The Book of You by Claire Kendal

 His name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns.   What could have been a formula stalker thriller, is luckily so much more.  It’s a creepy, often graphic read, and with my husband out of town, I checked the door was locked and read with several lights on in the house.

Clarissa, as the main character, develops as the book progresses.  She hides, cowers and seems vulnerable , but the reader will cheer the bravery in her relentless gathering of evidence against Rafe.  Upon police advice, she keeps a small journal “The Book of You” detailing every stalking move Rafe makes.  And while repulsed, she also keeps all his “gifts” and lurid photos – all in the hopes of gathering enough evidence to have him arrested.  The story is told interspersed between her journal entries and current time. 

The stalking soon becomes part of her everyday as she attends jury duty, meets another man and tries to carry on a normal life.  She keeps Rafe’s stalking, her journal and her fear a secret from everyone – adding to the suspense of the book.

Most compelling was how the author, little by little,  lets the reader fall into the mind and feelings of a stalking victim, how they try and maintain normalcy, how their lives are turned into a mine field of psychological terror, and how even the simple things that brought them joy (Clarissa’s sewing) can be made dirty.  This is what sets this debut thriller apart from the standard.   The ending was so good, I raced through the last few chapters and then  the next morning re-read them to savor the twists of the plotting.

In several instances the narrative breaks down and defies logic, and the dialogue can be stilted and poorly crafted – especially from the neighbor lady  — “You think I’m just a sweet old lady, Clarissa, a kindly spinster who knows nothing and has experienced nothing….”  arghhh.

But those two minor critiques did not stop me from devouring this chilling read and it still lingers in my mind.

Advanced Reading Copy provided by Harper Collins

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

Review copy provided by Penguin Group via NetGalley.

I’d been hearing the ravingly positive reviews of this novel and so was thrilled to receive an Netgalley review copy.  I started the novel and was immediately bogged down.   The novel begins in the center of the story and through flashbacks the secrets are revealed.  I stuck with it and learning the (not-so-secret) surprise that our narrator Rosemary was raised with a “sister” Fern who happened to be a chimp and disappeared when Rosemary was five years old.

This reveal turned out to be the most interesting part of the novel

Now I was intrigued but still having trouble slogging through the flashbacks, and overly complex story lines.

I get that this unusual chimp fostering  experiment had a long armed impact on various members of the family — especially Rosemary and often the writing is magical, funny and warm — but I could not finish this book.

I had trouble relating to any of the characters and found the this ever-churning tale of family loss, coming of age, and animal abuse extremely sad.   Beware — the last part of the book involves gut-wrenching and sickening animal experiments and that is where I stopped reading.

This kid wrote the best book review — ever.

I can relate…

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

I heard Roz Chast talking about her newest book on NPR and bought this memoir the next day.  I strongly recommend getting this book in the hardback  versus the electronic version, as you want to experience her cartoons and text laid out as she intended.

I inhaled this book in two sittings.  I’ve long been a fan of Roz Chast’s cartoons in the New Yorker and elsewhere, so this was an insight into a moving part of her life.

This is a cartoon (with prose) memoir of her aging Jewish parents – well into their 90’s and, although always independent and self-sufficient, now in decline.  As their only child, Ms. Chast tries to muddle through their needs – wanting to respect their pride, while still caring for them with their weakened health and memory issues.

Sounds dreary?  Wrong!  This is a funny, moving and soulful accounting of caring for aging parents that is in fact deeper and more insightful than a cartoon memoir might appear.

Some of the humor is laugh-out loud funny, other times I found myself laughing uncomfortably but through her cartoons,  Ms. Chast is able to assure us that the negative, frustrated feelings in this difficult situation are as important and valid as the positive, loving feelings. It shows the complicated emotions dealing with aging parents – especially when they’re resilient, resistant and proud.

If you’re a fellow baby boomer (hate that term, but OK) and dealing with these issues or already have – you will gain insight from this book.  The ending is devastating and emotional, but the entire memoir is TRUE and honest – frightening and yet lovingly funny.  Yes, that’s it – lovingly funny, honest and true.  Read it.

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

I’d had this book on my shelf for ages and could never get past the first few chapters,  so donated it to the Friends of the SF Public Library and forgot about it.

Then, I discovered I was going to be in Maine, so checked it out as a Kindle book from the library – that’s just how I roll folks.

This novel tells the tale of three generations of Kelleher women;  Alice – the cruel matriarch, Kathleen –  flawed, recovering alcoholic, Anne Marie – duty-bound daughter-in-law, and Maggie – the young hapless victim.

Because I planned to read this while at a friends camp (cottage) on a lake in Maine, I thought this would be the perfect novel.  But, turns out Maine (the state) does not really have any role or influence on Maine, the book.

Despite the back cover/inside flap copy this book is NOT a fun beach read about a family’s enjoyable summer days spent at their summer house in Maine — there’s no fun in this Maine. Where’s the lobster dinners eaten outside while slapping the mosquitoes, the chilly early morning swims, or the lazy hot afternoons reading on the porch?

Maine is a dark and grim expose of women joined by dysfunctional drama.  Told in alternating narratives, each chapter is the voice of a different character.   The author sets up the plot of past hatreds and buried secrets and then lets each character delve into their viewpoints, resentments and pain.

The book is extremely well-written and really starts to take off halfway through, when the women come together in Maine at the family summer house.  But, I found it hard to relax and just enjoy this book.  This is a book where motives have to be analyzed and resulting actions dissected  – a good book group discussion could result from the family dynamics.   And as a bravo to Ms. Sullivan, much of the family dysfunction is made real and familiar for anyone with a family — issues or not.

Perhaps  that’s what Ms. Sullivan meant to achieve – an deep, unflinching look into a flawed and dysfunctional family.

So, don’t be mislead by the book’s “summer beach read” promotional copy and do read Maine if you want a well-written, darkly real and unflinching family saga.

Quote:   “…Ann Marie sat at every family dinner and listened to them tell the same stories over and over.  She never met a family so tied up in their own mythology.”

The best way to get kids to read….

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

I’ve read almost everything by Ann Patchett (Magicians Assistant is one of my all time favorite novels) so I was clambering to read this collection of her essays.

I was surprised to find it available for checkout as an ebook though the S.F Library system – Score!

It’s lovely to have this collection of her personal essays from various sources (New York Times, Harpers, Granta, etc.) all in one place.  As I hoped, the essays give an insight into the author;  her writing career, her marriages, her dogs, her discovery of opera and her bookstore -Parnassus Bookstore in Nashville, Tennessee.  If you’re an Ann Patchett fan you will definitely enjoy this.

However, there was one essay “Do Not Disturb” which disturbed me.  She has a house full of guests getting on her nerves, so she ditches them to her husband’s care and flies to LA to check into the Bel-Air – seriously? She is a successful author and can certainty afford it, but this seemed over the top.

Otherwise these essays are fun, insightful, not too sticky-sweet and very readable.

Some favorite quotes:  “Playing the cello, we’re more likely to realize that the pleasure is the practice, the ability to create this beautiful sound, not to do it as well as Yo-Yo Ma, but still, to touch the hem of the gown that is art itself.”

“The love between humans is the thing that nails us to this earth.”

“There can be something cruel about people who have had good fortune. They equate it with personal goodness.”

(On her husband Karl) “He encouraged me in everything I did.  His answer to every question was yes.  He was proud of me, and he never found a way to undermind my success or spoil a happy moment.”