My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South by Rick Bragg

 

From the New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner comes this collection of essays on life in the south.  Keenly observed and well written with his usual dose of humor Bragg writes about home, place, and the spirit that encompasses his native Alabama as well as Cajun country and the Gulf Coast.  These stories were collected from a decade of his writing about the region that he loves and understands probably better than us all.  His unique gift for storytelling is brought home in a powerful way by the sensitivity and depth of his prose.

 

One of the many passages that spoke to me:  "...I hope I will never have a life that is not surrounded by books, by books that are bound in paper and cloth and glue, such perishable things for ideas that have lasted thousands of years, or just since the most recent Harry Potter.  I hope I am always walled in by the very weight and breadth and clumsy, inefficient, antiquated bulk of them, hope that I spend my last days on this Earth, arranging and rearranging them on thrones of good, honest pine, oak, and mahogany, because they just feel good in my hands, because I just like to look at their covers, and dream of the promise of the great stories inside."

 

I love Rick's books.  I Love the man.  Here's your chance to discover one of the great southern writers.

After You by Jojo Moyes

 



This is the sequel to "Me Before You," the well written tear jerker and testament to love published by Moyes in 2013 that sold over five million copies.  If you've not read "Me Before You," you need to read it first and then read this one--not just so you get the history of the characters right, but because it really is such a fantastic read.  In the first book, Louisa Clark takes a job working for wheelchair bound Will Traynor.  Will is acerbic, moody, bossy, and she soon finds herself caring about his happiness more than she expected.  I don't know what I can tell you about this one without spoiling what happens in her previous book, but suffice it to say that after the transformative 6 months she spent with Will Traynor in "Me Before You," she is struggling.  An extraordinary accident forces her to return home to her family and she can't help but feel she is right back where she started.  Like its predecessor it tackles difficult subjects giving you a roller coaster ride that will have you laughing, crying, and rejoicing. 

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

 

Grace Winter, 22, is both a newlywed and a widow. In this novel about hard choices and survival, she is also on trial for her life.

In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to live, some must die.

As the castaways battle the elements, and each other, Grace recollects the unorthodox way she and Henry met, and the new life of privilege she thought she'd found.

The story is told from her point of view, and the motives of others always seem to be suspect.  But since we are never really told the story from any other angle, perhaps we should be leery of Grace's motives as well.  The point of the whole story is that nothing is as it seems.  Alliances form, motives are not always discernible, exposure and deprivation take their toll.  The book grapples with difficult issues.  When, if ever, is it appropriate to commit an evil act to save others? When is inaction as great an evil as violent action? And lastly, how would you behave under similar circumstances?

An interesting read. 



Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

 

 

In Holt, Colorado, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters.  Her husband died years ago, as did his wife.  In such a small town, they have known each other for decades.  She makes him a very strange proposal.  She wants him to come over to her house some night and sleep with her.  Not for sex, but for talk, comfort.  Both of them are alone, lonely, and heading into old age.  As they lie together in bed, companionably, they talk about their dreams, disappointments, hopes, and compromises.   Their lives are gradually laid bare to each other and they ward off the loneliness that has consumed them both.  Charming, tender, and beautifully written this book about finding love late in life was finished just days before Kent Haruf died.  He knew he was dying (from an incurable lung disease), but he felt well enough to attempt one more project. Normally it took him six years or more to write a novel, but in a rush of creative energy he finished this is just 45 days.  What a lovely legacy this book of gorgeous writing and wisdom has become.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

 

 

 

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary.  From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life.  Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls.  The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself.  This international best seller is a love letter to books, filled with warmth and adventure and sumptuous descriptions of food and literature.  Rich in allusions this beautiful and enchanting book will get you thinking and make you happy.  After all, who can resist floating on a barge through France surrounded by books, wine, love, and great conversation? There are recipes in the back of the book, as well as a section titled "Jean Perdu's Emergency Literary Pharmacy: From Adams to Von Arnim," that is really wonderful.  A completely delightful read.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Astronaut Mark Watney is stranded on Mars and may be the first person to die there.  He's stranded, completely alone, and has no way to contact Earth to let them know he's alive.  Drawing on his ingenuity, engineering skills, and just plain determination to survive, he tries to think his way through each calamity, one step at a time.  One thing is sure, he just will not give up.  They made a movie from this book already in which Matt Damon stars.  The movie has been called Apollo 13 meets Cast Away.  One thing I remember thinking as I read the book was how did the author manage to fact check this book (which is full of science and math and facts about Mars)? Does he have friends at NASA or JPL? How can you confirm its accuracy? Apparently that was very important to Weir as well. This confessed space nerd even wrote a computer program to make the science as real as possible.  And you can certainly see how this authenticity added to the edge of your seat feel to the book.  And even I, someone who hates math, can see the importance of it to the survival of our species in this man against the elements story.  This book was a really fun read, well written, fast paced, and leaving you marveling at the resilience of the human spirit.

Here if you Need Me by Kate Braestrup

A beautifully written account of a woman's journey through grief to connect with her faith and to ultimately find happiness.  In the wake of her husband's death she pursues his dream of becoming a minister, and ultimately finds her calling as a chaplain to search-and-rescue workers.  A deeply moving and uplifting story of finding God through helping others and of the small miracles that happen every day when a heart is grateful and love is practiced faithfully.  Very tender hearted and funny, you don't have to share her faith to be moved by her writing and the struggles she overcomes.  A touching and affecting read.

Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell

In this continuation of the story she began in Doc, Mary Doria Russell presents her richly detailed and meticulously researched presentation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and the beginning of the mythology that surrounds it to this day.  Her characterization of these men and the times they lived in within her narrative is so rich that you feel like you are right in the middle of all the action.

It is a story of a divided nation, vicious politics, and a partisan media that rivals that of today.  America in 1881 is shown in all its gritty splendor and you can't tell the good guys and the bad guys from the color of the hat they wear.  To me, the character that really shines in this book (as well as the first book in this series "Doc") is Doc Holliday.  He is such a complex person with so many different sides to his personality and so many diverse talents that I find him quite fascinating.  And the dynamics at work within the Earp brothers and the women who loved them are so interesting as a backdrop for this historical event that we think we know so much about already.

And then there is Wyatt Earp.  A good man who is caught right in the middle of a great tragedy and yet still tries to remain a hero.  When I was growing up I loved watching the TV program, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp starring Hugh O'Brien.  I can still sing the theme song..."the west it was lawless but one man was flawless..." 

Luminous and elegant; a compulsively good read.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

This book is full of unreliable narrators and not necessarily likable characters.  It is well written and the plot moves along fast enough so that the suspense is maintained, and yet it was ultimately a bit disappointing.  I can't really put my finger on just why, other than the fact that there weren't any characters in it that I could really relate to.  I think if there had been at least one or two it would have made for a better read.  If I was using a 5 star rating, I think I would give this one about a 3.5--interesting and worth reading, just not top of the line (but then again I am a tough reviewer, rarely giving a book 5 stars).

Synopsis:  Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning.  Every day she passes a stretch of cozy suburban homes.  Each day the train stops at a signal that allows her to watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck.   She starts to feel like she knows them, and even assigns them names in her head.  She sees their life as perfect, not unlike hers until just recently.  And then she sees something that shocks her.  As the train moves on from the stop, everything has changed and she is unable to keep it to herself.  She tells the police what she knows and becomes entwined in what happens next, as well as the lives of everyone involved.  Now she is wondering if she has done more harm than good.

So, pick it up and read it and see what you think.   

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

This is an emotionally riveting book; an epic tale, brilliantly written and deeply affecting.  Weaving together the threads of numerous storylines into a beautiful tapestry of history and landscape, love, betrayal, and forgiveness, and brimming with wisdom about the human condition.

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa.  Orphaned by their mother's death in childbirth and their father's disappearance they come of age in Ethiopia which is on the brink of revolution.  Their passion for the same woman  will tear them apart and force Marion to flee his homeland and take refuge as an intern in an overcrowded New York City hospital.  Then the past catches up to him, nearly destroying him. 

The title "Cutting for Stone" refers to a line from the Hippocratic Oath that stems from a time when kidney and bladder stones were epidemic (and deadly).  There were some surgeons who could cut for stone, but then they'd wipe their blades on their pants and head off to the next village.  It was extremely dangerous (because of infections).  The phrase implies, "Leave that for people who know what they're doing."

Loss is a theme that runs strongly through the book.  The language used is beautiful.  An imaginative and luminous masterpiece.

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

I've been hearing good things about Wiley Cash as an author for awhile now, because I love southern literature with an Appalachian setting.  I finally decided to try this first novel of his before I tackled his latest book, and I was not disappointed.

The title of this book comes from the final lines of "You Can't Go Home Again" by Thomas Wolfe.  It has a strong sense of place (like most good southern literature) and is tragic, gut wrenching, and dark.

The story is told by three characters, Jess (a young boy growing up in the town of Marshall), Adelaide (the town midwife and moral conscience), and Clem Barefield (a Sheriff with his own painful past).  A thriller that highlights good versus evil and has elements of carnal sin, faith versus reason, fathers and sons, grief, guilt, and snake handling told with strong narrative voices.  Haunting and atmospheric.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Dark and lyrically written, this book celebrates all the things that make us human:  art, love, literature, and theater in a moving and haunting post pandemic landscape.

This book is so different from the usual variety of post apocalyptic fiction, and well worth your time reading.  It is bleak, but written in a very unique and gorgeous style.

An actor suffers a fatal heart attack on stage while performing in King Lear.  Shortly thereafter a flu pandemic all but annihilates life.  A Traveling Symphony of actors traverses the landscape performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors.  Written on their caravan and tattooed on one of the actor's arms is a line from Star Trek, "Because survival is insufficient."  See what I mean? Shakespeare and Star Trek in a post apocalyptic story.  You gotta love that.

Spanning decades and moving back and forth in time, it is a beautiful and sad novel that blooms in your heart.

Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall

Star Trek nerd that I am, I really enjoyed this zombie parody written by a couple of lifelong science fiction geeks.  Each chapter title is the name of a Star Trek episode, the writing is surprisingly good, and I found it to be really hilarious.  I mean, come on, a zombie outbreak at a Star Trek Convention? The Trek references alone were a gold mine, the characters were solid and likable, and I found it to be a very entertaining read.  

Fearless by Eric Blehm

 

 

To become a Navy Seal, you must first go through what is widely considered to be the most physically and mentally demanding military training in existence.  Only about 1% of those who enter, complete the training.  Adam Brown, the man this book is about, was ranked near the top 1% of this elite cadre of men.  This is the story of how an all-American boy lost his way, yet found it again, with the help of his faith, his family, and the love of a woman, to become a highly trained warrior whose courage and determination were legendary.

 



 

 

Author Eric Blehm has given us an up close and personal glimpse into the heart of a warrior.  There is a spate of books and movies out now about these military heroes who sacrifice so much to protect us here in this country, and sometimes wind up paying the ultimate price.  I also think it is very important that we understand and appreciate such sacrifice, and books like this one will go a long way towards helping us understand what special caliber of men these are and how much we all owe them.

 

A vivid and absorbing account that leads to a final act of bravery, and the ultimate sacrifice.

 

______

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I did receive a copy of this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Small Victories by Anne Lamott

The Chicago Tribune said about this book:  "Anne Lamott is practically a household word in the peeling-back-the-soul department. She's utterly disarming. She's hysterically funny.  One minute, you're falling off your chair laughing, and the next, you're gasping for air, because Lamott has just unfurled a sentence that cuts straight to the heart of what you really needed to know."  All of which I totally agree with and couldn't have said any better myself.  She is irreverent in her style and approach to the subject of faith, so she may not be everybody's cup of tea.  But, she truly has a gift for emotional intensity and soul searching and her self-deprecating humor is delightful.  This book is honest, vulnerable, and beautifully written.  If you are looking for some inspiration during these bleak winter days, pick it up.