Review Catch Up: Three books, real quick

I'm so behind on my book reviews, readers, that I though I'd make it less daunting for myself and catch up on all of em at once.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. The classic novel of mothers and daughters across the years and cultural divides. This wasn't the most traditional read, as I picked up the hardback over 3 or 4 sittings at my parents' house. Still, how to not enjoy this book? Splendid imagery of modern day California and China a half-century ago, intense mother-daughter relationships, secrets and rivalries and inter-generational conflict, and an author who can easily assume eight different voices and not lose us. I can see why this book changed modern literature and emboldened women writers and introduced themes to a contemporary audience that other writers chronicling the immigrant experience have returned to again and again.


Morality for Beautiful girls by Alexander McCall Smith. More No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency hi-jinx. In this installment, Mm. Makutsi investigates a crooked beauty contest, while Mma. Ramatsowe goes undercover in a politicians' family to find out who's been poisoning whom. Meanwhile J. B Maketoni, her fiance, is suffering from a strange disease called "depression" and the ladies have to take the fate of Speedy Motors in hand. Funny, wise, caring, typically gentle, no more and no less than I'd expect from Smith at this point.



The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I got turned onto this by a combination of the lovely Catherine and Barnes and Noble's noteworthy paperback table. It's a "grown-up" book by noted children's author Burnett who wrote faves like The Secret Garden and family fave A Little Princess. It's kind of a grown-up fairy tale about a good-natured, not particularly bright woman who is a very poor genteel sort, living in boarding rooms and getting paid by rich ladies to do social errands. A fairy-tale romance results in her being 'made" a marchioness, but then in the second half scheming jealous relatives threaten her newfound happiness. It was silly at times, and not all that profound, but written with a very light touch and a great sense of humor and character. The milieu was like Edith Wharton, but less cutting. A good palate-cleansing read and a very interesting novel for the light it sheds on Burnett's life and letters.

The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday

More Isabel Dalhousie!

I've been reading this series for a while now, and since book 3 and 4 it's gotten oh-so-slightly boring-er. The mysteries lack bite and the philosophical musings of the heroine can drag on. But the milieu of intelligentsia Edinburgh and the cast of supporting characters, from beautiful bassoonist Jamie to the down-to-earth Grace who nonetheless believes in psychic powers, to man-eating delicatessen owner Cat and her troubled assistant Eddie, make her world worth a return visit.

And as for the heroine, poor heiress/music-lover/philosopher Isabel is neither as shrewd as Miss Marple nor as wise as Precious Ramotsowe , but she is an over-educated, highly-cultured, well-meaning busybody of a sleuth. Plus she has a hot younger lovah whom she fears losing to a younger woman, which definitely makes me love her that much more.

This book's rather thin plot involved Isabel trying to exonerate a doctor who was accused of manipulating research data while fretting over her domestic situation and trying to help Eddie out of a jam. Mostly, though, it was just about watching Isabel navigate her world.

And that's pleasure enough. Because reading about Isabel really is like a literary cup of tea, a highly strong and milky one with a nice biscuit to go with it. Nonetheless, I won't be reading the next installment until it comes out in paperback, and I catch up a bit on the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Literary Linkage--Reviews Galore Edition

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency [Racialicious Review] by Latoya Peterson A review of the new HBO show based on the Alexander McCall Smith novels with racial and cultural and gender considerations all accounted for.

Alexander McCall Smith and His 'Tuneless Wonders' from Paper Cuts (NY Times) by By Deborah Hofmann. A review of a performance by the Author of the No.1 Ladies series and the Really Terrible Orchestra, the amateur orchestra he directs (and which is featured in the Isabel Dalhousie books.)

Stephen King - Not So Scary from Write On Target by Debra Schubert. Quoth Debra: "After being nudged by the universe several times lately, I finally listened and picked up a copy of Stephen (aka Stevie) King's "On Writing" last night. Holy shit, Sherlock! Is this a book, or what?"

REVIEW: Pemberley Manor by Kathryn L. Nelson from AustenBlog . . . she's everywhere Review by Jessica Emerson, a/k/a “JaneFan” of the bookworm's hideout. A really awesome review of a new Pride and Prejudice sequel that actually sounds worthwhile.

Feel free to self-promote in the comments. Anything you've been reading or writing on the interwebs this weekend?

Link-O-Rama: Everyone thought that debate sucked, edition

So last night's presidential debate in PA, on ABC, has already been officially labelled the WORST. DEBATE. EVER. The moderators were booed, the ABC page is inundated with comments, it's a free-for-all of, erm, I'd say bitterness. Bitter, bitter, bitterness.

The whole thing was a sham--two wealthy, white media-men asking inane, catty, questions, posing themselves as "friends of the people" concerned about "elitist" candidates and willing to Take them to Task over important stuff like Flag Pins and Weathermen Bittergate, and ugh, all sort of ridiculousness. See clips here.

It wasn't just upsetting, it was depressing. My favorite response out of many, many, many awesome responses has got to be Digby's description of Charlie Gibson and George Snuffalopoulus as "a couple of drunken gazelles." Indeed, gazelles they were.

In other, less political-cum-nausea-inducing news, umm, erm, there's gotta be some..Okay, here.

• Salon's vagina talks about the 10th anniverrary of the monologues and the combination of ickiness and goodness they bring out.
• Feministing gives us a mediocre parody-video mocking the wondrous Fergie and extolling women to take pride in the junk food they eat. I kinda like it. And I doo love my junk food.
  
• USA today talks about Alexander McCall Smith, longtime fave of fellow-ette's fam.
• My article today at RH reality check (aha, now you're catching on to why I do this link thang on Thursdays) talks about women in Hollywood, and how the narrative on the Death of Chick Flicks has got it all wrong.
  

A taste:

The fact that these movies have been hits, while films like "The Holiday," "Music and Lyrics," and "27 Dresses" have failed to reap huge profits, should be a wakeup call to producers. These high-budget flops all feature white, ultra-skinny heroines prancing against the backdrop of suburban mansions or windowed penthouses. I know they take place in cities, or towns, but I'm not sure which ones. The heroines dress fabulously and have nary a wrinkle, or an accent of any kind, and usually lack back-stories or families -- or even much personality besides a frenetic cutesiness.

You know you want more. Digg it, too, if you have a chance (and a heart).

The Careful Use of Compliments

An Isabel Dalhousie novel by Alexander McCall Smith.

I just love the Sunday Philosophy Club series, which take place in pubs, galleries, and concert halls in rarefied Edinburgh and beyond. As much as Smith's Precious Ramotsowe No. 1 Ladies Detective books charm me, this series has something they don't: a smouldering yet realistic romance. Plus there's a delicatessen that serves cheese and pickles and lots of trips to the misty Scottish Countryside. Also did I mention the hot [discreetly implied] May-December sex?

Anyway, this latest installment keeps the mystery, the aestheticism, the gentle snobbery and all that good stuff going... there's a painting forgery scandal, a juicy argument with Isabels' shallow niece Cat, and yes, our philosophical Isabel has a little bundle of joy.