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BOOKS: GREAT READS
BOOKS YOU CAN’T
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By Jodi Picoult Review by Wendy Bidne
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. Two of the things I like about her books is that she writes about hot topics and she adds some kind of twist at the end. “The Storyteller” is unlike most of her books because it is a historical fiction, in that most of the book takes place during the Holocaust and the other takes place in current times. Sage Singer, a young woman who is struggling with her own personal issues, meets an elderly man named Josef in her grief support group and builds an unlikely friendship with him. He tells her a story of Minka, a Jewish woman, imprisoned in a concentration camp in Europe during World War II. Minka’s life in the camp and her job working for a Nazi officer become a critical story within this book. This is a story of friendships, hardships, despair and resilience.
By John Vernon Smith
“I am not afraid of tomorrow, because I have seen yesterday, and I love today!”
Excerpt from the introduction written by his wife, Elaine Smith:
“This book tells the story of how a family, who experienced in the early days the bondage of slavery, somehow managed to become free and to realize the dream of America. It is truly a story of tragedy turned to triumph. The author hopes that others reading this book can be influenced to find their own way to achieve the American dream.
“My husband is now, as of this writing, 85 years old, and he looks back on his life with awe and nostalgia. He thinks about his childhood when he was raised by his single father. He wonders what his mother was like or what it would have been like to have a mother, since she died when he was just 2 years old. He remembers the “businesses” he organized as a child — “Johnny’s Delivery Service” and a haircutting service for smaller children whose parents couldn’t afford a barber. Even then, he was providing service to others.
“And, so, as he grew up and became an adult, he was always giving and doing for others and trying to make this world a better place.”
3 READS YOU SHOULDN’T MISS
By Paula McLain
Review by Kendra Hanson
This is an historical fiction book that focuses on Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson, and their marriage during the 1920s. Ernest and Hadley marry and soon after move to Paris together so that Ernest can continue to pursue his writing career. The book is written mostly from Hadley’s point of view and tells of the difficulties of being married to Hemingway, who often has depression and is somewhat emotionally unstable. Hadley is often lonely and has given up much of herself to support and care for her husband, but she is also deeply in love with him. Hadley very much wants children, but Ernest does not. When Hadley gets pregnant with their son, she focuses all her attention and loneliness on their child. Ernest stays and supports his wife and child but also resents them both for taking away focus on his career. The story continues until Ernest falls in love with another woman, and they divorce in 1927.
This was my first dive into historical fiction. I’ve always shied away from this genre because I didn’t think I would find it interesting, and I was happy to be proven wrong after I read “The Paris Wife.” I love this book because it gives you a glimpse of life of the roaring ’20s and what it was like to be married to someone deeply involved in a social circle of several soon-to-be famous writers and artists. It was a constant page-turner and told a story of a couple who lived a very interesting, yet challenging lifestyle and had a very “non-traditional” marriage. I found it completely fascinating. The book was written in a way that makes you feel as if you are right there living in Paris alongside the characters. The language is beautifully written, it shows the love story between Ernest and Hadley without being a romance novel. I was disappointed when I was finished with the book because I didn’t want it to end, but the author did a great job of ending the story in a way that did satisfy any lingering curiosities about the rest of their relationship.
Want to review a book?
We are looking for book clubs, workplaces or groups of friends who would like to review books for future issues of the magazine. If you want to get involved, contact Michelle Rasmussen at 379-9850 or michelle.daveiga@albertleatribune.com.
“Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, No. 7)”
By Sarah J. Maas
Review by Jennifer Henschel
It is a long series. There were times there seemed to be too much information shared and seemed to drag. There were times I didn’t understand the point of certain characters; however, everything came to a brilliant conclusion in this book. The immensity of the plot for the series came together to create a beautiful story of redemption, sacrifice and friendship.
I absolutely love this series that follows Joseph Campbell’s “Hero Quest.” The “Harry Potter” series is one example of another brilliant series where everything that happens needs to happen. The “Throne of Glass” series is better and more fully developed than even the Potter series.
In a matter of hours, I was fist pumping, gasping, crying, sobbing, laughing, growling. This series makes you feel every emotion that is out there. I have a long waiting list for this series now in my classroom as my students saw me experience all these emotions.
Thank you, Sarah Maas, for the incredible journey of these beautiful characters.
By Nora Roberts
Review by Julie Seedorf
Family dynamics are never easy, and Nora Roberts portrays this perfectly in “Legacy.” It’s a question we all ask ourselves at one time or another. Do we become our parents because of what is modeled to us, or are the traits that shape our character ones we can’t escape because they’re in our genes? A traumatic incident with her father when Adrian Rizzo was a child set the pace for her life. When she decides to take a different path after the death of her grandmother, Adrian finds herself a new meaning of family in the community of Traveler’s Creek. Living with her grandfather, having friends near, she finds life would be perfect except for the poems and the letters anonymously sent to her, reminding her she has a stalker.
Nora Roberts does not disappoint her readers in “Legacy.” It’s a wellwritten mystery that will tug at your heart and leave you reading deep into the night or all day long. Though the mystery is compelling, I found the family and friends component, along with some romance, is what drew me in. Family changes, people evolve and the key is forgiveness. The message is clear in the dynamics of this book. It has my recommendation.
