Member: Jenners26

I interviewed Anna Quindlen by phone from the west coast back in the 1980's when she was writing her newspaper column and I was writing a similar one for the Oakland Tribune. Like Jenners26, I was struck by her New Yorky accent. To this day though, when I read her in print, I still translate her voice into something that sounds like my own. I'm pretty that's a function of how I identify with Anna's thoughts and writers voice. http://barbarafalconernewhall.com/2013/04/06/seven-books-i-never-read/

posted by bfnewhall at 3:51 pm (EST) on Apr 6, 2013

I totally agree with your review of the audio version of Every Last One, which I am just finishing. I am rarely surprised by plot, but this one caught me off guard: not so much the murders by Kiernan, I saw something awful coming with that poor kid, but with MaryBeth having had the brief fling with his father. I am on the last CD now and look forward to the final forgivenesses. Excellent story; excellent narration, and great review.

posted by shearon at 10:39 am (EST) on Feb 8, 2013

Thank you for your review of Kane and Abel.
I agree with everything that you said.
I also discovered that the coincidences were a bit far-fetched.
But then again, it would be an awfuly boring story without the coincidences.
One author--I can't remmber who--wrote that everything is a coincidence.
And I think there was another author--I can't remember who, either, who said that nothing is a coincidence, not even the two men running into each other in the battle.
I find myself wondering what would happen if the author deliberately could forego all of the coincidences, and just have Kane and Abel never meet each other. But then it would be just a novel with two unrelated stories crammed in it and one would have to go.
I guess the whole world is that way; why do we meet whom we do?
About a month before I met my wife, I thought of moving out of my home city and moving across the country. But I didn't, and then look what happened.
Maybe if Abel wasn't a waiter at Kane's table and Abel's hotel mentor went to a different bank, then the whole story would have turned out differently. But then the two people would have just met some other different coincidences--I mean people. And then the story would have to have four main characters instead of two.
...
I have no idea what I am talking about.
Do you? ... have any suggestions?

posted by libraryhermit at 8:00 pm (EST) on Jan 29, 2011

PPS I love your blog, and am now a follower.

posted by BeckyJG at 8:33 pm (EST) on Jan 23, 2011

I'm currently reading The Unnamed and absolutely adore your characterization of it as a "personal dystopia." I hope you don't mind my using the phrase when I review it (with full credit to you, of course).

Becky

PS I like the contrast of the Franzen and Holt on your Currently Reading list. It made me smile :-)

posted by BeckyJG at 8:29 pm (EST) on Jan 23, 2011

I just read your review for David Nicholls 'One Day' having just finished the book myself.
I'm not surprised they are making it into a film already, and Jim Sturgess - what a perfect choice for Dexter; exactly how I imagined him. But Anne Hathaway is very far off the mark; I think a brunette Katherine Heigl would be perfect!

posted by LadyHazy at 8:14 am (EST) on Nov 8, 2010

Glad you enjoyed Rebecca so much! It's long been one of my favorites. I can heartily recommend the Hitchcock film. They fudge a few things (like the actual mystery) because of the code movies had to follow back then, but the slowly mounting tension is brilliantly done. I would also recommend the audiobook read by Anna Massey — one of the best audiobooks I've ever heard. Love it!

posted by wisewoman at 1:23 pm (EST) on Nov 5, 2010

While you are on a mission. I see you are big on memoirs. I would strongly suggest that you look into The Tender Bar by Moehringer, J.r. If you're interested in memoirs in my mind this is the memoir of memoirs.

It's hard to find a bad review of this book. You can see why he's won a Pulitzer Prize and why Andre Agassi had him ghostwrite his autobiography.

In all honesty it is a better book Than The Book Thief.

posted by ColumbusLee at 9:15 pm (EST) on Sep 7, 2010

Loved your review of The Book Thief!

I've recommended the book to a number of adults. Some have already read the book. Others after reading it, have joined the chorus singing Marcus Zusak's praise.

posted by ColumbusLee at 11:15 am (EST) on Sep 6, 2010