Book 53: The Good, the Bad and the Undead

The Good, the Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison

 

The second book in The Hollows series continues to follow the adventures of Rachel Morgan.  At this point, Rachel reminds me a quite a bit of Harry Dresden as she is continuously just barely getting herself out of scrapes, and very good at making enemies.  Also, as this novel shows, there is clearly something about her own history and family background that she doesn't know.  It was already established in the previous novel that her dad died mysteriously, and this one throws out a few more small clues about things he may have been involved with.

 

Given the title, it probably isn't a surprise that vampires play a large role.  Ivy's struggles to maintain her humanity and not give into her vampire side continue in this novel, and actually get worse as living with Rachel takes its toll.  Rachel also finally meets Piscary, famous old vampire, restaurant owner and relative of Ivy.  Nick and Rachel have been dating since the last novel, but Rachel is surprised to discover three months in that Nick has continued to summon the demon that attacked them in Dead Witch Walking.  He basically thinks he has it figured out, and never gives the demon any important information.  Rachel sees the world in a very black and white way, so she is less than happy about this arrangement, though she continues to happily date Nick.  I think it is only the reader (and all of Rachel's friends) that have any issues or doubts about the character.

 

The case of the week in this novel surrounds the deaths of various ley line witches.  The only link between them that the police (or what counts as police in this world) have found is that they all had the same professor, a woman that once kicked Rachel out of her class, telling her she was inept.  Rachel has spent the last two novels explaining that she is an earth witch, believing that ley lines make the lines too blurry, but her connection in FIB, Edden, enrolls her in the class to get closer to the professor.

 

For the most part, I had fun while reading this but Rachel's ability to jump to conclusions and not follow directions was irritating.  Her first suspect in the murders is Trent Kalamack, and she remains completely fixed on this notion despite lack of evidence.  While in a lot of these types of novels, the characters sometimes have hunches that go against the evidence, usually there is some type of real justification to them.  I have a hard time following Rachel in her hunches because I think she's obsessed and jumps easily jumps to the wrong conclusions.  In fact, it is sometimes surprising why her partners are all so supportive of her.  However, the series is immensly readable and I can't help but want to know what happens next.  At least Rachel does tend to at least start to redeem herself or pull back just when I find myself becoming incredibly annoyed with her actions.  I've also heard from Malin that is mainly in the first few books that Rachel has a tendency to be a bit stupid.  I'm starting to realize that I thought the character was older than she actually is - though she worked for the IS for seven years and has mentioned taking college classes, she is only 25 rather than the late twenties I had originally assumed, and four years can still make quite a difference in maturity and personality at that point.

Book 52: Serena

Serena by Ron Rash

 

I haven't seen Winter's Bone yet, but while reading this, I kept wondering how audiences were going to react to Jennifer Lawrence, America's sweetheart, as a ruthless bitch.  Set in a logging camp in 1929 North Carolina, Serena is a hard woman with no time for sentimentality, and there are definitely things about her to admire.  She holds her own among the men,and is often the smartest person in the room.  She knows more about logging than most if not all of the men, and she and her husband are equals in their marriage, both passionate and ambitious.  However, Serena won't let anything stop her, and as a result, the further the novel progresses the more people fall victim as they oppose or stand in the way of Serena and George Pemberton's ambitions.

 

I think one thing that especially emphasizes their villainy, especially today when we face so many environmental issues, is their complete disregard for nature, happily cutting down all the trees, and going on various hunting trips.  At one point, they kill twelve deer and just leave them in a clearing (you'd think someone in the logging camp would have eaten them), and one of George's dreams is to kill the last mountain lion in the area that may or may not exist.  Even though I wanted them to fail, I couldn't help but view Serena as an unstoppable force, and if only she'd been working for a cause I supported, her ability to read people and figure out exactly what she wants and how to get it, would have been a great asset.  Instead, she has made herself the top dog in a dog eat dog world, and woe to anyone that even threatens to get in her way.

 

The novel kicks off with Pemberton's return to North Carolina, new bride in tow, after a trip to Boston to settle his father's estate after his death.  Their welcome party includes a heavily pregnant teenager, Rachel, and her father, a drunk who wants to make Pemberton pay for his treatment of Rachel.  From the start, Serena shows herself at home in this rough and tumble world which feels more like the Wild West than the late 1920's.  Rather than being upset about her husband's past or shrieking at the thought of murder, she commands her husband to take a stand, and tells the unfortunate girl not to expect anything from them, ever.  Especially in the beginning, Serena is a conflicting character.  While she is cold and lacking in empathy, it was refreshing to see a woman in this world take control.  It wasn't until her actions went from unsympathetic to truly evil that I really started disliking her.

 

Though the novel is called Serena, the reader never completely gets to know Serena.  She is only portrayed through the eyes of others, and sometimes she is a woman with hidden depths in vulnerability, other times an unbreakable spirit, an unfathomable mystery or a caricature of evil.  There are chapters and parts that are from the perspective of various loggers, Pemberton himself, and several from Rachel.  In fact while Serena may be the force driving everything happening in the novel, in ways it felt like Rachel was the main character since she is the one that the reader spends the most time with.  While I found parts of the novel incredibly distasteful because of the actions of the Pembertons, it left a deep impression on me.  The loggers bear witness to what goes on around them, and through their eyes we see the destruction of nature, and how their presence has affected the valley in so many ways.  They see the ways that the balance of nature has been tampered with but being in the midst of the Great Depression have no choice but to be grateful for any type of job, even if they hate the results of what they are doing, and watch their friends and coworkers die around them, sometimes because of logging accidents and sometimes because of the Pembertons.

 

I really enjoyed this dark, poetic novel, though it may not be for everyone (some people complained of animal abuse and some of the hunting scenes were a bit hard to stomach because of the sheer waste).  In fact, the author was said he was inspired by theater and the idea of an Elizabethan play.  The story basically occurs in five acts, and the loggers are his version of a Greek chorus.  I never even would have heard of this novel if it hadn't been for the film, so I'm looking forward to see how it turns out (I can definitely see Jennifer Lawrence working well with this role, it will just be a surprise after her other work; I'm more skeptical about Bradley Cooper's casting), and want to check out more of Rash's work.

Book 51: The Thing Around Your Neck

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 

I loved Adichie's first two novels, and intend to read Americanah very soon.  Given that I really enjoy the author, I bought her short story collection as soon as it was released in paperback.  And then avoided reading it because I don't really like short story collections that much.  When I do, it tends to be one's about characters I already know experiencing side adventures, such as Sidejobs, a collection of Harry Dresden stories, or the two collections from the Women of the Otherworld series.  I started pretty strong with this one, and actually read about half the stories in one weekend, and then decided to take a break.  I finally picked it back up and finished it three weeks later.

 

For the most part, I liked all the stories, and I thought she wrapped them up really well - while I still would have preferred novels and longer narratives, I wasn't left wanting more.  She clearly sets up her characters and their lives in the short time she has in the pages devoted to them.  Having read her previous work, I also didn't feel completely clueless about Nigeria's history, culture and differing ethnic backgrounds, which helped me avoid too much confusion with some of the specifics.  The stories take place in both Nigeria and America, focusing not only on life in Nigeria, but exploring the immigrant's experience as well.  She provides a snap shot of a variety of Nigerian women through this lense.

 

I think the last two stories of the collection were actually my favorite.  "Tomorrow is Too Far" deals with a woman's return to Africa for her grandmother's funeral after an eighteen year absence, ever since her older brother died one summer.  The last story, "The Headstrong Historian," is very reminiscent Things Fall Apart and Adichie's own novel, Purple Hibiscus, as it takes place in the late 19th century, and talks about the influence of white missionaries and the rift it causes between old traditions and the new generation.  I also enjoyed "A Private Experience" about a Christian woman and a Muslim woman hiding together during a riot.  I think my least favorite was "Jumping Monkey Hill" about a writer's retreat, and "The Shivering."  "The Shivering" focuses on a young college student that spends a lot of time talking about her ex-boyfriend.  I think I disliked it because her irritating habit of bringing him up in random conversations may have hit a bit too close to home and, unfortunately, felt like an accurate portrayal of a younger version of me.

 

If you love short stories or are a bit of a completionist, I would recommend this because Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an amazing author.  However, if you prefer novels, I would definitely start with Half of a Yellow Sun, a novel about Biafra and the Nigerian Civil War, or her debut, Purple Hibiscus, which explores the rifts between old and new and religion in modern Nigeria - I think it is due to this that many early blurbs compared her to Chinua Achebe.  Hopefully, I'll let you know more about Americanah soon, but most of the reviews have been positive.

Book 50: This is Where I Leave You

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

 

I noticed one complaint about this novel on Goodreads was the fact that it seemed like reading a novel that was meant to be a movie.  Unfortunately I can't speak to that; given that it has already been optioned as a movie, I couldn't help but see Jason Bateman as the narrator, Judd, and could of course picture how various scenes would play out in the film.  However, I don't know if I would have had those same views if I had read this before I knew it was being made into a movie.

 

After their father dies, the four siblings of the Foxman family come together for the funeral and to sit shiva for seven days.  The family does not see each other often, and Judd does not feel hopeful about the idea of them spending seven days together straight since his brother Paul is still mad at him from an incident in high school, and the family just has a tendency to combust when in close quarters.  Philip is the pampered baby brother screw up, and Wendy is the oldest sister, married to a man that barely gets off the phone since he's always working on important financial deals.  Judd's in the process of getting a divorce after finding his wife in flagrante with his boss, a shock talk show host.

 

The novel is entertaining, though it mostly goes how one would expect.  The family clashes, ridiculous things occur, Judd tries to deal with his failed marriage and current unemployment, and there are flirtations with former classmates and flames.  There are the usual discoveries about each other, family and the past.  Basically, it really is the perfect set up for a movie.  It was a quick read, and I definitely want to check out more of Tropper's work.  I could have done with a little less obsessing about sex from Judd but the guy's been cuckolded so it's somewhat understandable.

 

I'm curious to see the movie and how it all comes together.  I saw that Adam Driver is cast as Philip Foxman, and since I've never seen Girls or any of his work I can't really say if this is a good fit, but based simply on pictures, I hope he loses the goatee.  With the facial hair he strikes me as kind of sleazy, and while Philip messes up all the time, he is also portrayed as someone that is a girl magnet that everyone wants to help redeem himself - there's a fine line between screw up and sleazy scumbag, basically.  I saw that Malin Akerman was at one point cast in the film, and while this is no longer the case, I could absolutely see her as Judd's perfect, gorgeous wife - I'd say seeing her in Trophy Wife has really helped cement that, even though that character is just sweet and goofy - mostly, I think she just has the physical comedy aspect that this role could require down as well as the right personality so that the viewer could understand her appeal to Judd.  Judd just feels like the quintessential Bateman character, overwhelmed, straightman, crazy family.  So while I don't think this is going to be an award winning film, it could definitely be entertaining, or could just as easily run the risk of becoming a cliche.  Given the caliber of the cast, I'm hoping for the former.

Book 49: The Twistrose Key

The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

 

Though aimed at a younger audience, the novel reminded me a bit of His Dark Materials trilogy.  I think that honestly just may be the animal side kick here that reminded me of the daemon familiars in Pullman's story.  Other than that, it's probably more reminiscent of Narnia, with a human girl chosen to cross the borders between two worlds and save a magical, wintery land - in this case one where favorite, beloved pets go after they die.

 

It took me a bit to get into this, and I wonder if maybe it was due to the way the language was translated.  However, once Lin has used the twistrose key and is in Sylver, it picks up and flows along nicely.  Lin and her parents recently moved to a new town due to a job opportunity for her mom, and Lin is lonely, having left her best friend behind.  Shortly after they arrive, her pet vole (mouse like creature) Rufus dies, which makes the situation even worse.  Missing the old games she would play with Rufus and her friend, she is playing one of them with herself, when she receives a mysterious key on her doorstep.  When she goes down into the basement and uses it, she ends up in Sylver, and discovers that Rufus is already there, though he is 5 feet tall now.  As he explains to her, he is one of the Petlings, and beloved pets of children end up in this realm after they die.  There are four tribes of petlings, which encompass cats, dogs, rodents and birds, and then there are also a few wildlings in town and the area.  These include a bear and a fox, and other animals that were pets under less usual conditions.

 

Lin is a Twistrose, and Sylver has a tradition of Twistrose children coming to the land in times of great need to save the realm.  In this case, the last boy of a special family has gone missing, and he is the only one that can do the spell required to keep the magic in Sylver, and prevent its ultimate demise.  However, Lin soon learns that things are much more complicated as there are different factions in the town who seem to have different ideas of how this can best be accomplished.  Additionally, there seems to be a whole other, bigger plot going on that could hinder Lin and prevent her and Rufus from accomplishing her mission.  Lin is very adventurous, but since she and Rufus don't know who to trust, they also quickly find themselves in trouble and getting into various tight spots.

 

I thought the story was very sweet and enjoyable, but I also feel like it is definitely open for a sequel.  The villain's backstory is only touched upon towards the end of the novel, and I would have loved to hear more about his development and life since what is revealed is sad and tragic.  This was definitely aimed at a slightly younger audience than I usually read but it still managed to have some rather tragic and poignant moments throughout.

Book 48: I Don't Know What You Know Me From

I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star by Judy Greer

 

"Say goodbye to these!"  My guess is that most Pajibans are most familiar with Judy Greer due to her portrayal of Kitty on Arrested Development, though she has been in so many things as "the sassy best friend" that she is also one of those people that many recognize even if they don't know her name.  I would just like to say that I totally knew her name even before the book.  I consulted IMDB a few times while reading this, and I was actually surprised when I realized that I hadn't seen more of her roles since I really thought I'd seen her in so many things.  Of the titles she's appeared in, I've seen The Descendants, HIMYM, Elizabethtown, The Village, 13 Going on 30, The Wedding Planner, What Women Want and Three Kings.  Quite a few those caused, "she was in that" reactions too, though I think that had less to do with her perfomance and more with that the fact that I've mostly forgotten (or blocked) what happened in movies like The Village and Elizabethtown.

 

She breaks her book up into three parts, "Early Life," "Hollywood Life" and "Real Life."  As a result the essays aren't completely chronological since many things are happening in her personal life while she is developing her career, but it worked well for the structure of the book.  She discusses hoping for larger roles and more success, but is also very happy with the fact that she has been working constantly since graduating from acting school.  One very much gets the idea from her that this is a line of work she stumbled into but loves and enjoys.  She landed her first role before a few weeks before graduation because an agent discovered her on the street - she gives all the credit to her fabulous blue raincoat.  She had actually been too lazy to look for an agent before graduation so this was a serendipitous opportunity for her.

 

I had so much fun reading this.  Greer balanced telling stories about herself with name dropping and tidbits about life in Hollywood perfectly and also had a rather self deprecating view of herself.  In "Press Junket," she reveals how she keeps interviews entertaining for herself and the crew, and I have to make sure to watch some of her interviews now to look for this - she basically has a word of the day that she tries to work into interviews.  In one essay, she mentions that she didn't realize until rather recently that celebrities were sometimes paid to walk down the street with certain brands so that when magazines show shots of stars with Arby's, it's actually advertising, not a caught-in-the-act moment.  Given that, I was actually amused by how many brand names Greer dropped herself throughout the essays.  I haven't quite decided if it was a bit of a joke on the reader or not, but then again, I have quite a bit of brand loyalty myself so I'm sure if I wrote a biography, I might also mention certain stores a few times (however, if she is getting paid, then good for her).  Greer seems to be at that level of success where she can still get away with going on trips to Target (yes, she shares many people's love of Target, a store I have never really been that into) undisturbed though people do recognize her, even if they don't know what they know her from.  She mentions a love of junk food, but since she also mentions running marathons in passing, she probably works it off rather easily.  Of course, she also talks about having to eat healthier now so once again grounds herself in normalcy and doesn't try to convince anyone that she can eat anything she wants and look the way she does.

 

I thought it was a lot of fun, and it helps that Greer presents herself as someone that is still starstruck.  She is a star but still has the option of normalcy and anonymity when she needs it.  As a result, in this book, she comes off as very real and relatable, a hard worker that would be a great friend in real life and not just the movies.  I also know now what mistakes not to make if I ever meet her thanks to one of her essays.  I would love to know how she would rate me on her "fan profiler," ie when she tries to guess where people know her from.  I wonder if asking her to profile me would be a mistake?

Book 47: Palisades Park

Palisades Park by Alan Brennert

 

I've enjoyed every single novel I've read by Brennert, and while I always buy them as soon as I see them, they tend to end up lost in my unread stacks of books for months at a time.  I think this may be because as much as I know I can depend on a solid, reliable and informative novel, he is also comfort food.  The narrative and the people will face challenges, and generally, overcome them, even if they face loss and years of struggle.  He's great at providing description and bringing a setting to life, making the reader want to travel to Hawai'i or, in this case, an old amusement park in New Jersey.  In essence, he's a writer you save for when you want a good read that spans years, but when you don't necessarily expect something groundbreaking.  Once again, he succeeds in delivering a good novel that just seems to completely encapsule the time and place he is describing, though I also think that this one is even more about the place than the characters.  Compared to Rachel and Jin of Moloka'i and Honolulu respectively, the Stopkas don't leave much of an impression.  They are merely a way to chronicle the park, and its various colorful people, rides and concessions.

 

However, while the Stopka family may be placeholders more than anything else, they still have a generally engaging, if predictable and fortunate story.  Unlike Brennert's previous novels, there doesn't appear to be much struggle for Eddie, Adele and their two children Toni and Jack (Jack's war experience being one exception).  Eddie finds and keeps a job during the Great Depression, and he and Adele have a quick but simple romance.  Together they rise from clerks at concession booths to owners.  Basically, even when bad things happen, they tend to overcome them rather quickly and easily.  Toni ends up being the main character, a young girl that grew up around the Palisades Park, spent her summers in the pool with various historical figures of the Park as her friends and adult figures in her life.  Surrounded by a carnie life of sorts, she dreams of being a high diver.

 

Though the story itself is a simple story about middle class Americans living and working at an amusement park, it is all the surrounding detail that makes the story.  Many of the performances, acts and people mentioned in the novel actually were a part of the park.  Brennert, having grown up in Jersey and visited the park as a child, even gives a shot out to the man that owned the corner store where he bought his comic books.  It is in all these minor characters that the novel comes to life and distinguishes itself.  After reading this, I wanted to go to Palisades Park and have some french fries from a concession stand, and later have a hot dog from one of the local neighborhood diners.  I would definitely recommend this book for someone that just wants a novel that transports them to another time and place, where things turns out well if people work for them, and a story that provides a glimpse of a place that once was.