Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Nevermore: Killing England, Woman in the Window, Vonnegut, Love and Trouble, North



Reported by Kristin



Nevermore reads widely, from archeology to mysteries to science fiction to wars, so one reader began this week reading Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.  A very detailed story of the Revolutionary War, Killing England is the latest of O’Reilly’s historical narratives.  Our reader noted that Benjamin Franklin does not come out looking good in this telling, although the French ladies loved him.


Next, the group turned to fiction, with The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn.  With many other recent novels of psychology suspense including “Girl” or “Woman” in the title, this one follows suit and has been suggested for fans of Gillian Flynn and Tana French.  Agoraphobe Anna Fox lives alone in New York City and has the habit of peeking through her windows to see what is happening nearby.  But when Anna observes something horrific, she doesn’t know what to do.  Was a crime committed, or was it only in her mind?  Our reader proclaimed that this was a book really worth reading.



Another reader has been on a Kurt Vonnegut kick lately, and really enjoyed the older collection of short fiction Bagombo Snuff Box.  The stories collected within are mainly from the 1950s and 1960s and were originally published in a variety of magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post.  Reflecting the era, the stories provide a delightful glimpse into the development of Vonnegut’s writing style in the mid twentieth century.


Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning by Claire Dederer was a slightly unexpected memoir for our next reader, but one that he enjoyed.  From the best-selling author of Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses, Dederer covers being a middle aged mother who looks back at who she has been, and who she is becoming.  Humorous and perhaps a little explicit as the author explores a sexual reawakening, this covers territory that many people might recognize.  Our reader challenged the group, “Read it if you dare.”


Our next reader always enjoys books about people traveling in rugged circumstances, so she picked up North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail by Scott Jurek with Jenny Jurek.  An extreme marathoner, Scott decided to challenge himself by running the Appalachian Trail and attempting to break the previously held time record as well.  He often ran at night, and didn’t include in his narrative much about what he saw.  That, plus minor errors which should have been caught in proofreading were distracting and disappointed our reader.


The Round House by Louise Erdich was much appreciated by our next reader, as young teenager Joe told his story.  A member of the Chippewa/Ojibwa nation and a member of a prominent modern family on the reservation, Joe is shocked when his mother returns home after a brutal assault.  His mother is traumatized, and Joe attempts to find the assailant in order to help his mother heal.  Our reader found the book well-written with positive Native American portrayals, as she felt that it should be.
Reported by Kristin

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