a collection of tried and true
Enjoyable read about a group of friends who grew up in a small mill town in Wisconsin in the 1970s and 1980s. One is a farmer who still lives in the town, one became a world famous rock star, one became a trader in Chicago. Told from different point of views I thought it was well written and a nice story about friendship and love.
PJH rating: ****1/2
The story of Joe Rantz who grew up basically an orphan in Washington State and eventually made his way through college as a star rower and …spoiler… won the gold medal at the Berlin Olympics of 1936. A great story about pre-war America, WW2, Nazi Germany and the sport of rowing. Was a bit rambling at times but a good read.
PJH rating: ****
Two adult sibling are having relationship problems in Charleston. Both characters are very unsympathetic and not likeable at all – I didn’t like this book at all – not sure why it got good reviews. I think I finished it just because I was on vacation sitting on the beach and drinking beer and reading 🙂
PJH Rating: **
2 or 3 pages into this short novel I was thinking what the fuck is this. Seriously. Seemingly random paragraphs about this and that. But I stuck with it and slowly it started to come together and tells the story of a couple falling in love, marrying, having kids and falling out of love – or at least dealing with it. An interesting read.
PJH rating ****
Set during the end of WW2 a young blind Parisian girl is enduring the occupation on the coast in her great uncle’s house. At the same time a teenaged orphaned German boy finds himself in an elite Nazi training camp. Their paths cross in climax of this unique wonderful novel. A great read if you are one of the few who haven’t read it yet.
PJH Rating: ****1/2
A group of loosely connected short stories about American soldiers in the Iraq war told from different soldier’s viewpoints. Some in Iraq, some at home after the war, and all rather detached about the conflict or at least the reasons why they are there. Sad but interesting read.
PJH Rating: ****
Novel goes back and forth between two points of view both describing their relationship with a young African man named Isaac. The story set in the 1970’s involves a revolution in Africa and one of the displaced African’s experience at a mid-west American University. Interesting and well written.
PJH rating: ****
A female sheep herder lives alone on a farm on a remote British island. The novel explores her loneliness going back and forth from her upbringing and her recent past. An interesting, dark novel.
PJH rating: ***1/2
An A-list celebrity has a heart attack while on stage portraying King Lear and sets off this post-apocalyptic tale where 99.9% of the world dies from a flu virus. Seemingly disconnected characters from different periods and different geographic locations bring the horrific yet suspenseful and enjoying tale to life. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend.
PJH Rating: ****1/2
An elderly couple in the mid-west and their grown children living in Philadelphia and NYC dealing with life in the 21st century and the corrections that one must take to keep on track… but most importantly to spend Christmas together. I thought it was an amazing novel. Franzen delves into the mostly unlikable and depressed family members but the plot is interesting and sucks you into the drama. The last chapter from the father’s point of view was extraordinary and so so sad. It made be a blubbering mess.
PJH Rating: ****1/2
