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You are here: Home / Archives for good reads

good reads

Book Review: Bronte’s Mistress

July 21, 2021 by admin

In Bronte’s Mistress, author Finola Austin tells the story of Lydia Robinson, possible mistress to Branwell Bronte, the ne’er-do-well brother of the famous Bronte sisters. Lydia is lonely and frustrated, but also grieving the deaths of her young daughter and mother, leaving her vulnerable to the charms of the much-younger, roguish Branwell. As their attraction grows, others notice, causing all kinds of problems.

Robinson is portrayed as a spirited woman who was a victim of her time. She had few options as a woman to make her own choices, and thus depended on her beauty and appeal to men to get what she wanted…and who expected her three daughters to do the same.

It’s of note that even the book title reduces Lydia Robinson to her relationship to a man, even though the story is about her.

The affair may or may not have happened, and has been the source of conjecture. Clearly something was going on based on some writings that exist, but how far things went is unknown.

I found Robinson shallow and detestable at times, but still felt sympathetic toward her. She longed for the love and attention of her emotionally distant husband, and I came away believing that she would have given up her lover had her husband given her even a crumb of his attention.

Even in our modern times, if a woman is perceived as being “too much,” she is criticized for it. In Robinson’s day, women were punished. Kudos to the author for keeping a sometimes-unlikable character compelling.

Filed Under: books, fiction Tagged With: Bronte, good reads, historical fiction, novels, strong female protagonist

A Truly “Delicious!” Book

January 31, 2020 by admin

The reading gods are continuing to smile upon me as I work through a trove of novels that are absolutely wonderful! I don’t often get a streak like this, and many times so-called must reads don’t flip my button at all.

This week’s selection is Delicious! A Novel by Ruth Reichl. This is her first novel, but she’s written a lot about food in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and more. She’s published non-fiction books as well, and I’m now eager to read all of them! So it makes sense that her first novel would be about, well, food.

Billie Breslin is a young woman with a perfect palette who doesn’t cook. We don’t know why, though I promise, all will be revealed. She has dropped out of college to take a job at Delicious!, a food magazine.

As Billie struggles to create a life for herself far from family, she builds a friendship with Sal and his wife Rosalie, making his cheese shop her second home. Then there’s Sammy, the eccentric and fabulous travel writer, and Jake, the owner of the magazine. Oh, and let’s not forget Mr. Complainer, a regular customer of Sal’s!

It’s hard to write more without adding a lot of spoilers, so I’ll just add that there’s a whole subplot devoted to certain letters addressed to James Beard, who in this novel once ran Delicious!. These letters, and the story that is revealed from them, are in my opinion the meat of the book.

Billie’s past will break your heart. But along the way, there is a lot of joy, friendship, and community, plus the smells and tastes of food that will make you hungry while you read. Yes, there are recipes at the end.

Filed Under: books, fiction Tagged With: fiction, foodie novels, good reads, women's fiction

Book Tuesday: What is the “Real” Israel?

December 4, 2012 by admin

In 2008, hubby and I went to Israel. Stunning and stressful, inspiring and frightening, the country showed its many sides to us as we explored it in our rental car. When I came home, I wanted to write about it, but how? Nothing I tried to write did justice to the experience.

Author Martin Fletcher, who walked the western coast of Israel the same year we were there, has written the stories that I couldn’t write in Walking Israel:  A Personal Search for the Soul of a Nation. A longtime journalist, Fletcher had covered many battles and skirmishes throughout the country. He felt that he was missing something, and walked the western coast of Israel in search of the “real” Israel. Along the way he interviews Jews, Israeli Arabs, soldiers, and more.

Exuberant Tel Aviv!

As Fletcher hikes along the coast, my own memories come flooding back. In one example, he writes about Acre, with its medieval walls, where Jews and Arabs live peacefully, for the most part. Just before our visit, though, some violence erupted when an Arab drove his car into a Jewish neighborhood on Yom Kippur (the holiest day of the Jewish calendar). As with all things Israeli, however, it’s complicated, and hubby and I had a nice visit in Acre despite the violence just a week before. Fletcher reflects on this incident, though it occurred several months after his walk, and notes how challenging it is to separate politics from daily life in Israel.

When Fletcher describes the northern town of Nahariyya, I remember meeting my first former Israeli soldier: a pretty waitress in a local cafe. Slim and slight, she recalled doing her military service when Lebanon was bombing Nahariyya in 2006. My stepson was in Israel that year, and we feared for his safety, but his group leaders moved them further south out of harm’s way. I realized again what should be obvious: no matter how intimidating or powerful, many armies are made up of young, fresh-faced kids just starting their lives.

Roman ruins at Caesarea, where Napoleon was turned back.

 

Overlooking Jerusalem

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were so many contradictions and contrasts, too many to describe here. I am grateful to Fletcher for his ability to present them so clearly.

Fletcher doesn’t try to draw conclusions. His reviews are mixed because he hasn’t chosen one side or the other, but that’s why I appreciate it. It’s confusing and complex, and Fletcher doesn’t make it less so. He does, however, show the fascinating and frustrating land of Israel in a way that made me nod my head and say, “Yes, yes, that’s it. That’s what I couldn’t find the words to say.”

Sunrise at Masada, overlooking the Dead Sea

Filed Under: books, travel Tagged With: good reads, great books, israel, memoir, nonfiction, travel

Indie Books? Help for Writers? Visit Rogue Books!

May 24, 2012 by admin

This last week I had the pleasure of finding Derek Blass on Twitter, and I thought I’d pass along his website.

Blass and I have little in common. He writes thrillers, while I write character-driven women’s fiction. He says he sees action in his head; I see inner struggles and other introspective qualities.

I haven’t read his work (YET, though it’s on my list!), and he likely hasn’t read mine.

He’s also a guy, while I speak mostly to women in my blog (with thanks for the men who are loyal readers in spite of that).

So, why promote his work? Simple. We share the common goal of wanting others to succeed. In my little blog, I write a lot about physical and mental health, in hopes that others may benefit from my experience. As a writer, I am also a voracious reader, and I believe in supporting and promoting the work of other indie authors who are doing super work!

Blass is generous with other writers. His website includes tips for writers, including an “Amazon for Dummies” article that is particularly helpful! He offers inexpensive options for indie authors to promote their work on his site. He’s also started the #amazonlikes hashtag on Twitter, and I invite you to follow him at @DerekBlass.

If you’re not a writer but love to read, check out Derek’s books, as well as the other indie authors featured on his site. Remember, buying books from indie authors helps them continue to entertain us!

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Memorial Day holiday!

Filed Under: blogs, books, fiction, writing Tagged With: Derek Blass, good books, good reads, indie books, Rogue Books, thrillers

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