Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The Uncommon Reader


A short novel (novella), The Uncommon Reader was a total delight to read. I don't use that word much, but I guess I am inspired by the British here. As the book opens Queen Elizabeth stumbles upon a bookmobile and checks out a book so as not to seem rude. She also meets someone on her kitchen staff, Norman, who ends up helping her change her life through books. Not everyone in her life is happy about her newfound love (reading), but the Queen has a change in priorities. Although a seemingly dry pretense, this novella clips along nicely offering the reader a chance to look into the life of royalty as well as relating to a fellow reader.

Friday, March 12, 2010

The Secret of Lost Things


Rosemary is an 18 year old Tasmanian whose mother has just recently passed away. She has no other family and very few friends as she and her mother lived a fairly solitary, and yet happy, life in an apartment above her mother's hat shop. Her mother's friend buys her a ticket to New York so that she can start a new life and have adventure and so Rosemary finds herself alone and looking for work in the Big Apple. During a moment of uncustomary boldness Rosemary gets herself a job at The Arcade, a large used bookstore patterned after the real-life NYC bookstore, The Strand. The Arcade is an eclectic store with even more eclectic employees. Eventually, Rosemary ends up wrapped into a mystery about a possible missing Herman Melville manuscript. This book had me interested and reading along right up until the last few chapters. The Arcade sounds like a place I'd like, especially as a lover of used bookstores, and Rosemary was a very likable character who I wanted to do well, but the plot absolutely stalled near the end. It gave me the feeling I've had when watching a television series that switches writers and loses its original energy. I literally wondered if Sheridan Hay didn't finish the book.

Monday, March 8, 2010

New Novel by Anne Lamott

I just read that Anne will be releasing a new novel next month called Imperfect Birds. It continues the story of Rosie Ferguson of Rosie and Crooked Little Heart fame. I enjoyed both of those books very much so this will be a real treat.