Paging All Bookworms! discussion

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Jokha Alharthi, Celestial Bodies [2010. tr. 2018] 243 pages

The 2019 Man Booker International Prize winning novel by Omani author Jokha Alharthi, Celestial Bodies traces the generations of a family in the Omani village of Al-Awafi. The novel begins with the arranged marriage of Mayya to Abdallah, the son of Merchant Sulayman. The style is modernist, with first-person chapters told through the stream-of-consciousness of Abdallah alternating with chapters told in the third person focusing on other characters; the chapters are not in chronological order, but weave backwards and forwards in time, often within a single chapter. We focus in various chapters on Mayya's mother Salima, whose father and uncle were Shayks (the local nobility), on her and Abdallah's daughter London, as a newborn and then more than twenty years later, on Mayya's sisters Asma and Khawla, on her father Azzan, on a Bedouin girl named Qamar, on Zarifa, a former slave and mistress of Abdallah's father, Merchant Sulayman, and her son Sanjar, and near the end of the novel, on Asma's and Khawla's husbands, as well as other minor relatives. We get glimpses of the slave-owning past, the oil-rich present, and the years in between. We see the characters, especially the women, submit to and rebel in various ways and to different degrees against the traditional customs, creating a kaleidoscope of differing relationships. Family secrets are gradually revealed. There are allusions to other authors I have read or will be reading for the same Goodreads group, such as the poets Nisar Qabbani and Mahmoud Darwish. The novel depicts the changing life of Oman in an age of rapid transition.

Espresso Shot – Cleo Coyle – 3***
Coffeehouse Mystery series book # 7 finds Clare Cosi in the uncomfortable position of catering a wedding reception for a bridezilla who seems to attract danger. I like this series. It’s populated with a nice cast of recurring characters. There are plenty of suspects and some twists and turns to keep the reader (and Clare) guessing. I find all the references to foodie culture and explorations of different cuisines, desserts and beverages (including various coffees) entertaining.
My full review HERE

Tariq Ali, Pirates of the Caribbean: Axis of Hope [2006] 244 pages

Another nonfiction book by Tariq Ali, the last of the books by him which I have. In this one, he turns his attention to the politics of the Caribbean and South America, which he sees (or saw some fifteen years ago) as more hopeful than other parts of the world. Ostensibly, the book is about Cuba (Fidel Castro), Venezuela (Hugo Chávez) and Bolivia (Evo Morales); in fact there is relatively little about Cuba (and I have read better) and not much more about Morales, who had just been elected, although there is a good deal of background on Bolivia. Essentially, this is a book about Hugo Chávez and his "Bolivarian Revolution" in Venezuela.

Especially in a long period of reaction, revolutionaries tend to grasp at any sign of an upturn, and I think Ali may have overestimated the significance of Chávez (and Morales). There was no actual revolution in Venezuela, Chávez won the Presidency in an election; unlike Castro, he didn't end capitalism or destroy the landowning oligarchy as a class; even Ali refers on several occasions to his "moderate reforms." On the other hand, the reforms were genuine and substantial, particularly compared to previous regimes anywhere in South America (with the exception of Allende in Chile). The oligarchy (backed by Washington) tried at least four times unsuccessfully to remove him, and the capitalist world media waged a campaign of disinformation about him second only to their campaign against Castro. It is definitely worthwhile to have a book which answers the neo-liberal propaganda.

The real value of most of Ali's nonfiction writing (as opposed to his novels) is his presentation of the historical context in a wider frame, rather than the details of his own position, and that is true here as well, especially now that Castro and Chávez are dead and Morales deposed and in exile.

Dracula by Bram Stoker
3 ★

Since most everyone knows what this book is about, I don’t think I need to write a description. The story is told through letters and diary entries and I really enjoyed it, but found parts of it hard to read. Dr. Van Helsing has an interesting way of speaking and I got lost occasionally. Also, the author does an excellent job with the dialect of other countries, but I found those hard to comprehend as well. None of this affected the story, though. It was still written well and intriguing. The author is very descriptive and this adds to the reading experience. It’s nice when you can visualize places and people while reading.
I gave the book 3 stars because of the ending. Most of the book is centered around the group of men tracking down Dracula to end his terror and one would expect a nice faceoff at the end. This story ended very quickly and left me feeling like I had missed out on something. It does have a nice follow up chapter, though.

Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance [rev ed 1959] 1022 pages

While obviously somewhat outdated after sixty years, this is probably the most comprehensive book on Renaissance music available in English. It's divided into two parts; the first part is on the "central language" in France and the Netherlands and in Italy; the second, shorter part is on the "diffusion" of the language in Spain, Germany, Eastern Europe and England. The first part begins with chapters on the generations of Dufay, Ockegham and Josquin, which were the most interesting chapters; it then becomes more encyclpedia-like dealing with the Late Renaissance, in places becoming more like a listing of many composers. The second part is even more list-like. It was emjoyable reading it (while listening to many of the composers on Spotify) although in some ways it was beyond my musical knowledge as a non-musician.



Alexander Pushkin, The Little Tragedies [1830, tr 2010] 118 pages [Kindle]

Four very short plays by Pushkin written in 1830, in a new verse translation by Alan Shaw. The four were "The Miserly Knight", "Mozart and Salieri" (which was a source of Amadeus), "The Stone Guest" (Don Juan) and "Feast During Time of Plague." The characters were interesting, but I don't think it is really possible to appreciate works like this in a translation, however accurate it may be. I wish I knew Russian.

Ismail Kadare, Elegy for Kosovo [1998, tr. 2000] 125 pages [Kindle, Open Library]

The Plain of Kosovo has been a battlefield between Albanians, Serbs and Turks for nearly a thousand years. This short book is divided into three parts -- another English translation is called Three Elegies for Kosovo, which is a literal translation of the Albanian and French titles. The first part, "The Ancient Battle", deals with the battle of Kosovo in 1389 between the Christians and the Turks, the second, "The Great Lady", with the fugitives from the battle, and the third, "The Royal Prayer" is the thoughts of the murdered Sultan Murad I (assassinated by his own viziers at the end of the battle) from the time of the battle through the recent war between NATO and the Serbs. The book, unusually straightforward for Kadare, is essentially a plea for peace in the Balkans.

Leonard Peltier, Prison Writings: My Life is My Sun Dance [1999] 243 pages

Leonard Peltier has been in prison for over 43 years, making him one of the world's longest-confined political prisoners. This book was written 22 years ago; since that time he has been denied clemency by Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump. I assume shortly we will be able to add Biden to that list. The book does not re-argue his case; there have been many books that have done that, including the comprehensive In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen, which I reviewed a few years ago. Instead, he explains how he became an activist and his vision for the future. A book both disturbing and inspirational, to add to the ones by Dennis Banks, Mary Crow Dog and Russell Means which I have read over the past few years.

Thirteen Moons – Charles Frazier – 5*****
Frazier’s sophomore effort returns to the rural Carolina landscape, covering nearly a century from the 1820s to the very beginning of the 20th century. The tale is told by Will Cooper, who as a twelve-year-old orphan was sent into the wilderness as a “bound boy.” It’s a marvelous story, and beautifully told. Will’s life is full of adventure and opportunities, as well as peril and mistakes. Frazier puts the reader into an America that is long gone but vividly portrayed. On finishing, I find that I want to start again at the beginning, savoring every word.
My full review HERE

A Discovery Of Witches – Deborah Harkness – 4****
Book one of the All Souls Trilogy introduces the reader to Diana Bishop, descended from a long line of powerful witches, but uninterested in learning to use her magic skills, and Matthew Clairmont, who is a renowned vampire. It’s a combination of fantasy, romance, suspense, mystery, and historical fiction. I was engaged from page one and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
My full review HERE

A Bend In the Stars – Rachel Barenbaum – 3***
A debut work of historical fiction set in 1914 in Russia and featuring a brother and sister who are brilliant scientists determined to succeed and worried about escaping. I think the many subplots were a bit too ambitious. I was interested, but I was exhausted by the constant danger, and longed for peace for the characters and for me.
My full review HERE

The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead – 5*****
In the 1960s Jim Crow South, a young man on his way to college makes a life-changing mistake and winds up in the notoriously draconian Nickel Academy reform school. I was completely engrossed in this story. I loved how the relationships between the boys at Nickel developed, how they helped one another even when they could not understand one another. The last part of the novel moves forward in time when one of the boys has grown up and is in New York. But while he’s achieved a measure of success, he is still haunted by what happened in his youth. Whitehead’s use of this structure made the pivotal scene all the more impactful.
My full review HERE

Presumed Innocent – Scott Turow – 4****
This is a fast-paced story with several twists and turns and lots of political and personal intrigue to keep the reader guessing and turning pages. Turow’s tight writing gave me the sense of suspense and impending doom that I expect from a mystery/thriller like this. The final reveal is a bit of a stunner.
My full review HERE

Julie – Jean Craighead George – 3***
Book two of the Julie of the Wolves series, has our heroine returning to her father’s home and trying to reconcile the traditional Eskimo ways with the newer structure of village corporations, industry and working with the white man. The push/pull of old vs new, of childhood vs adulthood, of nature vs business form the central conflicts in the story.
My full review HERE

The Girl Who Drank the Moon – Kelly Barnhill – 4.5****
This is a delightful fantasy / fairy tale that deals with prejudice, fear, the importance of family, and the courage to do the right thing. I loved these characters (a witch, a swamp monster, a tiny dragon, and a magical child) and their “family dynamic.” While it’s aimed at the middle-school crowd, it is easily enjoyed by adults.
My full review HERE

Edward Everett Bostetter, ed., Twentieth Century Interpretations of Don Juan: A Collection of Critical Essays [1969] 119 pages


Given the contradiction between the reputation of Byron's Don Juan as a major work of literature, and my own less-than-enthusiastic impression, I decided to see what it is the critics see in it. This collection contains eight longer critical articles, and eight shorter excerpts about the poem. I didn't really change my opinion; in fact, most of the critics agreed with me that the first cantos were the best (and I perhaps got a better understanding of what they were doing) and the ones set in England weren't that great, although one or two of the shorter selections took the opposite position, that the satire of the British aristocracy was his greatest achievement (mainly British critics, and especially T.S. Eliot, who probably know that social stratum better than I do.) One interesting point they brought up was that Don Juan, and especially the English cantos, should be considered more as a novel in verse than a real poem, and perhaps from that standpoint they could be better appreciated in context with say Jane Austen's novels rather than with poetry.

Shadow Spell (The Cousins O’Dwyer #2) by Nora Roberts
5 ★

We return to the O’Dwyer family to find that Meara Quinn and Connor O’Dwyer may have feelings for each that are stronger than just friendship. This scares Meara, but makes Connor finally feel whole. The O’Dwyer family’s quest to end Cabhan takes a turn when he sets his eyes on Meara and Connor soon realizes the true power of love.

I found that I enjoyed this book just as much as the first. Although all the characters are the same, I liked how it focused on Meara and Connor as the first did on Iona. The characters are easy to relate to and the magical aspect in the story is fascinating. The bond all the characters have is something that I think we all wish we had. Connor and Branna have a great sibling relationship and Iona has really fit in well.
The story is set in Ireland and I absolutely love it. The accents and descriptions of the land are just awe inspiring. Ireland is on my travel bucket list and this trilogy has made that want stronger.
Meara makes a very foolish mistake in this book and I hope that her temper does not get the best of her. She could really ruin the battle with Cabhan. She did redeem herself for the battle, but it’s still something that sticks in the back of the mind.
Book three in the trilogy focuses on Branna and I am so looking forward to it.

The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Katie O’Neill
3 ★

This is a cute quick read about Greta and the new friends she meets when she finds a tea dragon cornered in an alley by some hungry dogs. She is already learning about blacksmithing from her mother and soon finds herself learning how to care for tea dragons. It’s a good book about how different people from different backgrounds can find common ground and become friends.

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground – Rita Williams-Garcia – 4.5****
This was wonderful on so many levels, from the history of the blues to the serious work of grieving over the loss of a family member to the need to face our troubles and talk about problems so that we can understand and forgive one another. Appropriate for middle-school readers and adults.
My full review HERE

Book Concierge wrote: "

The Nickel Boys
– Colson Whitehead – 5*****
In the 1960s Jim Crow South, a young man on his way to college makes a life-changing mistake and winds up in th..."

Thank you -- your 5 star review has encouraged me to move this one up on my list! :)

The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
5 ★

Julia Hart travels to a remote island to interview author Grant McAllister about is book The White Murders. She is representing a publishing company who wants to republish the book. Grant McAllister is an ex-mathematician professor who has added that element to his stories. He is also a recluse hiding from his past. When inconsistencies start showing up in Grant’s stories, Julia starts her own investigation.

The seven stories in this book are intriguing and thought provoking. Julia’s comments to Grant about the inconsistencies make the reader want to go back and reread them. I missed them all. By the third story I was trying to catch them and figure out the ending, but I wasn’t very good at it. Grant is an interesting character and his age has caused his memory to weaken.
Julia makes a great eighth detective and the ending is surprising. I did not see it coming and I love when a story does that. It makes the reader rethink everything they have read and thought throughout the book.
(Copy courtesy of Henry Holt Publishing)

Doña Barbara – Rómulo Gallegos – 3.5***
This classic of South American literature was first published in 1929. It is an epic tale of two cousins who are fighting for control of a vast estate / ranch in Venezuela. The novel is an early example of magical realism and Gallegos weaves together adventure, fantasy, and romance, using vivid description and outlandish storytelling. The various outdoor scenes were particularly exciting – I could practically taste the grit and feel the dust in my nostrils. If there was any element that made me downgrade the rating, it was the tendency towards melodramatic soap opera.
My full review HERE

The War of the Worlds – H G Wells – 4****
Classic science-fiction horror. I knew the basic premise going in and had heard snippets of the famous radio broadcast by Orson Welles, but had never read the original. The first-person narrative lends a sense of urgency and immediacy to the narrative. The reader feels completely immersed in the story. Wells includes significant tension; while there are a few moments of respite, I found it a very anxiety-producing read.
My full review HERE

Honoré de Balzac, Le lys dans la vallée [1836] 314 pages [in French]

Although written between two of his greatest novels, Le père Goriot and Les illusions perdus, Le lys dans la vallée is not in my opinion one of Balzac's best. Balzac in the Comédie humaine vacillates between the Romanticism of his time and a not yet fully developed Realism; while his best works, like Le père Goriot and Les illusions perdus, are predominantly Realist, Le lys dans la vallée is very Romantic. As in many of his less successful novels, it is hard to get into at first with long descriptions of scenery, furnishings and so forth before the reader is interested in the characters or the action; the emotional scenes which can be very powerful are continued too long and with too much repetition and too many religious platitudes (although those may have been more acceptable in a more Christian period.)

The novel is ostensibly a long letter from Félix de Vandenesse to his current lover Natalie, in response to her request to explain his past. (The conceit hardly works; the style is not at all like a letter, and as her short reply at the end tells him it is obviously inappropriate to send to his lover, or to write at all.) He describes his unhappy childhood and how as a young man he fell in love with Henriette (Mme. de Mortsauf), a woman a few years older than he is who is in an unhappy marriage. The bulk of the novel describes their attempt at a Platonic love affair without infringing on her duties to her husband and children. Apparently he wrote the novel in reply to one by Sainte Beuve, to show how he would present the theme of a renunciation of erotic love in favor of marital and family duty, and to meet criticisms that his women characters weren't sufficiently moral, but he didn't convince the critics of his time (or me): whether he intended it or not, the novel shows how the morality it is supposedly supporting only creates misery for all the characters (and in her dying moments Henriette herself seems to reject it). He also describes his very un-Platonic love affair with a British noblewoman, Lady Dudley. Balzac makes it easier on himself (and I think makes an aesthetic mistake) by opposing the completely negative character of Lady Dudley as a foil to Henriette (although at the very end Natalie in her reply suggests that the narrator is unfair to both.)

Reckless (Lucy Kincaid #5.5) by Allison Brennan
3 ★

Lucy Kincaid and Sean Rogan are unable to stay out of trouble, even when they are on vacation. Lucy has a long weekend from the FBI Academy and Sean decides to take her on a camping trip. This trip turns into a disaster when a boy becomes lost and the search for him uncovers a much more sinister operation.

This was a quick intense story. Lucy is able to keep her emotions in check, but I admired the way she handled the young boy in the story and how she made sure he was safe. She really would make a great mom. I also noticed that Sean didn’t try to shelter and protect her as much as he usually does. He seems to be starting to understand that she can take care of herself. Now, if the FBI and Noah would figure out that she is a good agent, we’ll be all set.

Jose Zorilla, Don Juan Tenorio [1844] 201 pages [in Spanish]

A classic of nineteenth century Spanish literature, this play in verse is probably the best-known version of the Don Juan legend after Molière's play and Mozart's opera (Byron's poem is not really about the same character, as far as it was completed). The play begins with the meeting of Don Juan and Don Luis, to settle their bet as to which of the two could in one year kill the most men and seduce the most women; Don Juan of course has won easily. He then extends the bet -- he will seduce Don Luis' fiancée, Doña Ana, and a novice about to become a nun, Doña Inez. The plot concerning Doña Ana is dealt with rather perfunctorily; the play concentrates its interest on the abduction of Doña Inez. The action then skips forward five years, with the invitation and visit of the Comendador's statue and the final scene in the cemetery, which is quite different from other versions and more theological.

It Takes a Witch – Heather Blake – 2**
The premise of this cozy mystery is pretty lame. The murder plot (main reason to read a cozy mystery in my humble opinion) was moderately interesting. I also thought the romantic interest was handled fairly well, with a nice promise of more to come. But I’ll probably never know what happens between Darcy and Nick, because I have no plans to continue this series.
My full review HERE

Caroline: Little House Revisited – Sarah Miller – 3.5***
Readers familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, will find this very familiar. Miller chooses to retell Wilder’s stories for an adult audience, focusing on Laura’s mother, Caroline. I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction, though I cringed at the lead character’s attitudes towards the Native American population. Miller does not gloss over the very real challenges of pioneer life – the lack of supplies, or routine comforts we take for granted.
My full review HERE

Ismail Kadare, A Girl in Exile: Requiem for Linda B.
[2009, tr. 2016] 185 pages

Another strong story of the Albanian dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, by Ismail Kadare, this is the story of a playwright, Rudian Stefa, who becomes, without his knowledge, involved in the life story of a teenage girl, Linda B., who is interned because her family were connected with the pre-World War II monarchy. As in many of his novels, there are mythical allusions (here the story of Orpheus and Eurydice) and surreal dream sequences. One of the many crimes of the Stalinists (not only in Albania) was the mistreatment of so-called "class enemies", including those who were children or not even born at the time of the revolution, reminiscent of the bourgeois reign of terror in the French Revolution. This whole idea is really a bourgeois conception of the world -- see today's liberals who all think in terms of "good" vs. "bad" individuals. For real Marxists, the enemy is the class structure of capitalist society, not the individual representatives of the bourgeoisie, who should be treated based on their actual individual behaviors.

Fraternity – Diane Brady – 3***
In 1968, a visionary priest recruited 20 black men to the College of the Holy Cross and changed their lives and the course of history. This was a very interesting look at how their experience influenced these young men. Brady focuses on seven of the recruits, but the person who really stands out in this tale is Rev. John Brooks, the priest who recruited the students, fought for funds, mentored them, and championed their causes.
My full review HERE

Emile Habiby, The Secret Life of Saeed the pessoptimist [1974, tr. 1985] 169 pages

A black comedy modeled on Voltaire's Candide, set in the years after 1948, when the Palestinians were driven out of Palestine by the Zionists. Avoiding the Romantic or Naturalist style of much political fiction, instead of heroes and villains Habiby gives us an anti-hero, Saeed, as naive and unintelligent as Candide, though a "pessoptimist" rather than an optimist (instead of thinking everything happens for the best, he thinks it isn't as bad as it might have been). He believes whatever the authorities tell him, and works as an agent for the Israeli government, though rather ineffectively. His ideas are constantly being refuted by the realities, but he just doesn't catch on. The novel is supposedly told as a letter from Saeed, who has been rescued by space aliens. It makes its political points all the more effectively for not being strident or directly propagandistic. (The edition I read had an introduction which gave some facts about the author; a founder of the Israeli Communist Party, he was elected three times to the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and was the editor of the newspaper Al-Ittahad. He was one of the best-known Palestinian novelists. He died in 1998.)

The date 1998 on the back cover is apparently a typo; he actually died in 1996.