The Confabulist: A Novel

Title:  The Confabulist:  A Novel

Author:  Steven Galloway
Publication Information:  Riverhead Hardcover. 2014. 320 pages.

ISBN:  1594631964 / 978-1594631962

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "The truth wasn't easily identifiable. You could spot a lie, but the opposite of a lie wasn't always the truth."

The word "confabulist" does not exist in the dictionary. The closest words are "fabulist" and "confabulate." According to the dictionary, a "fabulist" is a person who invents or relates fables or a person who lies. The verb "confabulate" in psychiatry means to "replace the gaps left by a disorder of the memory with imaginary remembered experiences consistently believed to be true." The implied question in these words of what is real and what is an illusion lies at the heart of this book.

This book is a proposed story of Harry Houdini and about a man named Martin Strauss. The lives of the two seem to interconnect in so many different ways over the years. The book weaves back and forth through different time periods and through Martin's memories. Somewhere, the line between reality and illusion is blurred, and the two merge. To complete the illusion, the book is populated with historical figures such as the Romanovs and Arthur Conan Doyle.

The book begins with three intriguing ideas:

Martin is told that "You will in essence, Mr. Strauss, lose your mind."

Martin thinks, "What is a memory anyway, other than a ghost of something that's been gone for a long time? There are secrets that I've kept. Maybe they should stay secrets."

Martin declares to the reader, "What no one knows, save for myself and one other person who likely died long ago, is that I didn't just kill Harry Houdini. I killed him twice."

The story then proceeds to draw on all three ideas. It tells of Martin's past and his uncertainty.
It also tells a story of Harry Houdini - his role as an entertainer, his relationships with his mother and his wife, his beliefs in the difference is giving people a show versus preying on their spiritual beliefs, and his unusual role during the World War. Martin's story weaves in and out of Houdini's story. The more intriguing parts of the book are Harry Houdini's.

In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It has that same magical quality about it, and a similar circular approach to the story. Fanciful and not be believed, yet believable at the same time.

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The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic

Title:  The Girl Who Came Home:  A novel of the Titanic

Author:  Hazel Gaynor

Publication Information:  William MorrowHaper Collins Publishers. 2014. 362 pages.

ISBN:  0062316869 / 978-0062316868

Book Source:  I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "I don't think there are enough words to describe this amazing ship or how it feels to be floating on top of the ocean."

The Girl Who Came Home is a story of the Titanic. It is based on the true story of the Addergoole Fourteen, fourteen Irish immigrants who boarded the Titanic to sail to a new life in America. Eleven perished when the Titanic sank, and three survived. The Addergoole Titanic Society believes that this loss was the largest proportionate loss of any single community represented on the Titanic.

This book follows the story of seventeen year old Maggie Murphy. The story begins as Maggie and her group are about to begin the voyage. She is leaving the only home she has ever known, and the young man she loves. She is leaving with her aunt and a group of others for a new life. She is also leaving with a stack of letters from her young man to remind her of home and of him.

The book title tells you what Maggie's story is and how it ends. It is a story of the Titanic, and we all know what happened to the Titanic. Since the title is "the girl who came home," we know that Maggie survives. The question is what else is this book about - how she comes to the Titanic, what happens on board before the sinking, or what comes after? The other question is how is this story told- does it bring something new or something different to this history to make it a compelling read.

That is where the other side of this book comes in. Grace is Maggie's great-granddaughter. She learns that Maggie is a survivor of the Titanic disaster and sets out to learn more. She has lost her focus since the death of her father, and this search gives her direction to go on.

The book travels back and forth through descriptions of what happened on the Titanic, through excerpts from Maggie's journal, and through Grace's search. Sprinkled throughout the book are replications of actual documents from Titanic history.

I did not find the book or most of the characters compelling. I enjoyed it in that it introduced me to the history of the Addergoole Fourteen. I wish it had developed that aspect more - with the back stories of the travellers and the repercussions in the community after the tragedy - rather than the multi-layered approach of the descriptions, Grace's search, and Maggie's journal.

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Delicious!: A Novel

Title:  Delicious!: A Novel

Author:  Ruth Reichl

Publication Information:  Random House. 2014. 400 pages.

ISBN:  1400069629 / 978-1400069620

Book Source:  I received this book through a publisher's giveaway free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "History is the story we tell the future about the past, and we have an obligation to get it right."

Delicious! is the first fiction attempt by longtime food writer Ruth Reichl.

Wilhelmina, aka Billie, has moved to New York City to take a job with the iconic Delicious! magazine. The magazine is housed in a beautiful old Federalist mansion in New York. It is populated with a host of fun characters - the gruff editor whose dog loves smoothies, an older travel reporter who takes on the role of mentoring Billie, and mean Maggie. Surrounding them in the food scene of New York city are other symbolic characters - Thursday, the young chef making her mark on the city, and Sal, the cheese maker, who believes in upholding the long standing traditions of how he and his family have done business for years and years.

Billie is discovered to have an impeccable palate. She can obviously cook, but refuses to because of something in her past - something having to do with her sister. She also discovers her talent for food writing. Other than the secret of her past and the shadow of her sister, things have a way of working out for Billie. People around her see her beauty and potential even if she does not.

Then, change comes. The publication company decides to close the magazine. Everyone loses their job except for Billie, who is kept to maintain the magazine guarantee. Working alone in the mansion, she discovers the library and a virtual treasure trove of history. She discovers Lulu - a young girl who carried on a correspondence with James Beard during World War II. The hunt for Lulu's letters and the letters themselves become the new adventure for Billie and her friends. In pursuing that adventures, Billie learns some lessons about her own life and makes decisions to finally let go of the memories of her past and her sister that have been holding her back.

This is a feel good book. It is a light read. This is definitely a foodie's book. The food descriptions and history are expected, given the author, and very appetizing. I also learned a lot about food and the home front during World War II. The characters are relatively undeveloped but entertaining nevertheless. Perhaps, the most interesting character of all is Lulu, for the reader learns about who she is through her letters. To see her live through the war and to hear it in her own words gives the story its depth.

So, if you are a foodie looking for a light, entertaining, feel good read, this is the book for you. A delicious beach read for the upcoming summer season.

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Ruby: A Novel

Title:  Ruby:  A Novel

Author:  Cynthia Bond

Publication Information:  Hogarth. 2014. 352 pages.

ISBN:  0804139091 / 978-0804139090

Book Source:  I received this book through the GoodReads First Reads program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "Remember, baby, don't ever let a man mine you for your riches. Don't let him take a pick ax to that treasure in your soul. Remember, they can't get it until you give it to them. They might lie and try to trick you out of it, baby, and they'll try. They might lay a hand on you, or worse, they might break your spirit, but the only way they can get it is to convince you it's not yours to start with. To convince you there's nothing there but a lump of coal."

Liberty, Texas is the "colored folks' Liberty," a small rural town in East Texas. The first time Ephram Jennings sees Rub Bell is when they are both children. Ruby leaves the small town for New York City; a friend's death brings her back. The demons that made her run to New York return when she returns to Liberty. She struggles to survive, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The town views her as crazy and someone to be made fun of and someone to be used. Everyone except for Ephram, who never lost his love for the little girl he once knew. Ephram lives with his "Mama," his sister Celia who raised him. He lives his lives by Celia's rules and never left Liberty.

Slowly, the book reveals the back story - why Celia raised Ephram, why their mother ended up in an insane asylum, what devastation Ruby survived, and what terrible secrets this small town holds.

This book takes on some extremely challenging topics - physical and psychological abuse, prostitution, abandonment, racism, and devil worship. Be prepared, this is not an easy read.

Ruby is by far one of the saddest and most disturbing books I have read in a long time. It is, however, beautifully written. The book slowly reveals the horrors that have been Ruby's life. It is so quietly done that I found myself reading past them, then stopping, going back, and reading, unbelieving of the revelation. I found myself reading certain passages several times to make sure they were saying what I thought they were saying.

Yet, running through the book is also the thread of unconditional love, a love that reminded me in some ways of Forrest Gump. Ephram Jennings is the "simple man from East Texas." Read some implications into the meaning of "simple" and you have the character of Ephram. His love is expressed in his unconditional openness and response to Ruby's story. "If you can bear to have lived it, I can at least bear to listen."

A horrifying and incredibly sad story in a book I could not put down.

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Listen to the Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What's a Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of)

Title:  Listen to the Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What's a Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of)

Author:  Elaine Lui

Publication Information:  Amy Einhorn Books / Putnam. 2014. 288 pages.

ISBN:  0399166793 / 978-0399166792

Book Source:  I received this book through a publisher's giveaway free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "Such is the power of my mother's storytelling. For me it has been greater than reason, stronger than doubt, more enduring than fact. The moral messages embedded in Ma's stories form the foundation of my life code and standard of conduct."

Elaine Lui is a first generation Canadian-Chinese. Her Chinese mother is the "Squawking Chicken." This book is a collection of nine essays that paint a picture of Elaine's relationship with her mother and a picture of her mother's life.

Each of the essays has a similar feel. Each essay is a string of anecdotes that result in advice her mother gives Elaine. The anecdotes are sometimes funny and sometimes indicative of cultural differences in parenting approach. Each essay is the repeated emphasis on the idea of filial piety. "Filial Piety is a lifelong requirement. It is every child's duty to respect the parent, to support the parent, and to bring pride and honor to the parent." Each essay is the idea that over the years, despite some of her eccentricities, Elaine's mother has given her good advice.

The similarities in each of essays give the book a sometimes one-note tone. It was like re-reading the same ideas in each essay. I enjoyed the individual essays, and could see myself reading one in a  magazine. Each individual one is descriptive and well written. A book of them was a little too much.

My other reaction is that at the end of 300 pages, I am still left wondering how Elaine feels about her mother. I am unsure of the emotional relationship between the two. The book goes back and forth between the statement that mother's advice is right and descriptions of some of the strict parenting that went on (and goes on) during Elaine's life - incidents to which the reaction could be negative. Filial piety exists, but what else?

The other thing I am left wondering is what her mother's reaction is to this book. The tone of the book is not always complimentary, and many private details are revealed. How does this book fit in with the idea of Filial Piety since it is putting private family ideas out for public consumption?

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Chop Chop: A Novel

Title:  Chop Chop:  A Novel

Author:  Simon Wroe

Publication Information:  The Penguin Press HC. 2014. 288 pages.

ISBN:  1594205795 / 978-1594205798

Book Source:  I received this book through a publisher's giveaway free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote:  "Reading was not an escape, you understand. I did not dream of fantastical worlds or get misty-eyed with wild possibilities. It was an embroidering, an embossing, an overlaying of the life already there. A lesson. Books taught me how to feel. They gave me words and showed me company ... Alas, books have never taught me how to be among people."

The narrator, nicknamed Monocle by his co-workers, has left home and relocated to London after completing his studies in literature. He seeks entrée into the literary world and hopes to make his mark.

A few months into this endeavor, he finds himself living in a seedy part of town looking to make ends meet. His literary degree is not bringing the success he envisioned. To support himself, he takes a job in The Swan restaurant - a restaurant whose name is perhaps the best thing about it.

He is the lowest man in the hierarchy of the kitchen. His job is essentially to assist anyone in the kitchen. This may mean anything from chopping vegetables to washing dishes. Surrounding him are a group of eccentric characters like Bob, the mean head chef; Racist Dave whose nickname describes his inclinations; Ramilov, a talented but argumentative chef; and Dibden, the pastry chef.

The book begins with descriptions of the chaotic, hectic life in a restaurant kitchen. It moves into revelations about the narrator's past, his childhood and his relationship with his family. Then enters the mysterious Fat Man. The story goes beyond life in a restaurant kitchen to a more complicated, darker tale. This is not a light read like other books that have taken on the arena of a professional kitchen.

The story and the humor of this book are just not for me. The writing, however, is colorful and very visual. I would like to read more by the author.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

A Star for Mrs. Blake: A Novel

Title:  A Star for Mrs. Blake:  A Novel

Author:  April Smith

Publication Information:  Knopf. 2014. 352 pages.

ISBN:  0307958841 / 978-0307958846

Book Source:  I read this book based on its description and that it deals with a piece of history with which I am not familiar.

Favorite Quote:  "When you grieve, you are not alone. You are with God and everybody else who grieves throughout time."

A reader's guide to this book calls it "anchored in a footnote of history."

In the late 1920s, an act of Congress was approved by the President to fund the gold star pilgrimages. The gold star mothers are mothers who have lost a child in the service of their country.

The pilgrimages were an opportunity for these mothers to travel, at the government's expense, and visit the grave sites of their children lost during war and buried overseas. This book tells the story of one such pilgrimage to France to visit graves of soldiers who gave their lives during World War I. It is based on the actual diaries of the son of Colonel Thomas West Hammond, who acted as a liaison on the gold mother pilgrimages at the beginning of his career.

The book is about "Party A" of the pilgrimage group - Cora Blake, Katie McConnell, Minnie Siebert, Wilhelmina Russell, and Genevieve Olsen. The women come from different backgrounds, different ethnic heritages, and different socio-economic standings. Cora is a widow from a small town in Maine where she has spent most of her life. Katie McConnell is from a large Irish family; she lost two sons in the war. Minnie Siebert is a Jewish housewife. Wilhelmina has spent years in and out of asylums due to mental health issues. Genevieve "Bobbie" Olsen is a wealthy socialite.

For all their differences, what unites them all is the fact that they all lost a son in the war. Their grief unites them.

The trip brings them from their diverse homes to New York City, on board a ship to Europe, and then to Paris and on to the fields where their boys are buried.

This book and its premise holds such promise. Yet, the delivery falls a little short. Several side stories emerge, including:

• The story of Mrs. Selma Russell, the "colored" gold star mother who is accidentally placed with Party A. Even though the boys all fought, died, and are buried together, the pilgrimages are separate based on the color of your skin.
• The story of Thomas Hammond, the new army officer trying to live up to the expectations of family.
• The story of Nurse Lily, struggling with her decision between continuing her work as a nurse and getting married because the hospital does not allow married nurses.
• The story of Griffin Reed, the reporter living with the injuries of war.
• The story of General Perkins and the use of his power.

This is all in addition to the individual and collective stories of the five women that comprise Party A. I found some of the women more interesting than the others, and some of the stories more interesting than the others. Some of the writing was emotional and moving, definitely more so for the characters I found more intriguing. It could have been a truly wonderful book had the story remained more focused.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.