Bridge of Sighs

Russo, Richard. Bridge of Sighs. This is an Advance Reader's Edition that I won over at Stefanie's, and the best novel I've read all year.

Louis C. Lynch (Lucy) is anticipating a trip to Italy with his wife Sarah. As he prepares for the trip, he begins a chronicle of his life, for some reason compelled to tell the story of his family, his childhood friend, and the sweetheart of his youth, Sarah. Lou sifts through his memories of his beloved father, the eternally optimistic milkman; his mother, shrewd and practical; his best friend, now a celebrated artist; and Sarah, who decided on the Lynch family as a unit. He examines their small town lives in detail, feeling that no matter how ordinary they seem, "attention must be paid" to them.

I loved this book. The writing is wonderful, mesmerizing; Russo so deftly defines character, place, and situation that I woke up one night wondering, "What did he put it that drawer?" as if the book were real life. This is the first time I'm aware of a book pervading my consciousness to the extent of entering my dreams, but there I was puzzling over clues and motivation. Up at 1:30 A.M., settled into my reading chair, shaking my head at my own behavior...

Fiction. Alfred A. Knopf. 2007. 527 pages.

Challenges

I have two challenges that begin in September: The Unread Author Challenge over at Sycorax Pine and Carl's R.I.P. II.

Pour of Tor at Sycorax Pine is sponsoring The Unread Author Challenge -- We all have authors that we have intended to read, but who have for some reason never made it past the "intention." This challenge encourages us to pick some of those authors and read. The challenge runs from September to February, which is a good thing because one of the M.F.K. Fisher books I've chosen is over 600 pages.

Here are the 6 I've chosen (and have on hand) for this challenge:

1. Long Ago in France: The Years in Dijon M.F.K. Fisher (finished)
   
2. The Art of Eating M.F.K. Fisher
3. Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales Marie-Louise von Franz
4. Emily Dickinson is Dead Jane Langston
5. Dissolution C. J. Sansom (finished)
   
6. Season of the Witch Natasha Mostert (finished)
   

Now, here's the thing...

--the first two by M.F.K. Fisher fit in the memoir/biographical category that I've challenged myself to work on this year

--the first three (Fisher and von Franz) are nonfiction, another one of my personal challenges, and the von Franz also fits into my reading on fairy tale and myth

--#'s 4-5 will fit into the R.I.P. Challenge

R.I.P. (Readers Imbibing Peril) : The Autumn Reading Challenge runs from September 1 - October 31 and involves reading gothic tales or tales of suspense, reading about witches or haunted houses, tales of terror or the supernatural. The list of possibilities I've chosen are listed here. And, of course, #'s 4-5 in the above list.



And now two more possible challenges that I discovered at Chris' Stuff as Dreams are Made On -- the Themed Reading Challenge and the Cardathon Challenge. Have not decided what my "theme" will be --maybe travel books since I'm accumulating a hefty list of these that I'd like to read.

Finished Mademoiselle Victorine and have started Bridge of Sighs. Oh, many thanks to Stefanie, because I'm already captivated with Russo's latest. Yet another beautifully written work.

2007 Reading update (updated 1/1/08)

December 10 books (106 total for the year)

The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Michael Chabon. Mystery? Alternate history? 2007. 411 pages. My review.

The Whale Road. Robert Low. Historical novel. 2007. 338 pages. My review.

The Wheel of Darkness. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Mystery/supernatural. 2007. 385. My review.

Tips for Quilters. Rachel T. Pellman, ed. Nonfiction. 1993. 234 pages. My Review.

Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life. Vimala Rodgers. Nonfiction. 2000. 167 pages. My review.

Vivaldi's Virgins. Barbara Quick. Historical fiction. 2007. 278 pages. My review.

Shadows & Lies. Marjorie Eccles. Mystery. 2005. 333 pages. My review.

The Indian Bride. Karin Fossum. Mystery. 2005. 297 pages. My review.

The Chinese Alchemist. Lyn Hamilton. Mystery. 2007. 257 pages. My review.

Kept: A Victorian Mystery. D.J. Taylor. Historical mystery. 2007. 351 pages. My review.



November 7 books (96 total)

Friend of the Devil. Peter Robinson. Mystery/suspense. ARC 2008. 372 pages. My review.

A Boy Named Shel: The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein. Lisa Rogak. Biography. 2007. 223 pages. My review.

The Warrior. Kinley MacGregor. Historical Romance. 344 pages. My review.

Ghostwalk. Rebecca Stott. Mystery/supernatural . 2007. 284 pages. My review.

The Cliff House Strangler. Shirley Tallman. Mystery. 2007. 320 pages. My review.

On Borrowed Wings. Chandra Prasad. Fiction. 2007. 310 pages. My review.

Without a Map: A Memoir. Meredith Hall. Memoir. 2007. 220 pages. My review.


October 5 books (89 total)

Stolen Magic. M. J. Putney. Fantasy. 2005. 337 pages. My review.

60 on Up: The Truth About Aging in America. Lillian B. Rubin, Ph.D. Sociology. 2007. 172 pages. My review.

Waiting to Surface. Emily Listfield. Fiction. 2007. 307 pages. My review.

The Lace Reader. Brunonia Barry. Psychological/supernatural. 2006. 353 pages. My review.

Renfield: Slave of Dracula. Barbara Hambly. Gothic. 2006. 306 pages. My review.


September (12) 84 total

The Zookeeper's Wife. Diane Ackerman. Biography. 2007. 323 pages. My review.

Homebody. Orson Scott Card. Supernatural. 1998. 432 pages. My review.

Rebel Angels. Libba Bray. YA. 2005. 548 pages. My review.

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch. Joseph Delaney. YA. 2005. 343 pages. My review.

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives. Michael Buckley. YA. 2007. 284 pages. My review.

The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins. Mystery. 493 pages. My review.

Long Ago in France. M.F.K. Fisher. Nonfiction. Memoir. 1997. 159 pages. My review.

Season of the Witch. Natalie Mostert. Gothic mystery. 2007. 395 pages. My review.

Dissolution. C.J. Sansom. Historical mystery. 2003. 390 pages. My review.

A Great and Terrible Beauty. Libba Bray. YA. 2003. 403 pages. My review.

Bridge of Sighs. Richard Russo. Fiction. 2007. 527 pages. My review.


August (6) -- 72 total-- (**decided not to bother reviewing 2 of the books)

The Millionth Circle. Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D. 1999. 87 pages. **

The Spanish Bow. Andromeda Romano-Lax. Fiction. Historical. 2007. 554 pages. My review.

Mademoiselle Victorine. Debra Finerman. Fiction. Historical. 2007. 289 pages. **

An Ocean of Air. Gabrielle Walker. Nonfiction. Science. 2007. 238 pages. My review.

Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking. Aoibheann Sweeney. Fiction. Coming-of-age story. 2007. 257 pages. My review.

Elizabeth of the German Garden. Leslie De Charms. Nonfiction. Biography. 1958. 424 pages. My review.

The Blue Castle. L.M. Montgomery. Romance. 1993/1926. 218 pages. My review.


July ( 13) 66 total

the guy not taken: stories. Jennifer Weiner. 2006. 279 pages. My review.

The Janissary Tree. Jason Goodwin. Mystery/historical. 2006. 299 pages. My review.

Elizabeth and Her German Garden. Elizabeth von Arnim. Semi-autographical memoir. 1898/2007. 175 pages. My review.

Stealing the Dragon. Tim Maleeny. Mystery. 2007. 365 pages. My review.

The Black Sun. James Twining. Mystery/thriller. 2006. 416 pages. My review.

Echoes of Honor. David Weber. Science fiction/ space opera. 1998. 569 pages. My review.

In Enemy Hands. David Weber. Science fiction/ space opera. 1997. 530 pages. My review.

The Sonnet Lover. Carol Goodman. Mystery. 2007. 350 pages. My review.

Messenger of Truth. Jacqueline Winspear. Mystery. 2006. 310 pages. My review.

The Chess Machine. Robert Lohr. Historical. 2007. 344 pages. My review.

Half Broken Things. Morag Joss. Suspense. 2004. 303 pages. My review.

Sandstorm. James Rollins. Adventure. 2004. 569. My review.

Shadow Cities. Robert Neuwirth. Nonfiction. Journalism/social criticism. 2005. 315 pages. My review.


June (7) 53

Sword & Blossom. Peter Pagnamento and Momoto Williams. Nonfiction. Biography/history/ memoir. 2007. 310 pages. My review.

Abandon. Pico Iyer. Mystery. 2003. 354 pages. My review.

The Book of Fate. Brad Meltzer. Political thriller. 2007. 616 pages. My Review.

Killer Weekend. Ridley Pearson. Mystery. 2007. 323 pages. My review.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Kate Bernheimer, ed. Nonfiction. Essays. 1998. 358 pages. My review.

Police at the Funeral. Margery Allingham. Mystery. 1931. 252 pages. My review.

The Gyrth Chalice. Margery Allingham. Mystery. 1931. 191 pages. My review.

May (5) 46

Mystery Mile. Margery Allingham. Mystery. 1930. 254 pages. My review.

Water for Elephants. Sara Gruen. Historical/mystery. 2006. 331 pages. My review.

Jubilee Trail. Gwen Bristow. Historical romance/adventure. 1950. 564 pages. My review.

Inkheart. Cornelia Funke. YA Fantasy. 2003. 534 pages. My review.

All Creatures Great and Small. James Herriot. Memoir. 1972. 437 pages. My review.

April (15) 41

Mistakes Were Made (but not by me.) Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. Nonfiction. 2007. 236 pages. My review.

The Honor of the Queen. David Weber. Science Fiction. 1993. 422 pages. My review.

On Basilisk Station. David Weber. Science Fiction. 1993. 419 pages. My review.

The Road. Cormac McCarthy. Futuristic. 2006. 241 pages. My review.

Off Armageddon Reef. David Weber. Science ficition. 2006. 592 pages. My review.

The Lizard's Bite. David Hewson. Mystery. 2006. 417 pages. My review.

The Orchid Shroud. Michelle Wan. Mystery. 2006. 336 pages. My review.

The Silent Tower. Barbara Hambly. Fantasy. 1986. 369 pages. My review.

Coraline. Neil Gaiman. Fantasy. 2003. 162 pages.

The Amulet of Samarkand. Jonathan Stroud. YA Fantasy. 2003. 462 pages. My review.

Summers at Castle Auburn. Sharon Shinn. Fantasy. 2001. 342 pages. My review.

Mistress of the Art of Death. Ariana Franklin. Mystery/Historical. 2007. 381 pages. My review.

Evil Genius. Catherine Jinks. YA Fantasy. 2007. 486 pages. My review.

Spirit Gate. Kate Elliott. Fantasy. 2006. 445 pages. My review.

The Book Without Words. Avi. Fable/fantasy. 2005. 200 pages. My review.

March (9) 26

The Rossetti Letter. Christy Phillips. Mystery/historical. 2006. 383 pages. My review.

Blind Submission. Debra Ginsberg. Mystery. 2006. 328 pages. My review.

Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. Charles J. Shields. 2006. 285 pages. My review.

Finn. Jon Clinch. Fiction. 2007. 283 pages. My review.

Break No Bones. Kathy Reichs. Fiction. Mystery. 2006. 237 pages. My review.

Silent in the Grave. Deanna Raybourn. Fiction. Mystery. 2007. 509 pages. My review.

The Shape-Changer's Wife. Sharon Shinn. Fiction. Fantasy. 1995. 215 pages. My review.

Palace Walk. Naguib Mahfouz. Fiction. Foreign Culture. 1956. 498 pages. My Review.

Break, Blow, Burn. Camille Paglia. Poetry/Criticism. 2005. 242 pages. My Review.

February (11) 17

(in progress: Palace Walk; Break, Blow, Burn; The Shape-Changer's Wife)

Quilted Memories. Lesley Riley. Nonfiction. Quiliting. 125 pages. 2005. My review. (very brief)

40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts. Evelyn Sloppy. Nonfiction. Quilting. 2005. 159 pages. 2005. My review.

The Physics of the Buffyverse. Jennifer Ouellette. Nonfiction. 283 pages. 2006. My review.

Weight. Jeannette Winterson. Myth. 151 pages. 2005. My review.

Candide. Voltaire. Satire. 113 pages. 2003. My review.

A Corpse in the Koryo. James Church. Mystery. 280. 2006. My review.

Traveler. Ron McLarty. Fiction. 280 pages. 2007. My review.

The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden. Catherynne Valente. 483 pages. 2006. My Review.

Written in Bones: How Human Remains Unlock the Secrets of the Dead. Paul Bahn, ed. 185 pages. Nonfiction/Archaeology. 2002. My Review.

The Winter Child. Margaret Maron. 324 pages. Mystery. 2006. My review.

The Poe Shadow. Matthew Pearl. 367 pages. Historical mystery. c. 2006. My review.

JANUARY (6)

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. Lewis Buzbee. 216 pages. Memoir, history. My review.

Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Qyeen. Joanna Denny. 327 pages. Biography. My review.

Phantom. Terry Goodkind. 587 pages. Fantasy. My review.

Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. Suketu Mehta. 542 pages. Journalism, travel, memoir. My review.

The Rest Falls Away. Colleen Gleason. 347 pages. Fiction. My review.

Voltaire Almighty. Roger Pearson. 420+ pages. Biography. My review.

My Computer is home...

Fee took the laptop this weekend, and I was without a computer again. Now, I have my recently rehabilitated computer back from the PC hospital and the laptop.

I have several more books to review: The Janissary Tree, Elizabeth's German Garden, and Jennifer Weiner's short story collection. I enjoyed all of them. Have just finished reviews of The Black Sun and Stealing the Dragon in my rush to catch up.

And new books have continued to arrive:

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo -- Thanks, Stefanie!!
An Ocean of Air: Why the Wind Blows and Other Mysteries of the Atmosphere by Gabrielle Walker--Thanks to Anna Sukenov of the Penguin Group

The two M. F. K. Fisher books, Dissolution by C. J. Sansom , Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise von Franz, The Season of the Witch, and the Jane Langton mystery have arrived for the Unread Author Challenge which doesn't begin until September. I'm afraid I may have to dip into at least one of these, which will mean I will have to order something else for the challenge--but I'm going to try to hold out as I have enough to keep me occupied for a while.

That Old Cape Magic

Russo, Richard.  That Old Cape Magic.

Oh, I loved this book!   Russo's Bridge of Sighs was one of my favorite books read in 2007, and although this one is shorter, less dense, and much funnier, That Old Cape Magic will probably be on my list of favorites for 2010.

The author explores marriages and family relationships, mid-life crisis, the emotional inheritance we carry all our lives, and the biases of memory.

Jack Griffin has an attachment to Cape Cod because the happiest moments of his childhood occurred during family vacations to the Cape.  The current visit to Cape is to attend the wedding of his daughter's childhood friend, and memories resurface as he looks for a place to scatter the ashes of his father.

Russo's comedic touch is pitch perfect, but the humor is balanced with regrets, sadness, and loneliness as Jack struggles to escape the voices of his parents and their influence on his behavior.
 

Fiction.  Family drama.  2009.  261 pages.

Alice Wanted--

I've fallen in love with this print: Recruiting a New Alice. A Giclee print of an original work by Tiffany Electra X (tartx), it is reasonably priced and absolutely charming. I know it will appeal to a lot of you...need I even bother to mention names?
These eye pillows filled with organic lavender and flax are meant to provide "your eyes with a rejuvenating break"--sounds like just the thing for all of us readers.
I've picked up Flannery's letters again. How can I lose sight of how much I enjoy them? Now they are stationed near the back door, to be picked up when I take my "outside" breaks.

Bridge of Sighs (which I won over at Stefanie's) is still engrossing, both the story and writing.

Mixcellaneous Mix

I've updated my 2007 list of books with the August entries. Two books didn't get a review. Mademoiselle Victorine never involved me with either the characters or the story. Far-fetched? The only thing that interested me was the inclusion of Baudelaire as a character. The Millionth Circle was a new agey work that essentially said, over 87 double-spaced, centered pages, what could have been said in a paragraph...and was and was and was, over and over again. Nevertheless, August saw some real winners in both fiction and nonfiction. A very good month overall.

As soon as I finish Bridge of Sighs, I'll be delving into the R.I.P and Unread Authors challenges with gusto!

I've already mentioned the Cardathon Challenge when I discussed Challenges on Tuesday. The only thing I'm sure of is that I'll begin with Ender's Game (it has been years and years since I read it) and proceed from there working through as many Ender books as possible. Homebody is on my current list for the R.I.P. Challenge, and Chris recommended Treasure Box. Card will be making frequent appearances next year.

I finished and framed the bee balm, but have not started on the cone flowers or the crane yet. Will get another mat for the bee balm, Debbi suggested green, and I think that is a good choice and Mac agreed.

A garden visitor. click to enlarge

In Review

I read fewer books this year than last year, but I probably read as many pages; I just couldn't bring myself to try and add them up.

My goal was to read more nonfiction and more books in the category of biography/memoir. Achieved! I also read some pretty scientific nonfiction and some interesting social trend nonfiction. In fact, all that I read in nonfiction proved well worth the while!

Total: 106 books

A quick breakdown:

26 nonfiction
79 fiction

44 books by male authors

65 books by female authors

13 biography/memoir

1 essay collection

1 short story collection

I started trying to determine the best books in the nonfiction category, but could not narrow it down enough. Most of the biographies were excellent, and the general nonfiction books had too many that would also qualify.

The best fiction was Russo's Bridge of Sighs.

Favorite New Authors:

David Weber - science fiction/ space opera
Deanna Rayburn - historical mystery
Catherynne Valente - fantasy
Kate Elliot - fantasy
Aretha Franklin - historical mystery
Jason Goodwin - historical mystery
C.J. Sansom - historical mystery
Brunonia Barry - general fiction
D. J. Taylor - historical mystery

.Here is a link to the complete list: 2007 Books