January in Review

Lightning People by Christopher Bollen. This novel encompasses loves lost and current, relationships with family and friends, conspiracy theories, heredity, lightning strikes and the little ways our lives all intertwine. A blurb on the back of the book compared it to The Great Gatsby - a pronouncement that still kind of makes me scoff. I found myself caring about the characters' lives despite none of them being clearly defined as likable. Bollen has a way of hinting at what's to come, but when you get to the scene and think a certain thing will happen, he mixes it up on you. It's never a hokey "Ha, you thought this would happen but you were wrong!" but more of a "No, this is going to happen instead." It's very well-done and I found myself holding my breath in suspense through several sections. The beginning might be a little confusing because the narrative is told from the point of view of five characters, but it is worth sticking with.

Light from a Distant Star by Mary McGarry Morris. With the main story arc being a murder committed in a personal residence and the true killer's identity being mistaken, this book had a lot of potential, but failed to deliver. The narrator was unlikable, but not in an interesting or quirky way, just boring. Every scene that could have been climactic was reduced to mere sentences presented matter-of-factly, while minor side stories were given too many pages, then left unfinished at the novel's end.

Jump Book by Philippe Halsman. Halsman was a noted portrait photographer who asked his subjects to jump for him before he finished a session. The result is a book of wonderful images featuring various authors, celebrities, and political figures in midair. There are a few pages of text outlining "jumpology," the way Halsman analyzed his subjects' arm and leg positions to learn about their personalities. The book is mostly a picture book, but the text is worth reading. My favorite jumpers were Capt. Edward Steichen, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Salvador Dali, and Anthony Perkins.

The Orchard by Theresa Weir. A touching memoir about how a woman met her husband and married him in a whirlwind, then spent the rest of their lives learning about each other. The book's setting and, honestly, main character is the apple orchard where Adrian Curtis (Weir's husband) was born and raised, and worked his entire life. Though Weir addresses some aspects of farming and pesticides, it is not hard to follow and doesn't take over the book. The most overwhelming aspect of the book is the emotion - not that it is excessive. Weir is very skilled in taking the reader along with her, from the first glimpse of her husband-to-be onward, including glimpses back into her troubled childhood.

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. An amazing book. Jaycee tells the story from the day of her kidnapping up to her struggle to adjusting to real life, interspersed with memories of her childhood. It's told very matter-of-factly, not necessarily without emotion, but without pity. Jaycee doesn't want to be seen as a victim or a hero - she's just sharing her story because it's all she knew, and all she could do was live each day as it came to her. Still, it's very inspiring, especially when she shares optimistic journal entries she wrote when she was thirteen, then ones she wrote when she and her daughters were much older. It's a fascinating look at how someone can be trapped for so long, then exposed to the real world and not want to be in it. Jaycee says that she never wanted to go back to her captivity, but with the media in her face, she pretty much felt like she was still being kept from having her own life. Very sobering book.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. My first John Green book, though I'd heard a lot about him. I was a little wary, because often such popular authors/books/movies don't live up to the hype. In this case, he exceeded my expectations. After two pages I was hooked, staying up all night to finish the book. There were so many things I thought might happen, but I didn't want to wait and let my imagination run wild - I had to know what was going to happen. The characters are so realistic I knew them, I was in their world. The book is well-written and easy to read quickly, but it's worth savoring. Never have I read a book that can make me cry (without being overly sentimental) and then make me laugh hysterically through my tears just a sentence later. Highly recommended.

Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel. This book comes with an advisory: "Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel have both written books for children. This is definitely not one of them." It's not, but I love that such a nonsensical book was written for adults. The whole plot line is just silly - everything happens by chance, is misinterpreted, and then leads to something else crazy happening. It's delightful. I laughed out loud at least once a chapter, and most chapters were just a couple of pages. If you want to read something fun that will make you think a little and laugh a lot, this is your book. And the laughs aren't limited to the text itself: a blurb on the back reads "Reading Alan Zweibel makes me laugh out loud. And yet it is not a particularly funny name." - Eric Idle; and the page that dedicates the book to the authors' wives, "who, if we had discussed the idea with them ahead of time, would definitely have discouraged us."

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. Two very different boys, both named Will Grayson, are telling their separate life stories. Then, completely by chance, they meet and become tangled with the same people. Their relationships are all affected and the whole thing inspires a high school musical, which sounds so funny and, yes, fabulous, that I wish I could hear it. The ending wasn't what I was expecting, even though now I'm not really sure what I was expecting. It just didn't sit right with me, and kind of left the whole book lacking as I looked back, despite my enjoying it as I read it.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. I wanted to like this book because it was based on the perfect framework - a road trip. However, the trip stops abruptly and so does the action. I've noticed a pattern in John Green books - the supporting characters are always more realistic and interesting than the main character narrating the story. Colin was passive and whiny so I didn't care too much about what happened to him.

Letters From a Nut by Ted L. Nancy. A re-read. I read this book when it first came out - my brother and I laughed over it like it was the funniest thing in the world. And it damn near is. "Ted" writes letters to companies, casinos, and celebrities with the most off-the-wall comments and requests. Very often the replies are just as funny as the original letters.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson. Big had a baby when she was fifteen; her daughter, Liza, had a baby when she was fifteen. When Liza's daughter, Mosey, turns fifteen, both her mother and grandmother are on edge. They're expecting the worst, but what happens is nothing they were prepared for. A mystery unravels when bones are found under Liza's favorite willow tree. The book is told from the points of view of Big, Liza, and Mosey, and each character has a distinct voice. I loved this book, but I'm biased - Jackson is one of my top three favorite authors, and my all-time favorite female writer. (We're friends.)