French have arrived to throw in with the rebellion against the Queen. It’s distressing news to Sophia, but she’s so worried about her father’s arrival and what Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s been telling her that her reaction isn’t quite right.

Then Sophia tells her tale—Fielding tells us that he won’t recap what she says, because we’ve already read it. But, there’s a catch:

she made no more mention of Jones, from the Beginning to the End, than if there had been no such Person alive. This I will neither endeavour to account for nor to excuse. Indeed, if this may be called a Kind of Dishonesty, it seems the more inexcusable, from the apparent Openness and explicit Sincerity of the other Lady.—But so it was.

A Gentleman arrives at the Inn and, after a lot of fuss and bother, is revealed to be the gentleman and neighbor of Mrs. Fitzpatrick who helped her escape from her home and get to England. He agrees to help the ladies get to London safely.

I’ve got to say, this was hard to get through. It was exactly the kind of info dump that most authors try to avoid today, and just wasn’t that interesting. I hope, hope, that learning all this pays off eventually and is something more than just Mrs. Fitzpaterick’s backstory just to be told it.

Still, that little nugget about Sophia leaving Tom out of the tale of her last few months is interesting…

Coffee and Condolences by Wesley Parker: Two People with an Incredible Amount of Baggage Trying to Fit It All in the Same Overhead Compartment

Coffee and Condolences

Coffee and Condolences

by Wesley Parker

eARC, 268 pg.
2020

Read: July 21, 2020


There’s a bit from the movie Grosse Pointe Blank that has inexplicably gotten stuck in my brain, to rear its head from time to time.

Debi: You know what you need?
Marty: What?
Debi: Shakabuku.
Marty: You wanna tell me what that means?
Debi: It’s a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.
Marty: Oh, that’d be good. I think.

This snippet of conversation came to mind a few times while reading this book, because if there’s anyone who needs Shakabuku, it’s Miles Alexander. The only question is: where will this kick be coming from?

What’s Coffee and Condolences About?

Miles Alexander is a man on a mission. Following the death of his wife and children and a suicide attempt worthy of Lane Meyer*, his therapist points out that there are two women alive that he needs to repair his relationship with—his mother and sister. For pretty understandable reasons, Miles is willing to work on only one of those—so he flies to New York to track down his sister at NYU, where she’s working on her Master’s.

* Yeah, I did just make a second John Cusak reference, not sure where that came from.

The damage he did to their relationship was pretty bad, and Lily’s not over it. But, she loves her brother and is willing to forgive. They spend some time connecting, but they largely ignore the problem. I enjoyed and appreciated watching the two of them spar and support each other.

While waiting for Lilly, Miles stops off at a coffee shop near campus and falls in deep smit at first sight with a barista, Melody. She seems to be interested in him, too (giving him her phone number unsolicited was the first clue). She knows that Miles is working through some stuff, and gives him space to do so and tell her about it in his own time—she’s got her own particular kind of baggage, too. She’ll share that when she’s ready.

Readers will know her secret almost immediately, but that’s okay, the focus isn’t supposed to be on the mystery—it’s about Miles working through things and when he learns it, that’s the important part. As nice as the romance is, as fun (and important) as the brother/sister bond is, the book’s focus is Miles and his continuing grieving and healing. In a move reminiscent of Nick Hornby’s Rob coming clean to the reader about the horrible thing he did to his girlfriend*, Miles eventually tells his reader about the horrible thing he did shortly before his wife’s death. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but you can’t help but feel for the guy—he and his wife would’ve worked through it (you sense) had they been given the opportunity. Instead, it’s something that Miles has to work through on his own, so he can move forward with his life. With Melody’s secret and the revelation Miles gives us, the important part isn’t the content—it’s how Parker delivers the revelation. And he does it exactly right.

* Not a Cusak reference, I meant the book. But it’s close.

Lilly gives the support and encouragement, Melody gives Miles the security to process what he needs to—and Dr. Felt helped equip him to do these things. Somewhere in there, Shakabuku.

Yes, eventually, their mother appears and Miles has to deal with her. Up until the end, the whole thing between his mother and Miles didn’t click with me—it’s probably a problem with me and my attention span, not with Parker’s writing. But anything that took focus away from Lilly or Melody wasn’t really that interesting to me. But once Miles got serious about mending fences and making amends with her, I finally bought into the relationship and thought Parker did a good job with the resolution there.

Now, sure, you might be thinking that a therapist by the name of Dr. Felt has all the subtlety of a brick flying through the air. And you’d be right. But, you know what? The name Felt actually works for her. She’s a cool character, and a nice tribute to the mental health professions on Parker’s part. The Miles/Dr. Felt relationship/interplay is one of my favorite parts of the book.

What can I say about the ending without any spoilers? It’s sweet and gratifying. Just what the doctor ordered.

So what did I think about Coffee and Condolences ?

It occurs to me as I write this that I’ve enjoyed a lot more of “Lad Lit” in the last year or so—mostly self/independently published. I dabbled in some of it years ago, and largely was annoyed and turned off by what I read. But since I read Matthew Hanover’s Not Famous, I’ve been exposed to some really good—and really entertaining—works in this subgenre. I need to get better at talking about them, because I feel myself floundering here—and I feel bad about that. Parker deserves a little better than what I’ve come up with.

The plot was decent, I liked the characters (not necessarily everything they did, but them) and was engaged with most of them right away, I was invested in the outcome of most of the plotlines, I thought it was a great idea to tie in the therapy Miles received to what was going on, and I enjoyed Parker’s voice and most of his choices.

Coffee and Condolences was like a medium-dark chocolate mocha. Just a hint of a bite, but a sweet treat (and I specified medium, because I wanted a little more), a very pleasant experience. I recommend it, I will be in line with cash ready for the next book Parker releases.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—I appreciate that, and apologize that it’s taken me so long to get this posted, but it had no impact on what I said or how I rated the book.


3.5 Stars

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK X., vi-BOOK XI., ii.

Fridays with the Foundling
Tom Jones Original CoverPartridge tries to talk Tom in to returning home, rather than getting further inolved with the military. That doesn’t go well at all, and the two start to bicker, when Tom finds the Muff, recognizes it and suddenly can only care aonly about it. He tries to set out to track Sophia down.

And, yeah, Mrs. Fitzpatrick was, after all, probably at the Inn—just not the woman that Tom was found with, and is already on the road. The coach that had likely brought Mrs. Fitzpatrick to the end is described:

The Coach which had brought the young Lady and her Maid, and which, perhaps, the Reader may have hitherto concluded was her own, was, indeed, a returned Coach belonging to Mr King, of Bath, one of the worthiest and honestest Men that ever dealt in Horse-flesh, and whose Coaches we heartily recommend to all our Readers who travel that Road. By which Means they may, perhaps, have the Pleasure of riding in the very Coach, and being driven by the very Coachman, that is recorded in this History.

According the footnotes in my edition, this was an actual business, making this appear to be one of the earliest examples of product placement?

Chapter vi ends with:

Here, Reader, it may be necessary to acquaint thee with some Matters, which, if thou dost know already, thou art wiser than I take thee to be. And this Information thou shalt receive in the next Chapter.

This is one of my all-time favorite chapter endings. I love it when Fielding narrates his narration like this. It’s the simple things in life, right?

The next chapter is such the comedy of errors, mistaken identities, mistaken motives, wild accusations, and general running about that I can’t summarize it well—I’d really have to just reprint the whole chapter. Suffice it to say that Squire Western is a couple of hours behind Sophia, and is still no friend of Tom’s. Oh, and Mrs. Fitzpatrick is the cousin of Sophia.

We then get flashback chapters, detailing how Sophia ran away from her home, and how her father reacted (hint: poorly) upon discovering it—oddly, her aunt defended her actions. Naturally, Fielding uses the chance to indulge his weakness for the young lady,

It is now Time to look after Sophia; whom the Reader, if he lovers half as well as I do, will rejoice to find escaped from the Clutches of her passionate Father, and from those of her dispassionate Lover.

We get a beginning of a Book digression—this one into a harangue against literary critics, who are nothing more than slanderers, attacking an author when they attack a book—

for, as no one can call another Bastard, without calling the Mother a Whore, so neither can any one give the Names of sad Stuff, horrid Nonsense, &c., to a Book, without calling the Author a Blockhead; which, though in a moral Sense it is a preferable Appellation to that of Villain, is perhaps rather more injurious to his worldly Interest.

(as much as I quibble with his argument, I enjoyed it)

Then we resume with Sophia’s journey after her close miss with Tom, she, her maid, and their guide rush toward London, and soon discover they’re being followed (unintentionally). It turns out that they’re being followed by none other than Sophia’s cousin, Mrs. Fitzpatrick. They had been very close not that long ago and decide to travel together. But are both so tired after their last couple of days that they don’t talk much, and resolve to keep their stories until they’ve had a chance to sleep. They get to an inn, and collapse almost immediately, so we’ll get to see them catch up with each other next week.

Some of this was just a bit too busy for my taste. I prefer Fielding a bit more streamlined, but overall, this was eventful, fun and should prove to make life interesting in the chapters to come.

Betty by Tiffany McDaniel: A Beautiful Novel about a Tragic Childhood

Betty

Betty

by Tiffany McDaniel

eARC, 480 pg.
Knopf, 2020

Read: July 25-28, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!


I’ve struggled with this one for days now and was tempted to say something like, “It’s a Tiffany McDaniel book. This means the writing is gorgeous, the subject will provoke you, you will be moved. And did I mention it’s wonderfully written?” But I knew I couldn’t post that…it doesn’t actually tell you anything about this book (“Tiffany McDaniel” and “gorgeous writing” is essentially a tautology) and since when do I express myself in twenty-seven words?

Who’s Betty About?

Yeah, I normally ask what a book is about, but the what is so unimportant in this book a reader could be excused for not remembering. You won’t forget the who anytime soon. The who is what matters.

It’s about a young, poor family’s struggles between 1939 and 1973—with a focus on 1961-73 (when Betty was 7-19) when the family settles in Appalachian Ohio (and largely stays there). The father is of Cherokee descent (Tsa-la-gi. A-vn-da-di-s-di), the mother is white—and you can imagine how easy life was for them and their children in that time (harder for Betty who takes more after her Cherokee lineage, while her siblings favor their mother). While none of the children has an easy life, there’s a greater degree of difficulty of Betty.

I could spend a good deal of time talking about various family members, but I’m going to focus on two of them.

Landon Carpenter (a.k.a. “Dad”)

When Landon Carpenter met Alka Lark, he was working as a gravedigger, he later worked at a clothespin factory—and then several other jobs, including a stint in a coal mine (which left him with a permanent limp due to a beating given by racists), while the family moved from state to state. When they settled in Breathed, Ohio*, he became known for selling moonshine, herbal remedies (based on “Cherokee wisdom” that was essentially what he happened to make up on the spot), and hand-crafting furniture.

* A fictional city that also served as the setting for The Summer that Melted Everything—one of several nods to that work included here.

But really, what he does with his time is father his children and try to take care of his wife. They don’t all appreciate it, or understand what he’s doing, but they’re (largely) devoted anyway. He will be frequently found passing on a bit of received knowledge through myths or parable form. He wasn’t ready to be a father when he became one and two decades later, he still wasn’t entirely ready when Betty arrived (or her younger siblings, either), but he rises to the occasion as best as he can. I don’t get the picture that he’s the easiest guy to get to know or get along with for prolonged periods. But for those who do get to know him, he’s clearly a loyal and supportive friend.

Betty (a.k.a. “Little Indian”)

Either as a quirk of personality or because she’s physically closer to her Cherokee heritage (likely a combination), Betty embraces the cultural lessons her father passes down more readily than her siblings do—and always wants more. She’s naive, inquisitive, and somehow despite everything she witnesses innocent and optimistic (not precisely, but that’s the best word I can come up with). Life hands her horrible experience after horrible experience, and while momentarily cowed, she comes back, wiser, but still innocent. Toward the end of the book, she has a couple of experiences (one thing she’s told about, one thing she witnesses) that drive her to the breaking point—but even then she holds on for a little longer.

She’s our Point of View character and doesn’t understand everything that’s going on around her for most of the book—things really kick off when she’s seven, after all. So we see a lot of the book through unreliable eyes, but very reliable emotions and reactions. From the latter, we can get a good understanding of what’s going on, better than she can.

The Magic (for lack of a better word)

In McDaniel’s The Summer that Melted Everything, many things happen that may be supernatural or magical in origin, there’s a semi-magical realism feel to it. That’s not the case here. Nor is the source of the “magic” in this novel one mysterious stranger.

The power that keeps Dad and Betty—and the rest of the family—going comes from story. Dad’s constantly telling stories to his children, Betty in particular—and, we learn, he even tells stories to his friends (I don’t think Landon’s wife has much patience for many such stories, as much as she needs them). Betty typically doesn’t tell her stories to anyone, but she writes them down, filling notebooks with them. Some she keeps, some she buries (to preserve or to hid), some she gives away. By their use of story—sometimes use of words—Dad and betty keep themselves, and those around them, going. They inspire, encourage, and teach with them.

A story that Betty’s mother tells her is arguably the most powerful story in the novel—and it explains more of the novel than anything else. Her story, is wholly true, and wholly heartbreaking, but even that comes down to the power of storytelling.

Drawbacks to the book

I don’t really want to label these as problems with the book, but there are a few things that keep me from being as enthusiastic about Betty as I was for The Summer that Melted Everything (which I am enthusiastic about to this day). I basically proselytized readers over that book, I won’t go that overboard for this.

The first is that it took me far longer than it should have to get what McDaniel was trying to accomplish, I kept waiting for a plot to emerge, and there’s never much of one by design. Instead, as I indicated above, this is about the characters. Growing, developing, faltering, stumbling, and retreating. It’s about how they react to the events (or non-events) in their lives that matters, now the events themselves. It’s entirely possible that this is all me and not the text. But I don’t think that’s the case (or I wouldn’t have gone on about it).

Secondly, the non-Carpenter characters. With two notable exceptions (the town Doctor who comes running when they call; and a friend of Landon’s who rents them the house they settle in. But the rest of the people (almost without exception), are simply horrible. Some of the Carpenters are okay, and most of them demonstrate growth (at least). But everyone else is horrible, blatantly so…so many people in authority of varying degrees are just horrible, spiteful, evil people. And it’s just hard to read that. I firmly believe in man’s inhumanity to man, but it’s usually tempered, at least on the surface/occasionally, with something positive. We aren’t given anything to look to and say, “Hey, there’s someone decent”, or “There’s someone doing something decent. Spiteful, racist, ignorant, misogynous, capricious, and evil. Those are the words that come to mind as I think about the non-Carpenter characters, and it’s just hard to read them.

So, what did I think about Betty?

I started off liking it, and that feeling slowly grew. There weren’t many moments that wow’ed me, but there were a handful that broke my heart. I sincerely want another 50 pages of the Dad’s odd little myths (some of which, I’m pretty sure contradict themselves, which Betty sees and rolls with). I wanted to help Betty through her challenges, to at least shoulder some of her burden with her.

And did I mention the prose is fantastic?

That said, I don’t think I connected with the characters (particularly those who aren’t Dad or Betty) the way McDaniel wanted me to. I don’t think there’s enough going on to urge people to read this, but I will recommend it strongly. That said, I think I will be in the minority with this book and most readers won’t understand my hesitation to rave over this. I do recommend this book, I do plan on re-reading it in a year or two, and I will be first in line for McDaniel’s next book.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this. I also want to thank McDaniel for approaching me to let me know it was available for request. None of the above kept me from giving my honest opinion.


4 Stars
20 Books of Summer

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

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