The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards

I loved Edwards' previous book "The Memory Keeper's Daughter". I was looking forward to reading (in my case listening) to "The Lake of Dreams". But if I am being honest, I didn't care for it very much. I did finish it so that I knew how everything ended - but I really didn't care that much. Here is the storyline. Lucy is living overseas with her boyfriend, Yoshi. She comes home to upstate New York to her childhood home because her mom has had an accident. It wasn't that serious of an accident but Yoshi convinces her it is time for her to go home after avoiding it since her father's untimely death. Her brother has gone into the family business. There is a story line about draining a marsh to build on. There is also the one about Lucy's old boyfriend. The main storyline is the one where a hidden note in the old family home leads Lucy to dig into her family's past.
It is an okay book, but quite frankly I really didn't care about the family secret or the family dynamics.

The Wild Zone by Joy Fielding

I always enjoy Fielding's books and this was a wild one (pun intended). Will has come down to South Beach to stay for a while with his half-brother, Jeff. They have not had much communication over the years and they are really different from one another. Will is recovering from a broken heart. Jeff is a bit wild and crazy (not in a good way!). He saw active duty in the military and it has left some scars. He lives with sexy Kristin who is a bartender at the Wild Zone but they have an 'open' relationship. One night at the bar, they are joined by Jeff's best friend, Tom. Tom also was in Afghanistan until his actions with a girl cost him a dishonorable discharge. He is unhappily married with two kids and a lot of guns. That evening Jeff and Tom drag Will into a crazy bet concerning a good-looking patron at the bar. Her name is Suzy and she seems to have a magical effect on the whole group. On the inside she is hiding the secret of her abusive husband.
That evening leads to a fast-paced adventure with some twists and turns in the plot. I really liked reading the book even though Will was the only character I liked at all. Don't spend time trying to figure out what is going to happen.... you won't!

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by: David Sedaris

For those of you who know David Sedaris (like him or not) you know the kind of writer he is: sometimes dark, always funny, quirky, and cynical. This book hits all of his best writing qualities. The stories made me go from laugh out loud one minute, to sick and oddly disturbed the next. Imagine if Aesop's Fables and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales had a baby; it would be this book. Morality fables with a hint the rude, crude, ridiculous, and at times disgusting.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is a series of morality stories from the perspective of animals, ranging from sadistic acts, casual racism, selfishness, adultery, egotism, to fad spiritualism and so on. Their character aspects and flaws are not too far from humans (and in fact seem to embodied the most base characteristics of humans). David Sedaris does a wonderful job of showing a world with very different social aspects and obligations, making the stories even more interesting. He manages to take the human world and morph it to fit the animal realm perfectly. I really wonder how he, along with the other authors of this book, Elaine Stritch, Dylan Baker, and Siân Phillips, came up with these strange and absurd little stories?

At first I wasn't sure what to think of this book, it was quite entertaining, but having come from the previous book I read by him, Me Talk Pretty One Day, it was quite a shock. The book has a very dark, cynical tone to it, yet there were times when I almost cried laughing and some parts that were so disgusting I didn't want to go on. I may have mixed emotions about this book, but from a literary aspect it is like nothing I have ever read, so for those of you looking for something funny, wild, strange, slightly disturbing, and outside of any normal notion of what a novel is, I say this book is for you!

This is a little slide show of some of the Illustrations from the book, just to give you an idea of what some of the stories might be about!

Lord of Misrule

Each year I make sure I read the National Book and Pulitzer Prize for fiction awards. It's good for me. It helps to stop my lazy inclination to read too much drivel. The winners of these two awards are always challenging - either because of content or style. Style is certainly the challenge of this year's National Book Award -- The Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon.

The Lord of Misrule revolves around a get-rich-quick-scheme -- horse trainer Tommy Hansel plans to slip in quietly at a backwoods West Virginia race track to run four good horses in claiming races at long odds and then slip out before anyone realizes.

Of course it doesn't work that way. Small racetracks are like small towns where everyone knows everyone's business (and if they don't know, they'll find ways to find out). And much of this short book revolves around how this plan falls apart. The strength of this book is Gordon's ability to recreate this 1970's dusty racetrack atmosphere along with a vivid set of eccentric characters.

That said, it's a challenging book to read. The dialogue is particularly tricky, it's hard to decipher the slang in places, and the plot can be difficult to follow (particularly if, like me, you know nothing about horse racing).

I'm tempted to say that in places the writing tries too hard, that it's overstyled but that is most likely my own fault for reading too fast. Gordon's sentences are meant to be read slowly and carefully. The characters seem too eccentric at times, crossing the line into caricature, and yet there's something magical that pulls the story along. There's something fascinating about watching a simple plan thwarted at every turn and wondering how it will all turn out.

Hush by Kate White

This was a quick read. It was a type of thriller. There are two story-lines going on. The first is the divorce proceedings that Lake Warren is going through with soon-to-be ex hubby, Jack. It has been hard enough on Lake but now her lawyer informs her that Jack is going to try for full custody. He assures her that she hasn't much to worry about since she appears to be a good mother to her two kids. He just reminds her to be extra vigilant concerning her personal life - because Jack does have the financial means to have her followed....and you just never know! So what does Lake do? It starts with an innocent group dinner with the people from the Fertility Clinic where she is doing some marketing consulting. But Dr. Keaton, who has been flirting with her a bit, secretly suggests she come to his place around the corner for a nightcap. Well, one thing leads to another and yes she spends the night. After all, her kids are at camp and who will ever know? As luck would have it, Lake is awake in the night and goes out on the terrace where she falls asleep. When she wakes up and returns to the bedroom she finds her lover has been murdered. A little far fetched? Yes. Still it was an entertaining book.

Delirious by Daniel Palmer

This book was on the shelf to be covered yesterday. It looked good, so I covered it and took it home. After a nap I decided to start reading it. I finished it this afternoon before coming to work! It is a fast-paced thriller. Charlie Giles is a superstar in the tech world. He is making it rich in the consumer electronics business. He runs his little world with fear and intimidation. His bosses don't intimidate him because they need him. And then one day it all begins to fall apart. Strange things are happening. Charlie can't tell what is real and what isn't. Is someone really out to get him? Add a hospitalized mother, a schizophrenic brother, a faithful dog and a touch of romance and you have a terrific read! Of course there is also the terrifying knowledge of all the new technology that is out there - I may be thinking about that for quite a while before I get to sleep tonight!

Separate Beds by Elizabeth Buchan

Annie and Tom have raised three children. Only Emily remains at home. Jake is married and a new father. Mia, well Mia is the center of a lot of stress in the house...and she isn't even there. Five years ago there was a falling out with Mia. Mia left the university and her parents have not heard from her since. Annie is hopeful everyday that Mia will come through the door. Of course she wouldn't have a bedroom to stay in anymore because Tom has left the marital bed and has taken over Mia's room. Annie is closer to the housekeeper, Zosia, then to any of her family. But things are going to change quickly. The economy is tanking and Tom has been keeping a secret from Annie. Soon their lives have been turned upside-down. And their house becomes smaller and smaller as more people are moving in!
I enjoyed reading this book very much. The characters were interesting and believable. The changes the family has to deal with because of the economy are very relevant to what is going on in today's climate.

Banish Clutter Forever by Sheila Chandra 648.8 Cha

Another organizational book for me to read and ponder! Two important points struck me as I read this book. First of all I was given hope when Chandra explained the "Toothbrush Principle". Simply put, it refers to the fact that even the most disorganized person doesn't lose his toothbrush. He knows where to find it in the morning because he magically put it away the night before in a place that it belongs! Of course all of the organizing books talk about putting things away in the right place.....but when it comes to the toothbrush everyone actually does it! The other point was where to begin the "big clean out". Most of us are drawn to the worse part of the house because it will make the biggest impact quickly. But Chandra said something that made a lot of sense. Start with the far away places like the basement or attic. These are the places that will you will take the things that don't really need to be in your bedroom, living room, bathroom etc. So when you declutter the kitchen you will have an organized place to take that turkey platter that you only use once a year. It made a lot of sense. And if you were wondering, I am in the midst of 'downsizing' my junk, decluttering my drawers and closets. I have another Clutter book at home waiting for me too! Just love them!