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“Could You Lift Up Your Bottom?” by Hee-jung Chang, illustrated by Sung-hwa Chung

July 24, 2015 by

Source: Independent Publishers Group
Hardcover,
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“Could You Lift Up Your Bottom?” by Hee-jung Chung, illustrated by Sung-hwa Chung, is a math concepts book that explains figures, shapes, and space in a story.  This story centers on a frog who loses his favorite hat and an elephant who sits on it and takes advantage of the situation.  He has the frog get him food in different shapes and sizes, and promises each time to lift his butt off of the frog’s hat.  It becomes clear to the frog that he will have to be more savvy than the elephant who is being unkind.

Although my daughter and I read this book and we called out the shapes together until she was confident herself to shout them out alone, she told me that the elephant — who looks like a mixed media hodgepodge — was scary looking.  It was hard for her to focus on this book given her response to the elephant, but I tried to refocus her on the shapes in the book.

“Could You Lift Up Your Bottom?” by Hee-jung Chung, illustrated by Sung-hwa Chung, includes a great breakdown of categories for shapes — round shapes including circles and ovals, etc.  There are some interesting activities in the back that involve food as well, which my daughter enjoyed.  Overall the concepts in the book are well planned out and discussed, but the drawings here are less pleasant than those in the other books of this series.

Filed Under: challenges, children's fiction, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2015, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien

July 23, 2015 by

Source: Public Library
Paperback, 249 pgs
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Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien, which was our July book club selection, and is a post-apocalyptic young adult novel in which a teen is alone on the family farm when the rest of the family ventures beyond their valley in search of other survivors.  The only survivor of the bombings, but the teen has enough knowledge to know how to grow food and care for what farm animals are left.  Soon, the teen realizes that there may be others, as smoke in the distance moves closer and closer each day.  After being alone for a long period of time, how would you react to another person, a stranger that you don’t know anything about other than that he is a scientist and has some knowledge of radiation.

“I passed the house.  Visions moved behind my eyes, and I saw the house as I had seen it as a child: climbing the front steps on the way to supper; sitting on the porch at night, watching the fireflies; my grandfather rocking me on the swing; sitting there listening to someone singing, or a phonograph; later sitting on the swing at night weaving long, romantic dreams about my life to come.”  (pg. 242)

After observing the stranger for a few days, the teen decides that to meet him face-to-face is the best option, as this is the family home in the valley.  There is a sense of responsibility not only for the farm and its buildings, but for creating a home-like atmosphere even for this stranger.  Mr. Loomis, who claims to be a chemist and knows about radiation, falls ill with radiation sickness when he throws caution to the wind and jumps into the stream without testing it.  The green lushness of the valley has lulled him into a false sense of security, and this mirrors the false sense of security the teen feels when a routine develops between them.

Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien is character-driven from a first person point of view, and while the protagonist can be insipid at times, there are moments of evolution in her character.  Some readers, however, will be angered by the teen’s reactions to Mr. Loomis and his actions.  There are moments in which readers will want to slap the teen silly, but living a farm life in a semi-religious family, it can be easy to see how the teen would have an outlook that is hopeful and positive, expecting the best from others, rather than the worse.  Mr. Loomis and the teen are nearly foils of one another in terms of worldview, and while he is paranoid and controlling because of the loneliness he felt, the teen views the world optimistically and with wonder.  Is this due to the difference in age, their upbringing, or other factors …  it is unclear.  Background information on the characters is minimal, but the story is engaging for the most part as a teen faces a series of tough decisions.

What the book club thought: (updated 9:12 AM)

Our meeting had a consensus of they liked the book for the most part, but the protagonist drove us crazy and the scientist is someone we thought was just evil — though one member made the argument that he may have experienced more damage during his radiation sickness than we thought.  We liked the premise of a valley isolated in its own weather pattern from the fallout and we liked that the young girl had survived on her own because of her farming skills, and most of us agreed that had it been an urban kid there, they would likely have had a harder time.  There were some religion vs. science themes, but it didn’t seem to be overly done to most of us.  There were two members who absolutely disliked the main character and her decisions, her inability to swear, etc., and her naivete about the world outside the farm and the necessity of killing the antagonist.  Some also had issues with the plot and overall, most were disappointed by the ending — though we agreed that because this is an older book (1973, I think, and was finished by the author’s wife and daughter from his notes) the prose was much different than today’s cinematic-style YA post-apocalyptic novels.

About the Author:

Robert Leslie Conly (better known by his pen name, Robert C. O’Brien) was an American author and journalist for National Geographic Magazine.

Filed Under: borrowed copy, challenges, New Authors Challenge, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2015, reviews, Simon & Schuster, young adult fiction Tagged With: , ,

Earth Joy Writing: Creating Harmony Through Journaling and Nature by Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D.

July 22, 2015 by

Source: Ashland Creek Press
Paperback, 169 pgs.
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Earth Joy Writing: Creating Harmony Through Journaling and Nature by Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D., is more than a book about creative writing.  It is a book that will help readers become more creative writers and thinkers through the connections they develop or re-establish between themselves, their family, and nature.  With the right conditions and frame of mind, creativity can grow from not only our own experiences, current interactions with nature, but also through reflection and looking at the unknown.  Steele breaks down the book into the different seasons — Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall — and each section also has a monthly breakdown with writing exercises, reflections, and connecting with nature and emotions.

Readers will want to get a journal that they can use when reading this book, and they’ll want to do as Steele suggests and begin in the season and month that they are currently in, rather than start at the beginning of the book.  The book is laid out in a way that allows readers to tap into their current environment and season when writing or thinking creatively — generating a dialogue between themselves, nature, and potential readers of their own.  Beyond writing exercises and questions that readers can answer to start creating their own poems and stories, Steele also includes activities and experiences that will help frame the situation for those trying to be more creative.  For instance, she advises that readers take a trip to an art museum or look through an art book — not on the Internet — and journal about what piece of art strikes their fancy and encourages them to take the time to explore why.

Earth Joy Writing: Creating Harmony Through Journaling and Nature by Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D., is a unique book about inspiring writers to think more creatively and to draw on nature to tap into their own creativity.  The book is about becoming more observant, less stressed, and more focused on connecting with nature, our natural selves, and those around us.  In this hyper-connected, Internet world, many of us find that we have over-scheduled our lives, and this book will help us slow down.  This is a book that will remain with those “prime” writing books in my workspace — one I’ll be using in the future.

About the Author:

Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D., is the author of twelve books and audio programs on the themes of creativity, healing, and our connection to the natural world. She works as a writing coach with clients internationally.  Check out her website and the Earth Joy Writing website.  (Photo credit: Susanne Kappler)

 

 

Filed Under: challenges, New Authors Challenge, nonfiction, Read in 2015, Reference, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , ,

The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig

July 21, 2015 by

Source: Tandem Literary
Paperback, 304 pgs
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The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig will have mouths watering all over these pages as these gorgeous confections meld savory and sweet and extrapolates memory, emotion, and the past from flavors.  Claire “Neely” Davis returns to her hometown to clear her head after yet another slip-up by her husband, Luke, a famous NFL player.  She leaves behind her five-star life in New York for a life that requires a bit more grit and persistence.  Slowly she finds that she has more than one bakery talent — she sees the lives of others in flavor and color, much like her grandmother did.

Even as she works through her own emotional issues, she dives head first into work.  She’s building her business, Rainbow Cake, from the ground up, but she’s also reconnecting with her past and her family.  Her grandmother’s home will not be vacant because she’s been moved to a nursing home.  Her hometown friends are happy to have her back, and while she’s still recovering, she begins to feel at home too.

“‘It’s a gift, you dope.’  I pressed the box into his stomach.  He read the card that said, ‘Thank you for helping me feather my new nest.’  He opened the box and saw a tiny cake shaped like a bird’s nest in three small round layers of tender, browned-butter vanilla cake with an apricot filling.  A ‘nest’ border of piped rum and mocha buttercream enclosed a clutch of pale blue marzipan eggs and a sugar-paste feather.  The complicated yin and yang of rum and mocha, the ‘everybody loves’ vanilla, Mr. Social white chocolate, tart and witty apricot, and artistic marzipan — all said ‘Gavin’ to me.”  (pg. 16)

Her culinary skills also come in handy when helping her employees and some others in the town cope with their own situations at home and from the past.  As she helps them see the strength in themselves, she becomes more sure of herself and that path she must take into the future.  Claire is an emotional mess, and like many of us, she throws herself into work and something she’s passionate about, leaving the heavier stuff on the back burner.  She often helps others, and that helps her work through her own issues, sometimes without even realizing it.

The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig is a delightful confection and perfect for summer reading by the pool with some cake and delightful coffee — tea if you’re into that sort of thing.  Fertig has a clear talent for writing foodie fiction, and perhaps that is because of her background in cooking and writing cookbooks.  Bon appétit!

About the Author:

Novelist and cookbook author Judith Fertig grew up in the Midwest, went to cooking school in London and Paris, and now lives in the Kansas City area. Described by Saveur Magazine as a “heartland cookbook icon,” Fertig debuts a new novel that engage the mind, the heart, and all five senses—and celebrates cookbooks that reflect her love of bread, baking, barbecue, and the fabulous foods of the Heartland.

Novels you can read like cookbooks. Cookbooks you can read like novels. That’s what you get when an English major studies at École de Cuisine La Varenne (formerly in Paris) and The Cordon Bleu in London plus The Iowa Writers Workshop. Fertig often weaves storytelling into her books. Follow her on Twitter.

Filed Under: challenges, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Penguin, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2015, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , ,

Who Eats First? by Ae-hae Yoon, illustrated by Hae-won Yang

July 17, 2015 by

Source: Independent Publishers Group
Hardcover, 38 pgs
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Who Eats First? by Ae-Hae Yoon, illustrated by Hae-won Yang, is another book in the math concepts of books that teach math basics through story-telling.  This book is a story about placing items and animals in various orders from smallest to biggest, fattest to smallest, and tallest to shortest.  This helps children understand how to differentiate size and type using animals.  The activities in the back are relatively easy to execute from putting numbered cards in order, rearranging them and having people draw them and then being placed in order.  These books would be great for classroom use.

Finding a delicious peach in the rainforest might seem odd, but these animals only care how good it will taste once they bite into it.  While they all want to share it, they are unsure who should go first when taking that first juicy bite.  There are different attempts to measure the animals and determine who should go first, but there are also discussions about differences, like who has the most legs, the longest ears, the longest tail, the longest neck, etc.  The book goes over the various ways to measure things from height to weight and more.  The pictures will help kids understand those concepts clearly.

Who Eats First? by Ae-Hae Yoon, illustrated by Hae-won Yang, is engaging and fun, and the activities can help parents and teachers engage children in math lessons.  My daughter and I have had fun measuring a variety of things in the house and outside, and spying differences between animals and ourselves.

Filed Under: challenges, children's fiction, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2015, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Revival by Stephen King (audio)

July 15, 2015 by

Source: Public Library
Audio, 11 cds
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Revival by Stephen King, narrated by David Morse, is more subtle in its horror than previous novels, but King’s gift for weaving a complex story with dynamic characters shines through.  Jamie Morton is a young boy in a small New England town who is wowed by the new minister, Charles Jacobs.  Like any new, young couple who enters a small town, the Jacobs’ turn heads, with the young ladies fawning over the minister and the young lads gazing at his wife.  When tragedy strikes, Jacobs shocks the small town with a final anti-religion speech that sends him packing, but even Morton cannot forget the minister’s passion or secret obsession with electricity.

Morton, however, has his own path ahead, and much of it is spent in a drug-induced haze of rock n’ roll clubs and motels as a guitar player.  While he feels like an amateur, he has enough talent to take him from band to band and earns enough money to keep his habit up.  Morse does an excellent job with the narration, and he’s sufficiently creepy.  What I found wonderful were the nods that King places to previous novels, such as Mr. Electrico in Joyland, inside Revival to provide a little extra umph to the idea of reviving or living again.

King really has a handle on childhood and growing up in small towns, and the many superstitions that can be spread about among teens and their parents.  Rumors often spread like wildfire, and in many ways, when those of us leave those small towns, we try to reinvent ourselves like Jacobs’ does.  But the difference is that his obsession with revival becomes the only focus of his life, and in the process of pursuing the truth of life and death, he ruins the lives of others, drags Morton into the darkest of places, and ultimately, leads to a truth that can never be unseen.  Revival by Stephen King, narrated by David Morse, is well told, and though slow in some places, weaves an incredible story that will have readers questioning reality and their faith.

About the Author:

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Doctor Sleep and Under the Dome, now a major TV miniseries on CBS. His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller as well as the Best Hardcover Book Award from the International Thriller Writers Association. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. (Photo Credit: Denver Post)

Filed Under: audiobooks, borrowed copy, fiction, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2015, reviews, Simon & Schuster Tagged With: , , ,

14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

July 14, 2015 by

Source: Public Library
Hardcover, 384 pgs
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14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro brings to light the possibility of police corruption in San Francisco, and Lindsay Boxer doesn’t know who to trust.  When drug houses get hit and all of the perps are killed by men wearing SFPD windbreakers and latex masks, Boxer and her team have to determine if those men are really cops or if they are criminals trying to smear the reputation of the police department.

Meanwhile, Lindsay’s husband, Joe, has to adjust to a new set of circumstances when he becomes a stay-at-home dad.  While he loves his little girl, Julie, the adjustment is a lot harder than he expects.  A former FBI agent at home doing laundry and other household chores, while his wife is chasing bad guys all over the city, what could be more of an adjustment, especially with the long hours she keeps.  At least, that’s until he and his wife begin working on an off-the-books case regarding stabbings that happen on the same date every year.

Patterson and Paetro make a great writing team for this series.  These women are full of spunk and passion, but they’re also not married to their jobs like some.  They love to be able to come home to their families and friends and just have a good time.  These gatherings of the Women’s Murder Club are often pow-wows about their cases or stories, but they also are a great way for the ladies to blow off steam.

14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is a solid addition to the series, and while the audio for this one was unavailable at my library, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it much the same.  This one has got a little of everything — mystery, fun, relationships, and adjustments to new career/life situations.

About the Author:

James Patterson is a prolific author of thrillers, mysteries, young adult novels and more. His first successful series featured psychologist Alex Cross.

About the Co-Author:

Maxine Paetro collaborates with best–selling author James Patterson, co–writing The 4th Of July, The 5th Horseman, The 6th Target, The 7th Heaven, The 8th Confession, The 9th Judgment, 10th Anniversary and The 11th Hour, just released in May 2012. All are New York Times #1 best–sellers in the Women’s Murder Club Series.

Filed Under: borrowed copy, fiction, Hachette Books, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2015, reviews Tagged With: , ,

A Day at Grandma’s by Mi-ae Lee, illustrated by Yang-sook Choi

July 10, 2015 by

Source: Independent Publishers Group
Hardcover, 34 pgs
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A Day at Grandma’s by Mi-ae Lee, illustrated by Yang-sook Choi, is part of a series of math concepts books that teach basic math concepts through story-telling.  This book has a focus on time of day — dawn, morning, noon, afternoon, dusk, and night — and the difference between today, yesterday, and tomorrow.  The young girl spends an entire day with her grandmother, while her mother goes about her day, missing her daughter.  The mother talks about what she and her daughter would do at each time of day together and the daughter at her grandmother’s explains how she spends her day with her grandmother and compares it to life at home.

This simple story, children can learn how long an actual day is and can create a pie chart filled with their own activities, like the one in the back of the book.  Children that love art projects could turn this pie chart into something really visual with cut outs from magazines and newspapers, as well as drawings.  Parents should explain the different times of day and what accomplishments and activities they do as a family during those time periods.

A Day at Grandma’s by Mi-ae Lee, illustrated by Yang-sook Choi, is a cute story on its own about spending time away from our parents, even as young kids and how that can be an adventure filled with stories to be shared, rather than something that’s scary.  It also can help teach children about different times of day, and allow them to look at their own lives and routines in new ways.

Filed Under: challenges, children's fiction, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2015, review copy, reviews Tagged With: , , ,

The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items from the First World War illustrated by Jim Kay

July 9, 2015 by

 

Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers
Hardcover, 304 pgs
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The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items from the First World War illustrated by Jim Kay is an engaging way for young readers (age 10+) to learn about World War I through the touchstones and artifacts left behind by soldiers, their families, and the war itself.  From a writing case to a toy soldier, these stories draw inspiration from these objects, building a world in the past that could be as real today as it was then.  There are stories from Michael Morpurgo and Tracy Chevalier, and like many short story collections some stories shine brighter than others, with “Captain Rosalie” being bitter sweet and “Our Jacko” inspiring.  These stories will evoke deep emotions in readers, as they learn not only about the realities of war and loss, but also the connections we have to objects that come from our ancestors.

“I keep the compass shined up and the safety catch on so the little needle doesn’t swing and break.  When I hold it and let it go and hunt out north, it bobs around like anything, like something on water, and it’s hard to tell where you are or what it’s saying.  That’s because I can’t keep my hands still enough.  But my dad could.  He kept his hands steady all the way, and he found home.” (“Another Kind of Missing,” pg 27)

“For in order for a story to work, it has to have a purpose, a structure, a journey, and a resolution.  And in reality, war has none of these things.  War is simply a near-random sequence of horrors, and so to make a story out of war is to lie.”  (“Don’t Call It Glory,” pg 65)

“But for music, I might have just stayed there,
keeping time with the
swoosh, swoosh, swoosh
of my push broom
for always.

Maybe making something of yourself is about
not
just keeping time
but doing something of substance,
something risky,
something you couldn’t fathom having the
skill
guts
nuts
to do until
you
do it. (“A Harlem Hellfighter and His Horn,” pg. 153)

Beyond the short stories told in this collection, there is one, long narrative poem, “A Harlem Hellfighter and His Horn,” which mirrored the rhythm and blues played by the main character.  But it also highlights the desire to seize the moment when it comes, rather than wait until its gone to desire it.

“So I won’t waste it:
War can break a man.
Slam him down on his back in the
dark.” (“A Harlem Hellfighter and His Horn,” pg. 166)

Each of these pieces brings forth some of the hidden feelings of those left behind by soldiers and those who are less than eager to fight, but they also illustrate the complexity of war and its allure.  Kay’s illustrations are in black and white and give the collection just the right amount of gruesome horror, but these are accompanied by facts about the war from women entering the workforce and the types of jobs they assumed to the conditions of the trenches.

The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items from the First World War illustrated by Jim Kay would be a great addition to any classroom willing and able to go beyond the traditional teachings of just WWII and other wars.  WWI was an important part of history that should not be forgotten, as it illustrates not only the brutality of ambitious people, but also the realities of bravery and cowardice, particularly through the eyes of children who are left behind.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: 2015 War Through the Generations - Read Any War, ARC, challenges, fiction, historical fiction, Library Thing Early Reviewers, New Authors Challenge, poetry, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2015, reviews, short stories Tagged With: , , ,

Stencil Craft: Techniques for Fashion, Art & Home by Margaret Peot

July 7, 2015 by

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Source: TLC Book Tours
Paperback, 128 pgs
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Stencil Craft: Techniques for Fashion, Art & Home by Margaret Peot is a gloriously laid out how-to guide for stenciling on fabric and other materials, and Peot outlines what tools work best and how to choose the best brushes and materials for making stencils.  She says in the introduction, “In this book you will make your mark literally — using stencil techniques to paint on clothes, paper, and home furnishings for fashion, interior design, art, and crafting.”  However, she does warn, “while experimenting with the projects in this book, you will make some beautiful things and some ugly things.”  (page 7)

My husband is the more crafty one when it comes to art, though I’ve done some pastel drawings and some collage in scrapbooks previously, but this book was a way that our family could create something together.  With the gorgeous examples in the book, it was very hard to decide, but we ultimately chose to do a project with found items, which can be those found outside, like feathers and leaves, or just stuff from around the house like ribbon, lace trim, or other items. Then, after rummaging around the house and looking at the stuff we had, we changed our minds. Obviously, this is a book that can generate a ton of ideas.

Finally, we decided to create a board that our daughter could use for her achievements, like her swim ribbons and her medals from soccer, etc. We wanted to create something with stencils and acrylic that she could use. However, rather than cut out our own stencils, we bought some we liked to try out; we’ll probably be more adventurous later when we redo the kitchen cabinets.

You can see the progression and results we had for our first time. We thought that the instructions about picking out brushes and paints was pretty straightforward. The techniques for brushing on the paint was relatively easy to follow, though it seems that we were both using different techniques on the same project. The overall result is good, but I think we’ll need a little more practice before we tackle a larger project. Stencil Craft: Techniques for Fashion, Art & Home by Margaret Peot will have us busy for some time, and I think theses are some great projects for families to do together or even to teach little ones. I’ll be sharing this book with both my husband and daughter for sure.

There are two giveaways with this review, one through Rafflecopter, and one for a single copy of the book to a U.S. resident.

So please do enter both. Leave a comment about what kinds of stencil projects you’d be interested in doing in the comments for your chance to win a copy of the book.  Enter by July 12, 2015, 11:59 PM EST

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Margaret is an artist, writer and costume painter. Margaret’s book Inkblot: Drip, Splat and Squish Your Way to Creativity (Boyds Mills 2011) was awarded a Eureka! Silver Medal for non-fiction children’s books. She is also the author of The Successful Artist’s Career Guide (F&W 2012), Alternative Art Journals (F&W 2012), and Make Your Mark (Chronicle Books, 2004), voted one of Library Journal’s best how-to books of 2004. She is looking forward to the publication of two new books in 2015, Stencil Craft (F&W) and an early reader picture book, Crow Makes a Friend (Holiday House).

Margaret has painted costumes at Parsons-Meares, LTD for more than twenty years. Projects include Broadway (Aladdin, The Lion King, Wicked, Turn Off the Dark, Will Rogers Follies, Shrek the Musical, Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, among many others), dance (ABT, Joffrey Ballet, Pilobolus, Feld Ballet, Nevada Ballet), film (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), as well as for circuses, arena shows and ice shows. For more information, please visit her websites: MargaretPeot.com and TheInkBlot.com.

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Filed Under: challenges, New Authors Challenge, nonfiction, Publishers/Publicists, Read in 2015, review copy, reviews, tlc book tours Tagged With: , ,

Urban Art Berlin: Version 2.0 by Kai Jakob

July 2, 2015 by

Source: A gift from Emma Eden Ramos
Hardcover
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Urban Art Berlin: Version 2.0 by Kai Jakob does have words, but words as rendered in urban art, also called graffiti.  This collection is of art in Berlin, and what’s interesting is how artists have set their work on top of others.  Art here has no boundaries, nothing to pin it in.  The introduction and foreword are in both German and English, which is helpful for those who don’t know German, and in it, Jakob says that public space is in actuality free space.  Berlin is the home to many artists, including those engaged in graffiti.  Jakob says that as urban landscapes become very monotone and similar, it is a splash of color and an unexpected image that can provide visitors with a glimpse into the true heart of the city.

The photos in this book bring to life not only spray painted images, but those made of paper stuck on walls, stickers on street signs, and more.  I’d recommend this book for those interested in other cultures, graffiti, photography, and art.  Jakob has collected a wide variety of images from the streets of Berlin, and some are comical, while others are downright bizarre.

About the Author:

Check out the Street Art in Berlin Facebook page.

Filed Under: challenges, humor, New Authors Challenge, poetry, purchased, Read in 2015, reviews Tagged With: , ,

Lucky Alan and Other Stories by Jonathan Lethem

July 1, 2015 by

Source: Random House
Hardcover, 157 pgs
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Lucky Alan and Other Stories by Jonathan Lethem is an eclectic collection of short stories that range from the experimental to the surreal and traditional, but many of these stories lack the final punch readers make expect from short stories. While characters in these stories may experience smaller revelations, they often fall a little flat in the telling as the prose tends to be overly flowery or down-right boring. Of the collections that should be engaging to the reader given the title alone, they often lack the glitter readers will expect, such as “The Porn Critic.” And even these stories with catchy titles are some of the best in the collection, despite their flaws.

The first story, “Lucky Alan,” chronicles a neighbor who is obsessed with a reclusive Alan in his building and upon his marriage and later his growing family, the neighbor feels less important and pushed aside. In reality, he learns that this friend he tried so hard to win, was not who he thought him to be at all. And after the entire building sides with Alan, it is hard for him to continue living in a place that is unaware of Alan’s true nature. There are more nuances in the story, but they often get lost in the strange dialogue between friends and the situations that seem outlandish even in a large city of eclectic people.

In “The King of Sentences,” Lethem takes a look at the other side of fame, not so much the emphasis on the crazed fan, though there are some here, but on the perceptions we have of these famous people and how they may be very far from reality. In fact, the reality presented here is very scary for those of us who wish to meet those famous stars and writers we love. Meanwhile, “Their Back Pages,” seemed to be riffing off of Survivor and Lord of the Flies, but there are some pieces within the story that worked better than others, which made the overall effect of the story muted and confused.

Lucky Alan and Other Stories by Jonathan Lethem was a collection of stories with a lot to recommend it, but unfortunately, I can’t. I was disappointed with the individual stories and those that worked for the most part just didn’t wow me. Others might have a different view, but when reading short stories, I shouldn’t be falling asleep.

About the Author:

Jonathan Allen Lethem is an American novelist, essayist and short story writer. His first novel, Gun, with Occasional Music, a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was published in 1994. It was followed by three more science fiction novels. In 1999, Lethem published Motherless Brooklyn, a National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novel that achieved mainstream success. In 2003, he published The Fortress of Solitude, which became a New York Times Best Seller. In 2005, he received a MacArthur Fellowship.

Filed Under: challenges, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Publishers/Publicists, random house, Read in 2015, review copy, reviews, short stories Tagged With: , ,