Category: Books

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-

Notable People: Geraldine Brooks
Title: A Year of Wonders

Review This is a boo I almost quit on in first fifty pages; it’s about a year of the Plaque in Devonshire, England in the 1660s. Beautifully told by the heroine feminist before her time in a world that did not bless such woman. The book is haunting, elegiac, and enormously hopeful. With some really good twists at the end. You’ve got to be ready to deal with a lot of death and hardship to read this one- but I found it somehow uplifting. I believe it is Brooks first novel and she’s’ a good one; a war correspondent in all the Middle East hot spots, she was on break in rural England when she came to be in the town of Eyma- which had the true story of being the center of the Plaque and a place that through their spiritual leader cut themselves off from everywhere else for one year to avoid passing on the disease. An amazing story and once you find out it is basically true, in the afterward…even more amazing.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A+

Notable People: Pete Hamill
Title: Snow in August

Review Best read I’ve had in last year. I think this may be Hamill’s “Great American novel”. A truly moving story in post war Brooklyn (Hamill’s principle muse)about an immigrant Irish boy coming to terms with his father’s death at the Battle of the Bulge, his growing sense of prejudice in America, his struggle to believe in something bigger than himself, his passion for the Brooklyn Dodgers AND the coming of Jackie Robinson- and his amazing friendship with a newly immigrant Rabbi. This may be the best book ever written about that time and place. Vivid writing, luminous characters and chills to be found as this novel / fable unfolds. A brilliant book.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A

Notable People: Walter Mosley
Title: Cinnamon Kiss

Review If you’ve never read any of Mosley’s Easy Rawlins books- you are missing an amazing piece of American culture. Easy is a part-time private dick and part-time criminal in post war LA. Mosley started writing these books in the immediate post war period in which LA was beginning to evolve (think Chinatown) and has continued , bringing it and Easy into the 60s. This book takes place as the 60s are exploding in both LA and San Francisco. It’s a hard boiled page turner but also a wonderful snapshot of the American Black experience. Easy is an incredibly complex character and his friend Mouse might be the most dangerous yet lovable character in the history of fiction. Mosley is a master and this is one of his really good efforts. When I get in big trouble- I want Easy and Mouse in my corner.

Title: Rain Gods

Genre: Novel

Grade: B

Notable People: James Lee Burke

Review If you are a Burke fan- this is probably an “A”- for others not so much. Burke has serialized the Dave Robicheaux books for years- but has maintained a sideline series about Billy Bob Holland a small county Montana lawman. This is one step removed and is about Billy Bob’s elderly cousin- Hackberry Holland- a lawman in remote south Texas. Korean war vet, recovering alcoholic, man of many old demons..and a genuine sage- Hack is a pretty interesting character in a good yarn with all the eccentrics you could ask for. Not too demanding- a good quick summer read.

Title: Sunset Park

Genre: Novel

Grade: A/A-

Notable People: Paul Auster

Review Have you read any of Auster? Well- he may be the most intense novelist writing today and this book is no exception. Very interesting tale of young man who runs away from everything for eight years after semi-accidentally killing his step brother. The book moves from South Florida to a shabby abandoned house in Brooklyn. The characters and relationships are really good. And angst…well Auster just does angst. Probably not for everyone, and I found the end disquieting- bit I really liked this book. Auster is tortured and brilliant.

Title: The Christmas Kid

Genre: Short Stories

Grade: A

Notable People: Pete Hamill

Review I’m not often a big short story fan- but was totally captivated by this set of stories about a Brooklyn neighborhood from post war through the early 80’s . Hamill is a native and lifelong Brooklynite and a great writer. He wrote for many years for the NY Post in its glory days alongside Jimmy Breslin and Norman Mailer. His feel for place and characters in perfect. I had to stop myself form going through this book of stories all at once. What characters!

Title: Angle of Repose

Genre: Novel

Grade: B+

Notable People: Wallace Stegner

Review This is an old book (1971) that i had never read before- by Stegner, who some consider one of the great American writers of the 20th century. It is a fascinating (but very slow) autobiographical novel that moves from his time in the 1960’s back to his grandmother’s life story amidst the settling of the West. His GM was indeed a pretty famous artist and writer and gave up her cultured east coast life to go west with his engineer grandfather- who was engaged in creating massive dams and waterways. A lot of the book is in the form of his grandmother’s letters- but they are quite a portrait of settling the west and the conflicts of a pre-feminist , feminist with following her husband to a series of brutal living situations in a primitive land. Very real; exceedingly well written- easiest read in short installments over a long period of time. Great and real characters.

Title: Spooner

Genre: Novel

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Pete Dexter

Review: I really liked this book- though I thought the second half petered out a bit. Dexter has been around awhile and wrote Deadwood about 15 years ago; I’ve read all his stuff and this one was quite a departure- pretty autobiographical and quite Tom Robbins-like in style. Story of a life- from 1950’s Deep south to Seattle at the turn of the century. A pretty funny and moving book with very short chapters- making it an ideal bedtime read.

Title: A Time to be Born

Genre: Novel

Grade: B

Notable People: Dawn Powell

Review: got this boo as a Christmas gift. Strange but interesting story of the upper crust in pre-war America. Good story; well written. I think it is mostly tongue in cheek but who knows. Some focus on emerging feminism and very cynical on the economic titans of the time and their lifestyle. Depends on your taste- but I liked it.

Title: Buddhaland in Brooklyn

Genre: Novel

Grade: B+

Notable People: Richard C. Morais

Review: Found this book at local library- intrigued by the title. Very interesting and well written book about lifelong journey of Japanese Buddhist Priest, his early years in small village in Japan and then his earthshaking assignment to bring the first American Buddhist temple to US….in Brooklyn. Touching and slyly amusing. A little slow at times but worth the time