THE COMMONER by John Burnham Schwartz

I read mixed reviews of THE COMMONER before picking it up. The subject matter intrigued me. THE COMMONER is a work of fiction that is loosely based on the life of Empress Michiko who rose to the throne in 1989. The Empress was the first commoner to marry into the imperial family. The imperial family is naturally very private and little is known about its innerworkings. This book imagines what it would have been like for a commoner entering the imperial life.

The book opens with a description of the early life of Haruko as a commoner. I felt that the book took a long time to get going. Haruko doesn't marry the Crown Prince until halfway through the book. However, it may have been important to set the stage so that the reader would understand how very much Haruko's life changed when she became a royal. The novel itself is very quiet and slow-moving. The pace was almost glacial. This became important, however, in conveying the oppressive nature of royal life. Haruko struggles to reconcile her former self with her royal self and experiences mixed and often tragic results.

One moment I found especially heartbreaking was when Haruko's baby is forcibly weaned from her without her consent. As a mother who had to involuntarily wean her own baby, this broke my heart. In all of the splendor and opulence of courtly life, Haruko loses those things most important to her. Including her true sense of self.

While this isn't a particularly exciting novel, it is extremely thought-provoking. It forces the reader to think about what decision you would make in the same situation. Would you give up everything you knew for love? Or to experience royal life or fame? Would it be worth it?

Although difficult to get through, I recommend this novel because it will leave you thinking about a great many things and, perhaps, with a greater appreciation for the small freedoms and pleasures of everyday life.

Books and Buttons

I have been doing really well with my reading in 2009 so far. This weekend, I finished STORI TELLING by Tori Spelling and A SPOONFUL OF POISON by MC Beaton. I won't bother to do formal reviews on either one as they are both bits of fluff that I just enjoyed reading. I was a bit disappointed by the Tori Spelling book. I have never cared for Tori Spelling but got sucked into her reality show not long ago. I was surprised by how funny and self-deprecating that she is. And her relationship with Dean is sweet. Tori and I were pregnant at the same time and we are almost the same age so I felt a kind of affinity with her. I thought her book might give me a little insight into her life but there were no great revelations. It was a waste of time. I should have stuck with her tv show.

A SPOONFUL OF POISON is the lastest Agatha Raisin mystery by MC Beaton. A quick satisfying cozy mystery. Now, if I could just figure out what is going on with the next CAT WHO mystery. Rumor has it that there will never be another one published. I hope not!!!

I saw the "Curious Case of Benjaming Button" this weekend in my annual quest to see all of the Oscar-nominated films. The movie really emotionally affected me. I got really stirred up. Quite good but be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster.

WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS by Kate Atkinson

I don't normally read a lot of crime fiction. However, I thought Atkinson's CASE HISTORIES was well done and thought I'd pick up her latest offering, WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS. The story focuses on a woman, Joanna Hunter, who survived a vicious attack when she was six years old and has now gone missing thirty years later. Atkinson's character Jackson Brodie makes a return appearance in the book. Virtually every character is a survivor of some sort. The theme of survival is big one throughout the story. How do we move on from great tragedy and adversity? What kind of people do things like that shape us into? Do we have a choice about the people that we become?

Atkinson hits you with violence right from the beginning and I had a lot of difficulty with it. I think it was because the majority of the violence throughout the book was directed at women and children. I appreciate the fact that Atkinson crafts such strong female characters, however. They are not just victims. They are empowered and fight to the bitter end.

Ultimately, the book made me sad. Not because it isn't good but because the subject matter left me melancholy. I think the real message of the book can be summed up in this quotation from one of the characters:

"We're all on our own, Mr. B., that's why we have to care for each other."

How very true.

THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison Allen

There are times when you want to read really meaty fiction full of complex word usage and literary devices. There are other times when you just want to get lost in a good story. THE SUGAR QUEEN offers the latter. Allen's follow-up to the much enjoyable GARDEN SPELLS, THE SUGAR QUEEN follows Josey Cirrini, daughter of the infamous town rich man. Josey has spent her life trying to overcome a disastrous childhood and has lost herself in doing so. Things are about to change, however.

The book is filled with engaging characters trying to make sense of their lives and figure out how to make the right choices. I especially loved the bits of magical realism that Allen included. One of the characters is plagued by books that show up in her life in the most random and, often, inconvenient places. (I would love that!) The story offers enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested while being charmed throughout the whole journey.

A quick and delightful read!

FREEBIE--One Day Only!

Thought I'd pass this freebie on to my peeps!

Starting at 12:01am on January 14, register at the following address to get a coupon for a free SUAVE product.

LINK


The offer ends at midnight on January 14 so don’t forget!!!! One day only!

In Praise (and Defense) of Stuff

My husband is a simple man. Before we got together, he lived in a small apartment with the bare necessities. I blew through his life like Sherman through Georgia and left a trail of "stuff" in my wake. Now, we rent a house with a large garage that is packed to the gills with things.

First of all, I like to be prepared for any contingency. So, I have lots of "stuff" for emergencies. Then, I have decorations for holidays which fill up practically a whole wall of the garage. Then, of course, there are my crafting items. I now hesitate to throw a lot of things away because I worry that they could be recycled/repurposed for a future craft project. And then there are the books. Oh the books! I lost count at 1000. (and that is 1000 HARDCOVER books, people) There is limited space in the house so I have to keep many of them in boxes in the garage. I dream of having a library someday.

I think the stuff that my husband least understands is the assorted family/childhood memoribilia. He doesn't have much of that left for various reasons. I admit that to most people, it may seem unnecessary to hang on to childhood toys and drawings and old Christmas cards. My mother recently moved out here and I have been helping her unpack boxes. She has lots of my childhood toys and it has really affected me seeing them again. Would my life go on just fine without my old toys? Of course it would. But, as human beings, we forget things. Those toys trigger long-forgotten memories and feelings. So do the other assorted trappings in my mother's storage unit. I guess part of me worries that if I get rid of those things, I will lose the memories associated with them.

And then there are the big things. Like my grandfather's La-z-boy. I had it recovered awhile back. Yes, it's old. Yes, it's not the most comfortable chair in the world. But it was the only place my grandfather sat and I can't help but feel maybe some of his essence lingers on there. When I sit in that chair with my baby, I feel a connection to my long-lost grandfather.

Do I hold onto stuff? Yes. Could I do without a lot of it? Of course I could. But for now, I just want to open a box, pull out a toy or childhood drawing and be transported back in time and relive those moments of childhood and family members long gone.

LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY by Tiffany Baker

My first book of 2009 was a good one. I got an advanced copy and really enjoyed it. (The book will be released on January 8) THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY follows the life of Truly, a woman with a pituitary problem that causes her to be literally larger than life. The story follows Truly's life from birth to the present and juxtaposes her experiences with that of her beautiful sister Serena Jane and other characters in their small town of Aberdeen. The book focuses on the themes of finding one's place in the world as well as family secrets and legacies. It reminded me a bit of Fannie Flagg's works. Definitely a good start to the new year.

2008 in Books

GARDEN SPELLS -Allen
MARIETTE IN ECSTASY -Hansen
LOVING FRANK -Horan
GENTLEMAN OF THE ROAD -Chabon
MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON -Groff
DESERT CUT -Webb
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK -Brooks
THE RESERVE -Banks
RUN -Patchett
CRAZY SCHOOL -Read
HOW THE DEAD DREAM -Millet
ONE PERFECT DAY -Mead
AWAY -Bloom
SENATOR'S WIFE -Miller
BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO -Diaz
POTLUCK CLUB TAKES THE CAKE -Shepherd
CHASING HARRY WINSTON -Weinberger
ENCHANTRESS OF FLORENCE -Rushdie
GIRLS IN TRUCKS -Crouch
CANDY GIRL -Cody
EMBRACE ME -Samson
TEN-YEAR NAP -Wolitzer
SISTER -Adams
STORY OF MARRIAGE -Greer
BELONG TO ME -de los Santos
TEN DAYS IN THE HILLS -Smiley
WEDNESDAY SISTERS -Clayton
MADE IN THE USA -Letts
MORE THAN IT HURTS YOU -Strauss
EMMA'S TABLE -Galanes
GARDEN OF LAST DAYS -Dubus
GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO -Larsson
INTO THE FOREST -Hegland
HOME -Williams
FIRE -Neville
SEALED LETTER -Donoghue
ONE FIFTH AVENUE -Bushnell
FRIDA'S BED -Drakulic
ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES -Green
A MERCY -Morrison
GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY -Shaffer


In spite of everything, I managed to complete 41 books in 2008. Most of them chunksters with a few fluff reads thrown in. There were some spectacular disappointments (ENCHANTRESS OF FLORENCE and A MERCY to name a few). There were also some moments of sheer joy (GARDEN SPELLS and GUERNSEY LITERARY...) I find that my reading lately has tended towards fiction about mothers and fiction that offers cozy views of life. Maybe I just feel the need to be nurtured right now or to see myself in characters. Like CS Lewis said, "we read to know we are not alone." I have already completed my first book of 2009 and promise to post a review soon.

I hope 2009 brings you all lots of wonderful reading!!!!