Nevermore: Good Girl, A.J. Fikry, Broken, and Knightly Quest

Summary by Meygan

First we discussed The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. For those of you who liked Gone Girl, you may want to check out this one! Mia is a daughter of a judge and even though she has been born into money, she doesn’t feel loved. Mia decides that she wants to be an inner-city art teacher and moves out from her parent’s house. One night, Mia has a date with a guy she has been seeing off and on. When he stands her up, Mia hits it off with a stranger who ends up kidnapping her. Our Nevermore reader said the book is really good and the ending is great. She wonders how much of what the protagonist is telling readers is true though. She stated that she hated Amy in Gone Girl, and while she originally hated a character in The Good Girl, she ending up liking him. 

Next was Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. A.J. Fikry is a man who has just lost his wife to cancer. He owns a book store, which the sales are plummeting. When a 25 month old child shows up at his door, A.J. isn’t sure what to do but he has a feeling that his life is about to change. Our Nevermore reader enjoyed this book, even though she doesn’t believe that a 25 month old in reality would be able to speak as well as the child in the book.  She said that the book reads like a sitcom and there are sad and sweet parts. 

A few of our Nevermore members have read Broken by Karin Fossum. Well known for her mystery novels, this novel is a bit different than the rest. A woman is awakened by a man who claims he is ready for her to write his story. For you see, the man is a character the woman has created in her mind. The woman names him and begins writing his story. They argue about what will happen to his character. This book was highly enjoyed and when asked if the story was confusing, one reader responded, “Not at all.” There are three stories happening within the book—the character’s story, the author’s story, and the main subject of the story. He stated that the author is good at developing personality as well. 

Also discussed was The Knightly Quest and Other Stories by Tennessee Williams. This book contains one novella and four short stories. He said there are no heroes in the story and it is slightly sci-fi. The stories aren’t all bright and sunshiney but the stories aren’t all gloomy either. One of the stories is about a man who returns home to have his travels funded by his parents. However, he returns to find that his brother is in cahoots with the military. Our Nevermore reader liked the book.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Reviewed by Meygan 

Downton Abbey seems to be the latest craze, so therefore I have spent some time creating bibliographies for Downton Abbey lovers! While I have yet to see the show, a fiction book listed in one of the bibliographies piqued my interest.  In The Remains of the Day, I was introduced to Stevens, a butler who served at Darlington Hall for Lord Darlington, one of the most prestigious men in England. After working for some time, Stevens takes a trip, a mini vacation in other words, across the West County. On his journey, Stevens reflects on his years as a butler and how his father was a butler was well. It was as if Stevens had it in his blood to serve others. Stevens and Miss Kenton, the head housekeeper for Darlington Hall, flirtatiously banter, even though Stevens would never classify their conversations as flirting. No, he is much too reserved and too dedicated to his work to allow himself to concentrate on anything else. 

Stevens is the epitome of someone who is so career-driven and overzealous that it is detrimental to his life. I am sure that we all know or have heard of that kind of person where work is always their first priority. Anniversary? There is paperwork to be done at the office! Romance can wait! Your child’s birthday party? They will have another one next year, right?  Yes, I believe we all can think of a fictional or non-fictional person of someone who meets this description. Stevens’ life is terribly sad. During his time spent reflecting, Stevens provides his readers his view about his important life events, all which take place at Darlington Hall, of course. It may be that he is not telling us the whole truth, but is omitting information. One of his most prominent reflections concerns the passing of his father. When Miss Kenton tells Stevens that his father is at death’s door, Stevens does stop by to see his father but doesn’t stay long because there is work to be done. 

Much of the book takes place in flashbacks to the World War II ear.  That has always been one of my favorite parts of history to read about, so perhaps this is why I was so inclined to read The Remains of the Day. Lord Darlington sympathizes with Germany. He doesn’t agree with how England has treated Germany in the Treaty of Versailles after WWI and uses his influence to try to persuade others that appeasement is the correct approach.  Not only are readers learning about Stevens and his past regrets, but Lord Darlington serves a big part in the book as well.  

The Remains of the Day was a good story. I have a difficult time reading a book where I do not agree with the protagonist, so perhaps this is why it took me a few weeks to finish Ishiguro’s novel. There were times when I wanted to slap Stevens and tell him to wake up and look at how his life is flashing before his eyes! However, Miss Kenton is my favorite character from The Remains of the Day and possibly the only reason I finished the book. Although there was a moment where I wanted to slap Miss Kenton as well (there’s a lot of slapping going on, huh?), she redeemed herself. I felt that all of the characters were well-developed, even though there were moments where I hoped Stevens would dig deeper into his past. Like Stevens, I am a future oriented person. Often that has been a good quality, but sometimes I am so focused on my future that I forget to enjoy the present. Perhaps everyone, including myself, can learn a lesson from Stevens’ story.

Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey

Reviewed by Holly White

Brightly Burning is a stand-alone book in Mercedes Lackey’s ongoing  Valdemar series.  This book tells the story of Lavan Chitward, also known as Lavan Firestorm, a young man with the rare ability to control fire.  Lavan had grown up in a country town, but his cloth merchant parents had recently moved to Haven, the capital of Valdemar.  His parents never could understand why he showed no interest in learning the family business.  They sent him to school, but there he found that older, stronger students bullied and oppressed the younger ones.

For a time, Lavan found a way to escape the bullies, but soon the day came when they cornered him.  Surrounded, trapped, and angered at the injustice, young Lavan’s hitherto –undiscovered Gift manifested itself with no control, resulting in a fire and a tragedy.  Lavan awoke several days later to find himself under the care of a Healer.  But when men questioned him about the tragedy that had resulted in his injuries, Lavan found himself championed by someone no one, least of all him, had expected- a Companion named Kalira. In Valdemar, Companions are wise and magical horse-like beings who select a human as a permanent partner; the human Chosen then trains to be a Herald. Kalira not only Chose Lavan to be her Chosen and the newest Herald traninee, but she also defended Lavan against all accusers.

As Lavan began his training, he found that the rarity of his Gift meant it wasn’t often needed.  The ongoing skirmishes on the southern border told Lavan, his mentors, and even the King, that Lavan’s Gift had manifested itself at this time, for this reason.  Lavan would ultimately be expected to go to war, and to use his powers to help Valdemar win the war against Karse.  In the meantime, however, Lavan had other concerns.  Kalira and his mentor, Pol, worked with him daily so that he could learn to control his powers.  His parents, instead of being proud of him for being Chosen, acted as if they were half-ashamed of him.  And all the while, he remained oblivious to the fact that a young Healer named Elenor was developing feelings for him.

Would he ever realize and reciprocate Elenor’s feelings?  Would he earn the respect of his parents?  Would he gain control of his powers?  Would the tragedy that he had unwittingly caused in his youth come back to bite him?  Would he have to go to war?  And if he did, would he be able to use his Gift to merely stop the enemy, or would he have to actually kill them as well?  Find out by reading Brightly Burning.

Anyone who loves good vs. evil stories, magic, and fantasy creatures and lands, will love this book.  It’s well-written, well-characterized, and well-plotted.

I’m looking forward to doing my next book review on another stand-alone book set in the land of Valdemar, Take a Thief by Mercedes Lackey, the story of a young pickpocket.

Nevermore: Typos, Money, The Peripheral, and All the Light

 Summary by Jeanne

The first book up this week was Just My Typo which, true to its title, is a collection of misprints.  The examples are both old and recent gathered from a variety of sources. The book is divided into chapters based on the type of error, from legal filings to printed books to students’ mistakes.  There’s even a section devoted to the modern scourge, auto-correct.  Some are amusing letter transpositions, such as “This crud is from the finest milk” from a cheese menu; others are sins by omission (“French widow in every room,” claims a hotel’s ad) while others are misplaced words—or omitted words.  A personal favorite involves a newspaper report about Prince Charles’ denial of an extramarital affair made, the paper explained, after “claims that the Prince has been secretly Mrs. Parker-Bowles for more than a decade…”  Not all the errors are amusing.  One lottery ticket holder spent over five years in litigation over what the holder says is a $500,000 winning ticket and what the state of Florida says is a misprint. Drummond Moir compiled this amusing little collection.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr got rave reviews from our readers.  The setting is World War II where the lives of a blind French girl and a young German man intersect. The book goes back in time to explore the background and childhoods of the two main characters.  The plot description can’t do the book justice.  Our reviewer praised the book’s structure and well developed characters.  Doerr avoids the usual stereotypes to create a very satisfying novel.  It’s a quick read with short chapters but it all works beautifully.  The book is highly recommended.

Another book with short chapters is William Gibson’s The Peripheral but our reader was finding it difficult to get into. This is SF author Gibson’s return to futuristic fiction. The story takes place at a time after ecological and economic collapses have eliminated eighty per cent of the human population, leaving the remnants to eke out a living.  A young woman named Flynne is persuaded to take over a job for her brother beta-testing a new game—or so she thinks. It turns out to be something different and possibly deadly.

Last up was Money:  An Unauthorized Biography by Felix Martin which our reader hadn’t actually started.  The book tries to trace the history of money from its ancient beginnings to the present.  He examines ancient Greece and Mesopotamia for the origins of money, and takes a look at monetary theory from John Locke to the Federal Reserve. It will come as no surprise that the author is an economist.  The book was originally published in Great Britain—in fact, the title entry card still uses the British spelling “Unauthorised.”

The Nevermore Book Club meets every Tuesday at 11:00 am to discuss whatever books the members are reading at the moment.  Join us for coffee and for doughnuts from Blackbird Bakery!

Season of the Dragonflies by Sarah Creech

Reviewed by Jeanne

For four generations, the Lenore women have crafted scents. It all started back when Great-Grandmother Serena ran away with a handsome young man to the rainforest of Borneo and discovered a wondrous, magical plant which became the main ingredient—the very secret main ingredient.  These perfumes don’t just smell nice.  They enhance the strongest traits of the wearer, enabling her to rise to the top of whatever profession she is suited for. The scents are sold only to a select few, and never to those who would compete in the same profession.

The business has been passed down from mother to daughter until now.  A business which has thrived is now threatened from several sides.  Willow, the current matriarch, finds herself struggling to remember things.  Mya, the elder daughter, has always been considered the heir and has spent her life learning the trade at the expense of her personal life.  She is chaffing to take over from Willow’s control and may be willing to cross some lines to do it.  Younger daughter Lucia fled the business and the magic to marry an artist, but now that marriage is falling apart and she has nowhere to go.

Nowhere, that is,  but back home to the family farm in Virginia.  She dreads facing her mother and Willow, knowing she’ll be seen as a failure.  She’ll stay just long enough to decide what to do next. She has no idea that things are about to go very, very wrong.

In addition to the family tensions, a pop star client has reneged on her word and is threatening blackmail. Worst of all, the magical plants seem to be dying.  One way or another, it appears the company is doomed.

At its core, Season of the Dragonflies is a tale of mothers and daughters, sisters and suitors. It reminds me a bit of Sarah Addison Allen’s books with the blend of romance, family relationships, and magic.  It also seems to take to heart the motto “Virginia is for Lovers.”  The female characters are strong and interesting, ready to make their own choices instead of passively waiting.  Sometimes these choices are the right ones, but they accept the responsibility.  A sheen of magic shimmers through the book, from the perfume itself to the dragonflies that seem to follow Lucia to Mya’s deer.  Creech uses the Blue Ridge Mountain setting to good effect, tying the most of the characters closely to the land.  The male characters don’t have as much depth or personality, but then they are just the means to an end.  This is a fantasy, after all, and we just want to get to the “happily ever after.” 

This is a debut novel. I expect we’ll be hearing more from Ms. Creech in the future.