Book Review: Lone Wolf

Jodi Picoult knows how to write an engaging tale. Lone Wolf is no exception. I like her method of intertwining stories, so the book pulls together from multiple perspectives. Voices are distinctive, characters are human, motives are muddled at times, and the reader will keep turning pages.

From the book blurb: In the wild, when a wolf knows its time is over, when it knows it is of no more use to its pack, it may sometimes choose to slip away. Dying apart from its family, it stays proud and true to its nature. Humans aren't so lucky.

Lone Wolf is about Luke Warren, a scientist who's studied and lived with wolves his whole life. His bonds with a wolf pack are almost tighter than with his own family - ex wife Georgie, son Edward who fled to Thailand for a new life, and daughter Cara, who lived with her father and is fiercely loyal. But she was in the pivotal car crash that brings them all back to the hospital to make life/death decisions.

Here's Cara talking about her father to a court psychologist: "Have you ever been swimming in the summer when a cloud comes in front of the sun. You know how, for a few seconds, you are absolutely freezing in the water. But, then all of a sudden the sun's back out and you're warm again and when you tell people how much fun you had swimming you wouldn't even think to mention those clouds." Cara shrugged. "That's what it's like with my father."

Family secrets, motives, relationships, and love are written in the layers of this story. Picoult writes human emotions in depth, and it's easy to sympathize and empathize with each character. Lone Wolf will keep your interest and keep you guessing as to whether this family can pull together for tough choices.

Book Review: My Formerly Hot Life

The subtitle for My Formerly Hot Life by Stephanie Dolgoff is Dispatches from just the Other Side of Young. The title caught my eye and the writing struck my funny bone. When the author's on a train and a good looking man asks for the time and that's truly all he wants is the time, Ms. Dolgoff realizes that something has shifted in her life and she's not sure that she likes it. While she's happily married and has children, it dawned on her that somehow you have crossed an invisible line: You are not young, relevant, in the mix woman you used to be. But neither are you old, or even what you think of as middle aged. You are no longer what you were, and not quite sure what you are.  (book jacket blurb)

Indeed, friendships, fashion, beauty, body image, and marriage are topics for her wit and insight. She discusses formerly thin, formerly cool, fomerly carefree, and how so much that seemed important in the twenties is looked upon fondly. However, being comfortable and content and not up on the latest club scene makes sense now. Her chapter on three friends trying to coordinate a "girls night out" is hilarious. The recovery time from "fun" takes so much longer as a formerly.

P. 104 on swimsuits: I tried a few tankinis which are like assisted-living facilities you go to before you need the round-the-clock nursing home type care of the Miraclesuit.

p.155 on having a fit: I operated under the mistaken belief that I had a designated numerical size , which was usually two sizes smaller than my actual body, and it was my full-time job to try to make my body fit into 'my size'. I could have simply bought bigger clothes.

As a Formerly, I no longer labor under this truly cruel misconception.

Jacket blurb: while you may no longer be as close to the media-machine generated idea of fabulous, you can do many, many more things fabulously.

My Formerly Hot Life is a light quick read and relevant for all women - those who were a formerly and those approaching formerly, and yes, the young ladies who can't imagine they'll ever be a formerly. Laughs all around.

Book Review: father's day by Buzz Bissinger

Twenty four years ago, twin boys were born to Buzz and Debra Bissinger. Three minutes made the difference for Gerry, now a graduate student at Penn, and Zach, a special needs young man. Three minutes made a difference for a marriage (ended) and perceptions of fatherhood and life.

Buzz Bissinger decides to take a road trip with Zach, now twenty four, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to learn about his son and ultimately himself. Throw perceptions and assumptions out the car window. Buzz discovers that Zach's world has a certain logic and that Zach is growing, patient, kind, fearless, and is a hardworking (at Target) young man of character (who's uncanny with maps and directions - highly useful on a road trip).

The author of father's day writes a book full of insight, humor and reality. As father and son revisit their past, old friends, and voluntarily go to Odessa, TX (Buzz claims this has to be a travel first), they talk, encounter frustrations, enjoy amusement parks, and bond. Zach loves his father at total face value - that shines through. Buzz discovers deeper layers of love, rids himself of guilts, and truly respects Zach for his uniqueness.

Three minutes does define a life, but never in the way I had always imagined. So many times I never thought I would get there. But we are a family, all different, sometimes divided, sometimes in pain, but unconquerable. Father's Day.   Buzz Bissinger

Book Review: Angel Sometimes

Angel Sometimes by Helen Ginger is a heart warming, heart rending tale of a young lady from Oklahoma who lived on the streets of Austin at age sixteen. Now at age twenty-two, she has friends, swims as a mermaid in a bar, has a guy, Mac, who's fallen for her (she's not sure if he's in her life plan), and Angel is the go-to gal for other homeless women in trouble.

A brutal beating and murder has Angel and friends on the lookout for a bad guy. Meanwhile, Angel reflects on her life and we learn more about her character, and we're ready to help her face her past. How could her mother have kicked her out? Is Angel's abusive father still alive?

As Helen Ginger writes: It's time to quit planning and go home. To do that she needs three things: a high school diploma, a car, and a gun.

Angel Sometimes is well-written with engaging characters and a heroine with gumption. You will root for Angel, and enjoy the twists and turns of her fate.

Book Review: Anne Tyler's The Beginner's Goodbye

Anne Tyler is an author I welcome into my home regularly. I can always count on her smooth writing, well developed characters, and insight into the human condition. Her gentle humor prevails and her books are a treat.

The Beginner's Goodbye explores how a middle-aged man, ripped apart by the death of his wife, is gradually restored by her frequent appearances - in their house, on the roadway, and in the market.  (book blurb)

Aaron never thought he'd get married, but Dorothy, an unassuming doctor, came into his life and made him happy. Her shockingly abrupt death puts Aaron back at square one. However, as he works in his family's vanity publishing business, he learns through some of the self-help titles that there is a way to say goodbye.

This book is not maudlin. I chuckled as Aaron tries to evade his older bossy sister and muster gumption to move on in life.

P. 122 In regards to Dorothy:
Only I knew that underneath her boxy clothes, she was the shape of a little clay urn. Her skin had a burnished olive glow, and there was a kind of calm to her, a lit-from-within calm, that made me feel at rest whenever I was with her.

The Beginner's Goodbye is a quick read guided by the sure hand of a skilled writer.

Book Review: Bossypants

I'm late to the Bossypants by Tina Fey party. However, I saw this at the library and snatched it up, then proceeded to read it in two days. My husband often had to leave the room, as I was snorting, giggling, and laughing to the point of hysteria. Perhaps it was the bad haircut picture, but I could identify with Tina Fey's childhood, and her clear discussion of dorkiness.

I watched on television when she won the Mark Twain award for humor. Indeed, she basically said, "How can I win this when I had a happy childhood?" She was the youngest child and obviously accustomed to being around adults, being the center of attention, and seeing the world in quirky fashion.

From Chicago's Second City to New York's Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey has brought verve and nuance to the world of sketch humor. She's just so darn clever. And the movie Mean Girls is a gem.

Here's one excerpt from Bossypants that had me rolling: page 104 
My mother knew the importance of getting the right fit for a bra, so she took me to JC Penney and tried one on over my clothes. She tried a bra on me over my clothes in the middle of JC Penney. I thank her for this. This early breast-related humiliation prevented me from ever needing to participate in "Girls Gone Wild" in my twenties.

Absolutely hilarious read from start to finish.

Book Review: Three Seconds

Page 6: He had to do it, keep it all down, or else - he knew the way things worked - he was a dead man.

Three Seconds by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom is a gripping read. The writing style is spare, like its Swedish setting. The mule has to keep down his swallowed heroin packets as he rides a ferry to his (unexpected) death. From the opener to the final page, you will hold your breath and turn pages.

Piet Hoffmann, former petty criminal, is part of a Polish drug ring and also a secret informant for the Swedish police. As a husband and as a father to two small boys, he sweats over his dangerous mission. A botched drug deal leads to death, and a Swedish investigator (not included in the special project) is gaining fast on Piet's tale/tail. Lots of double crosses reveal corruption and Hoffmann has only his own wits, and prison knowledge, to keep himself and his family out of danger.

Page 10: The silence when someone hangs up mid-conversation is always deeply unnerving.

Three Seconds will unnerve you and keep you guessing and praying for Piet's life.

Hunger Games - Read the Book, See the Movie

Read the book, people!!! That's all I should say. I gave a review last year. Excellent YA trilogy. So what? Writing and storytelling like this makes kids excited about reading. In turn, parents tune in and soon there's a common ground. There's no downside.

Hunger Games, the movie - big thumbs up. Here's my review that appears in The Little Paper of San Saba (a town without a cinema)

photo courtesy of EW.

Hunger Games, the movie, is awesome. If you weren't part of the $155 million dollar box office opening, then you aren't doing your part for Hollywood. It's a great movie - show 'em some love. Hunger Games, the book, is better so if you plan to wait for DVD then at least read the trilogy. The book just gives that notch more description, that extra sense of desperation, and a deeper insight into the characters. The movie does an excellent job even if you have no clue, but why not enhance your experience?

So, it's the future and America is now segregated into districts. There once was thirteen districts, but number thirteen had an uprising and was obliterated according to the government. Now, to remind folks not to uprise, the Capitol hosts the Hunger Games. Each district must have a reaping - i.e. pick a male and female between age 12 and 18 to attend a fight to the death. Only one winner. As the saying goes - Happy Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen (the superb Jennifer Lawrence) chooses to volunteer in place of her twelve year old sister, Prim. Katniss can hunt with a bow and knife, she's athletic, and determined from District 12. The boy, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), is the baker's son - wiry and stronger than he looks; he's had a thing for Katniss for years. However, she's close to Gale (Liam Hemsworth) who's stuck back home (the book gives us more).

The movie builds tension through the reaping. Then we see the trip to the Capitol for the duo. They meet their drunk mentor, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson). He's supposed to guide them and find sponsors. His cynical attitude works, and he slowly warms to Katniss. He wants District 12 to win. Cinna (Lenny Kravitch) is Katniss's designer confidante. He makes her look great. The whole thing is part pageant, show, and media blitz. It shows how government can spin things - even death.

President Snow (Donald Sutherland) with his silky voice manipulates and sleazes throughout. He's so good, and is Katniss' nemsis. He's not pleased at her talents.

The actual games are brutal. The film does a good job of depicting the challenges, and also the manipulation from the Capitol headquarters. Let's just say it's not all fair. I'm not going to spoil and tell any more. Bring a tissue for a character's final outcome. Root for Katniss - she's a hardcore heroine who doesn't know her powers. After 2-1/2 hours you are going to want more. You'll be pleased with Hunger Games, but there's way more to the story and adventure. It's only just begun.

So - c'mon. Buy your ticket, some popcorn, and be drawn into the world of Panem. Happy Hunger Games, indeed.

I'll Take a Bad Review, Please

Book reviews - I've been fortunate in that I've had some very complimentary reviews written on Amazon, on Helen Ginger's blog, and in Riverbabble for My Zoo World.

However, an interesting article (Dallas Morning News 3/4/12) caught my eye. Jonah Berger, Harvard Business Review, conducted research and found that "even terrible publicity can bolster the bottom line."

His group studied sales patterns for 250 hardcover fiction books reviewed in the New York Times. They used fancy algorithm classifications and came to this conclusion: Good reviews increased sales 32 to 52% across the board. For books by established authors, negative reviews caused a drop of about 15%. But for books by relatively unknown authors, bad reviews caused sales to rise by an average of 45%. Whoa!

The reason - analysis showed that by making consumers aware of a book they would otherwise not know about, even the harshest review can be a boon.

I can understand the rationale and it's especially true with movies. It's easy to dismiss critics - What do they know? They just want some artsy foreign film. How bad can this flick or book really be? I've had friends even give a half-hearted review on a book and then say, "But you might like it." Then indeed it's on my radar.

So, I've been working the positive promotion angle. Is it time for a mud-slinging nasty campaign? Nah - my feelings would get hurt.

Book Review: State of Wonder

Dr. Marina Singh is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr.Annick Swenson, who seems to have disappeared into the Amazon. Marina's partner, Dr. Anders Eckman was sent first, but word came back via a short letter - he's dead.

Science, subterfuge, and sacrifice. Ann Patchett weaves a tale complete with poison arrows. There's the business aspect of pharmaceuticals, there's love and death, a possible cure for malaria or is it a fertility drug, and there's the beauty of the jungle and stepping out of a safe world and into one full of wonder.

Smooth writing, intriguing characters, and a slow building tension infuse State of Wonder. I liked this book and found myself caught up in a different world. I marveled along with Dr. Singh as to how someone so practical could be carried along from one bizarre situation to another. It must have been the heat and humidity.

p. 43 Karen Eckman upon hearing of her husband's death: Hope is a horrible thing you know. I don't know who decided to package hope as a virtue because it's not. It's a plague.

p. 75 Marina's view of the Hotel Indira: From the grand exterior, she entered a lobby of palm plants and tired brown sofas that slumped together as if they had come as far as they could and then given up.

p. 218 Dr. Swenson: I keep hoping that you are more than you show yourself to be, Dr. Singh. I am just on the verge of liking you, but you dwell on the most mundane points.

Ann Patchett's State of Wonder is worth the journey to the Amazon. And yes, Dr. Singh, turns out to be more, much more.

Book Review: Unbroken

Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, should be required reading for high school students. It is well written and covers an amazing piece of history. The harrowing tale of Louis Zamperini is timeless, engaging, and heroic. It brings a man's tale to life and makes anyone question their own fortitude.

Could I float in a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for weeks? Without water or food? With sharks circling and bumping the raft? And know that if you indeed see land, it's probably occupied by the enemy (in this case Japan) and you're destined for punishment?

My answer is "No Way". I read this book in awe. It truly is a story of resilience, perseverence, and will to live. Mr. Zamperini survived a plane crash and Japanese POW camps. He was tortured beyond belief, ultimately had post traumatic stress syndrome, and lived into his 90s.

Talk about a survivor - this man was optimistic, strong, and had an extra amount of American ingenuity and gumption. That's the only way to describe this book and it's hero. Oh, he had his faults, but he could answer desperation with hope and resolve.

Excellent read, superb research, and kudos to the hero. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

Book Review: The Submission

The envelope is opened. Who shall be the winning architect to memorialize a devastating terrorist attack? What if it is an American Muslim?

The Submission by Amy Waldman explores the shocking result of an anonymous fair process, the ultimate debate, art, Islam, and conflict. Well paced and full of fleshed out characters, this book, as per the inner jacket, is a striking portrait of a fractured city striving to make itself whole.

I liked the architect, Khan, who just wanted to win. His story, as the son of immigrants from India, is the American dream. His vision for the memorial sounded perfect to me (p.4): The concept was simple: a walled rectangular garden guided by rigorous geometry. At the center would be a raised pavilion meant for contemplation. Two broad perpendicular canals quartered the six-acre space. It goes on to describe the victims' names on a white wall and steel trees made from salvaged scraps. Their forms would look organic, but they would resist a garden's seasonal ebb and flow.

Lots of perspectives, politics, and angst fill The Submission. This is a timely well written portrait of a sensitive subject. Kudos to Ms.Waldman.

Book Review: Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is a fascinating look at the life of a genius. Much has been written in homage and tribute to a man who will be listed with Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison as a major contributor to life as we know it. Jobs died too young and yet his Apple legacy will live on and flourish.

Mr.Isaacson was given unprecedented access to interview Jobs himself, people who influenced Jobs and were influenced by him, review photos and data, and finally write a very unedited portrait of Steve Jobs. Isaacson, obviously admired the man, and yet he gives a very unvarnished picture of an egomaniac jerk, who could inspire many, and demand absolute perfection. There are a lot of unflattering scenes and incidents, and yet they add up to give a full image of Steve Jobs.

I was fascinated, repulsed, and in awe of Steve Jobs based on this book. I saw him speak once out in Silicon Valley. I don't remember the speech. I don't know that I fully comprehended what the heck he talked about. However, he was a commanding presence in his black shirt, his thin reedy voice speaking without notes, his enthusiasm for the subject, and his utter confidence, intellect, and magnetism. This was the Steve Jobs that took Apple to a high level, was basically fired from his own company, founded NeXt, gave a new lease on life to Pixar, re-took Apple, and zoomed it to dizzying heights with the iPod, iPhone, iTunes, iPad, and ultimately more iProduct that we didn't know we needed.

The book is well written, thoroughly researched, and compelling. Steve Jobs, the man, was totally nuts from a "normal" perspective. Steve Jobs, the genius, was awesomely amazingly on a whole other level from "normal", and we - the human race - have benefited.

RIP, Steve Jobs. You are probably driving God and Heaven crazy with a re-design.

Book Review: Portrait of a Spy

Daniel Silva is back with Gabriel Allon and crew, in another exciting thriller, Portrait of a Spy, that spans the globe.

Just when Gabriel thinks his life is calm again, restoring a rare painting, walking the Italian coastline near his home, and loving his beautiful wife, terrorist attacks occur. The old team of top Israeli agents is reassembled, and this time Gabriel recruits a billionaire Saudi woman to penetrate the terrorist organization. Her money is the lure, but her beauty and negotiation skills prove resourceful. One more kicker, Gabriel assassinated her father years ago.

Layers of intrigue abound. Silva's writing heightens the pace and tension. You'll turn the pages, eager to root for Gabriel's crew of world weary richly drawn characters.

Portrait of a Spy captures today's world. Fortunately, the good guys (and gals) can still win.

Book Review: Keep the Change

I enjoy sprinkling non-fiction reads with my fiction entertainment. Try to keep the brain cells engaged even in summer. Steve Dublanica's Keep the Change is hilarious and definitely opened up a whole other economic world to me.

Having never depended on tips to pay my bills, I nonetheless try to tip waiters, waitresses, hairdressers decently. I expect a certain level of service and if received, I'll tip accordingly.

Dublanica interviews everyone in every job that lives off tips and his discoveries are eye opening. Strippers, shoeshine men, bathroom attendants, furniture delivery people - there are often many levels of service and everyone gets a piece of the dollar.

His trip to Vegas is worth the read. The levels of tipping for poker/blackjack/all tables is amazing. Plus there's a new language. Bad tippers are stiffs or fleas. Good tippers are called George and the highest level is King George.

Keep the Change will give you a new appreciation for various jobs and you'll reassess your own expectations as well as tip calculations. P. 275: Steve Dublanica quotes E.M Forster "Only connect! Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer." Tipping helps you connect with people, if only for a short while.

Here's a tip - check out this book. Learn and laugh at the same time.

Novel Reflections at Fifty: Two Reviews

I could probably write a mini-thesis paper comparing and contrasting these two library books - Once Upon a Time, There Was You by established author Elizabeth Berg, and Searching for Tina Turner by newcomer Jacqueline E. Luckett.

First up: Elizabeth Berg tends to be a surefire good steady read. She has a nice manner, strong voices, and her plots move along pleasantly. In this book, we meet John and Irene, both long divorced from each other but connected by their eighteen year-old daughter, Sadie. The adults are in their fifties, seeking out new loves/companionship, are set in their ways, conflicted about their own childhoods, and worried about the future. Sadie's in love with Ron but she hasn't introduced him to either parent. In a rather abrupt few chapters, Sadie is briefly kidnapped. The trauma of this event snowballs emotions, conflicts, and catapults the plot for all concerned.

I enjoyed Berg's story, but felt she glossed over the kidnapping sequence. Sadie was gone and then bam, she was back but married. Whoa! Her parents are concerned over her wellbeing and thought process and rightly so. And yet, when John and Irene married, was it truly for love or just an inevitable fate? Each character is flawed and Berg is very good at picking at the scabs and then cleaning wounds. Once Upon a Time, There Was You is a thought-provoking read with well drawn characters. Despite the characters' issues, you'll enjoy working through their problems with Berg.



Searching for Tina Turner is a sassy, fun read. This book explores the world of successful African American characters in their fifties. Lena and Russell are at the peak of success. He's worked his butt off to earn big bucks and a title. Russell asked Lena to forego her photography career to back him up. Now, Lena's looking to Tina Turner for inspiration. Is she willing to start over with the clothes on her back, her career and talents, and re-discover herself, rather than be in the shadow of a man? A man with affairs and an attitude, at that.

Big questions and at age fifty, it's really tough to start over. The body isn't perfect anymore, everyone has some baggage, and some of it is dragging on the floor. Jacqueline E. Luckett has created characters to root for and her sense of humor is superb.

This is an enjoyable read about serious issues. Lena runs into an old flame, but is she ready to jump back into a fire pit - a rich man with opinions? Lena comes from a strong loving family. Her mother wants her to mend fences with Russell, not rock the boat. Lena's sister encourages her to jump ship and be herself. Lena's daddy in heaven hovers - he was the beloved rock of the family.

I enjoyed Searching for Tina Turner immensely. It reminded me of Terry McMillan's writing and that's a compliment. Strong female characters in real life situations. Humor, style, and sass.

It makes reading fun.

Recommended Read: Room

Jack's five-year-old voice leaps from the page and captivates you in the novel Room by Emma Donoghue. To him, Room is the only place he's ever known. It is filled with all that's necessary for his imaginative, energetic life and the key is Ma. However, Room is her prison. She was kidnapped at age nineteen and now at twenty-six, she's wearying of maintaining a calm facade for Jack.

She tries to explain that there is a real world beyond their four walls. But how do you explain reality? And what happens when you re-enter the world after disappearing for seven years? Plus there's Jack, a product of her captivity. He's an innocent boy, with no concept of friends, social boundaries, nature, and family.

Ms.Donoghue brilliantly captures two lives in two different situations. First there's Room, where it's Ma and Jack and their routine, interrupted only by their captor, a creepy entity. We deal with him while hidden in the wardrobe with Jack.

Second, there's the world upon escape - the hospital, necessary for health assessments and re-adjustments. For example, Jack's never walked down stairs, he's never been in the sun, his eyes have to learn distance sight and perspective.

Dealing with lawyers, family, and the media proves stressful for Ma. And for Jack, he doesn't understand that it can't just be him and Ma anymore. He has to share her and become his own person. Jack's observations offer keen insight into our crazy world. I liked this paragraph on
p. 286:
In the world I notice persons are nearly always stressed and have no time. In Room me and Ma had time for everything. I guess the time gets spread very thin like butter over all the world, the roads and houses and playgrounds and stores, so there's only a little smear of time on each place, then everyone has to hurry on to the next bit.

Room is different in a good way. Ms.Donoghue has strongly fleshed out characters, a unique perspective in her main character, Jack, and gives her reader a lot to think about.

You'll look at your own space and world in a new way after reading this book.

Tiger Mom : Book Review

I think it's appropriate on Mother's Day Weekend to discuss Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. I got a huge kick out of this book and laughed out loud at various parts. Truly, I admire Ms. Chua for writing it, and I hope that her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, write their version.

Ms.Chua, very successful as a lawyer/Yale teacher/writer in her own right and her husband, a successful Yale professor, choose to raise their daughters the "Chinese way." This means total immersion in academics and strict studies in music (piano or violin only). No sleepovers, no playdates, no tv or computer games, and no grade less than an A.

Does that sound ridiculous??

Well, it works well for Sophia, the first born. This young lady is malleable from the start and obviously very talented, skilled, and willing to subject herself to her mother's requirements, tasks, practice sessions, etc. The results are worth the effort. The kid's playing piano at Carnegie Hall, for God's sake.

Then there's Lulu. From the womb, this young lady is in combat. It's hilarious (to me) to read the battles won (by Lulu) and lost (by Ms.Chua).

There truly is a lesson learned from this book about individualism.

I had read review of this book and discussions about "the horror, the horror". I personally did not read that into this book at all. I had the feeling that Ms.Chua had to concede that "Her Way" wasn't the total "Way".

Indeed, Lulu proves to have a mind and will of her own. The child is successful in her own right. She's smart, talented at violin, and ultimately at ...............................................tennis. OMG.

I highly recommend this book and frankly admire Ms.Chua for her methods and madness. I truly found her standing back and watching herself and laughing. She believed and believes that her way was the right way. However, she encountered The Lulu, and maybe, there's some other paths to success.

All, I know is I wish the best to all mothers trying to raise children in this day and age.

Picoult Rules

I confess to Jodi Picoult burnout. It lasted a year. I read a slew of her books, was up on her every hot topic in the news, and then my brain exploded. I did this for awhile with Oprah - dvr'd her show, read her magazine, and then said, "I'm choosing slothdom."

However, I currently have Oprah's April magazine issue featuring poetry sitting open on the kitchen table. And Jodi Picoult's House Rules jumped into my arms at the library. Guess I'm an addict and there's no cure.

Picoult is an excellent writer. Her characters are flawed but likeable. Her storytelling style - various viewpoints - keeps your interest and heightens pace and tension. It's obvious she's done research on her topic - in this case, autism. All in all, House Rules, has Picoult in fine form and I'm hooked once again.

Jacob Hunt, high schooler, is autistic. Theo, the younger teen brother, is resentful and yet, looks out for Jacob. Emma, the mother, constantly runs interference on Jacob's life. As a reader, you will gain a huge appreciation for what a mother of an autistic child goes through each day. It's exhausting. Jessica (college student) is Jacob's social worker and has helped him immensely. Unfortunately, Jessica is found murdered and the key suspect is Jacob. Oliver, a new lawyer, takes on the case and the trials and tribulations of Jacob, who deals in black and white, no shades of gray. Oliver has to convince the judge and jury that Jacob is innocent, but is he?

P. 7 Emma discusses Jacob: If you talk to him, you'll have to be the one to start the conversation. He won't look you in the eye. And if you pause to speak to someone else, for a brief moment, you might turn back to find that Jacob's left the room.

p. 12 Theo's view: I'm no saint. There are times I'll do things to drive Jacob crazy, because it's just so darn easy.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult is a worthy read. She's smart and definitely raises awareness on autism issues through solid fiction. I recommend this, but then step away from the "P" aisle in the library for awhile. You don't want Picoult burnout.

Road Trip Reverie

Road trip novels can be really good or prove ponderous, however, The English Major is witty insight into a sixty-year old man who's "lost" his wife, his farm, and his purpose. Spurred by a childhood jigsaw puzzle of the United States, Cliff roams the West, rediscovers himself, and reflects on his past loves and life.

To attempt to be a good writer, one must read and I read in all genres and styles. I peruse library shelves and titles catch my eye. I pull the book out, read the blurb, and either keep or reject. Some authors are known and I have faith in their writing based on history. Book reviews are a wealth of opinion and often I'll remember thinking, "That sounded intriguing." The English Major was a found gem.

Jim Harrison's voice is strong and his humor heightens the book's charm. Cliff taught English, and then turned to farming. This foray is interesting as he considers his joys and tries to overcome early to rise habits. On his road trip, he flings puzzle pieces out the window, or buries them symbolically, as he crosses state lines.

Cliff's ties to his son, Robert, in California, and almost ex-wife, Vivian, in Michigan, are intertwined with his current (annoying) accessory, former student Marybelle. Sex, lust, and abandonment are explored. Cliff teeters between alcohol binges and sobering observations through Idaho, Montana, CA, Arizona, and his true love, Michigan.

Here's an example of Harrison's smooth writing on page 189: As an English major I was familiar with the stories of dozens of writers trying to get their work done amid the multifarious diversions of the world and the hurdles of their own vices. A professor had said what saves writers, is that they, like politicians, had the illusion of destiny, which allowed them to overcome obstacles no matter how nominal their work.

Meander with Cliff and enjoy the road (life) trip that is The English Major.