Review: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I almost never read a book more than once. This will be my third time through Anne Lamott’s inspirational, super-smart, funny, practical, and ethereal writing guide.

From the first page of the introduction, where the author acquaints us with her childhood and her parents (they were all avid readers and her dad was a writer) to the last page of the final chapter, we are taken on a journey into the workings of the creative mind.

Ms. Lamott is as much a teacher as she is a writer. Her gift is that she makes us all feel special. She establishes a personal relationship with each person who reads BIRD BY BIRD, just as I’m sure she does with each of her workshop students. She trusts us with the tiny details of her writing life, and we in turn trust her. She combines the practical (how to find your unique voice) with the creative (how to scan the far corners of your vision to find material) with the daily how-to’s (how to not get sued for libel) to the emotional (how to stay sane through the process of getting published).

Reading BIRD BY BIRD is like luxuriating in a one-on-one therapy session with someone who knows you very well, wants you to succeed, and actually shows you how. Each time I read it, I discover new things I didn’t see in the previous read. It’s kind of magical that way.

Suzann Kale

Review: Gone Girl

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yes, it's a psychological thriller. Yes, you absolutely cannot put it down. And yes, it's perfectly plotted. But more than that (?!), it's a brilliantly written thesis on relationships. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn gets inside the minds of a husband and wife. Who is to say they are dysfunctional? (They probably are, but...) They are so close that each of their quirks becomes a part of the other's way of seeing the world. I don't want to say too much because of spoiler issues, but "Gone Girl" is a magnifying glass, letting us see the smallest details of the marriage connection.

"The once plentiful herds of magazine writers...

...would continue to be culled— by the Internet, by the recession, by the American public, who would rather watch TV or play video games or electronically inform friends that, like, rain sucks! But there’s no app for a bourbon buzz on a warm day in a cool, dark bar. The world will always want a drink."

Flynn, Gillian (2012-06-05). Gone Girl: A Novel (p. 10). Crown/Archetype. Kindle Edition.

Review: My Name Is Lucy Barton

My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Written in the first person in the form of a memoir, the novel is delicate and deep. The writing style is direct and focused, and most of the time I forgot that this wasn't someone's actual private journal. As Lucy Barton tells her life's story, it's a time in her life when perhaps she is older, more settled and safe, and a successful writer. But most of her focus is on a particular time when she was a young mother and had to spend many weeks in the hospital. Her hospital room looked out over Manhattan and every night she looked at the lights from the Chrysler Building. Her estranged mother came to stay with her during this time, and she and her mother were able to rebuild their relationship.

The novel is about love, really. She details her life as she describes the different people she loved over the years.

Review of THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

An Enchanted Novel Written by a True Magician

Reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is like being in a lucid dream. A part of you realizes you're reading a book, but mostly you're lost in its depths.

I have to say, be careful where you read this thing. It's totally possible to forget where you are, how to cross a street, how to stir the soup, or whatever it is you are trying to do while reading. The book takes you over. 

But let's marvel at the magician – I mean the writer. How does one even begin to write in the second person, at times the first person, and the third person – all in the present tense? All with a rich, turn-of-the-century feel, an attention to detail, and a story and timelines that run on many levels? With places and settings you can walk through yourself, not just watch the characters walk through it. With characters that are sorcerers and real people, at the same time? 

And even with all this sorcery, the experience feels as smooth as resting your head on a pillow. 

This is a sweet, dreamy read. I was hoping it would never end. 

Added later: 

I'm in heaven. The Night Circus is total joy. I am immersed in the story, carried away by the magic, and lost in the marvelous imagery. 

In her interview with GoodReads, Ms. Morgenstern says she was influenced by Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes . I read it when I was very young, and it's been a part of the unfolding of my life ever since.

The Night Circus will stay with me always, too.

(c) 2015 Suzann Kale

Review of THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes

I totally could not put this book down. I got so lost in it, the characters became part of my life. It's clever and witty, and also devastatingly sad, all at the same time. Written in the first person in memoir-style, it is above all, surprising. 

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING tells the story of lives that are woven together through both choice and circumstance. 

More review details follow when I get the chance, but I just wanted to get this out there in case anyone was on the fence about whether to read it or not.

Review of MY SPLENDID CONCUBINE by Lloyd Lofthouse

This most amazing book took me on a journey that was deep, vivid, and brilliantly written.

I felt like I was part of the exotic odyssey of Sir Robert Hart, the 19th century British Inspector General of China's Customs Service. So well-written was the book, I was there, side-by-side with Hart, discovering the Chinese culture along with him, learning about the joys and dangers of colonial China just as Hart learns of them.

Because author Lloyd Lofthouse is a master at infusing fact with story, mixing "scene and sequel," action and thoughtfulness, all that I learned alongside Sir Robert was fascinating, jaw-dropping, heart-pounding, and deeply satisfying.

This talent that Mr. Lofthouse has of making the reader feel like a part of the story, makes the characters and the scenes come to life. Yes, I'm reading a book, but yes, the characters jump out of the pages and live their lives in front of my eyes.

Mr. Lofthouse researched his real-life historical character, Robert Hart, extensively - so the reader gets an "inside" look at this profound man's life.

And although Hart's story takes place over a century ago, it is timeless. It's the story of a man who embraces a new culture without judgment, embraces love without hesitation, and ultimately teaches the rest of the world how it may be possible for us all to live together in peace.

Writer Anchee Min says in the book's forward, Robert Hart "was the father of China's modernization." Not because Hart forced western ideas into China, but because he made it his life's work to learn the Chinese languages, learn the literature, and become part of the Chinese world. From inside - that's how he made changes.

To me, "My Splendid Concubine" is writing at its best. I can't recommend this book strongly enough. It's fascinating, it draws you in, and it stays with you long after you've finished the read.

(c) 2014 Suzann Kale