Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Written by Elizabeth Strout, this book won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Well deserved!

Olive Kitteridge is a "novel in stories" -- a collection of 13 linked stories about a prickly retired school teacher. Set in a Maine coastal town, the stories allow us to follow Olive Kitteridge through a variety of common life experiences. Mrs. Kitteridge had been a junior high math teacher who scared her students by her gruffness and no-nonsense approach to life. Age has not mellowed her. In her own words, Olive "didn't like to be alone. Even more, she didn't like being with people." She's conflicted about people in her life. Yet, as we read these stories, we're reminded of our own lives: the gossip, the kindnesses, the tragedies...especially in the small-town interactions. In the end of the story, we realize Olive is not bitter, but has both gratitude and regret. "It baffled her, the world. She didn't want to leave it yet."

In spite of her prickliness, I grew to really like Olive, and I wanted her to do well in her relationships with the world around her. My guess is you will also find yourself (or your experiences) in bits and pieces of these stories -- enjoy!

ARC's read lately...

I've been on a tear lately reading ARC's (advance reading copies) that I picked up from the TLA conference in April here is a list of what I've read lately along with a short synopsis:

The Blue Shoe by...?

I left this one at the office and can't get it to pull up on the web. I know Mary GrandPre is the illustrator (hello, HP made her famous too!). Anyway, it's a story about a cobbler who makes a fantastic, magical shoe for a mysterious customer who never comes to claim the shoe. Meanwhile, the boy who becomes his apprentice is caught being a thief and sentenced to prison on a faraway mountain that no one ever returns from. Can the boy come back from prison while freeing his father and the other people who are there? Comes out in October 2009


Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor http://us.macmillan.com/killerpizza

A nice cryptid story about zombies...refreshing since all the rave right now is vampires. The main character, Toby, gets a summer job at the new pizza place in town, Killer Pizza, where pies like the Monstrosity and the Frankensausage are on the menu. However, he may have bitten off more than he can chew in this summer job because it turns out he and his co-workers are being secretly recruited for a monster hunting organization! Can Toby and his friends kill the monsters and keep them from taking over the town? Great story for middle age kids and open for sequels! Came out in May 2009


The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan http://www.carrieryan.com/index2.php

I got a chapter preview of this at TLA and LOVED it! Later, in a book donation from a college professor of library science, I got hold of the entire ARC! Here is what it says on the back: "In Mary's world, there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. Now she must chose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?" A little post-apocalyptic, coming of age, zombie-ish type novel. I really liked it. Came out in April 2009


evermore by Alyson Noel
http://alysonnoel.com/IMMORTALS/index_immortals.php

The first book in The Immortals series (hmm...I think I have a theme going on here...) stars 16 year old Ever, who after a horrible car accident that killed her whole family, "can see peoples auras, hear their thoughts, and know someones entire life story by touching them." Going out of her way to avoid people, she is branded a freak at her new, sunny, California high school where she moves to live with her aunt. But all of that changes when she meets Damen. "Damen is gorgeous, exotic, and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head - wielding a magic so intense it's like he can peer straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea just who he really is -- or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she is falling deeply and helplessly in love with him." A lovely vampire story that seems to share some similar elements with the True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse stories. A quick, easy, spellbinding read. Came out in February 2009...the sequel blue moon comes out July 2009

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/books/unicorns/rampant/

Lions, and tigers, and unicorns? Oh my!
From the back: "Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...Real unicorns are man-eating beasts with cloven hooves, bulletproof hides, and horns full of deadly poison. They can outrun a sports car and smell human prey from a mile away. And they can only be killed by virgin warriors descended from Alexander the Great. Fortunately, they have been extinct for more than a hundred years. Or not. And it is up to sixteen-year-old Astrid Llewelyn to hunt them down." Our heroine Astrid comes from a long line of hunters and when her boyfriend is speared by one her mom ships her off to unicorn hunter boot camp where she meets up with other girls like her. Apparently, hunters attract unicorns, but it's up to Astrid and her unicorn hunting friends to figure out why they have been chosen as hunters and what to do to kill a unicorn before it is too late. The only thing I don't like about this book is the title...I think it doesn't match the story really, definitely leaves it open for sequels at the end. Comes out in August 2009 (ARC says May but according to website release has been pushed back)

The Witch of Cologne

Rich in historical details set in 17th century Germany, this novel does an excellent job of illustrating political, religious (Jewish & Catholic), and societal issues of the period.

Ruth is the daughter of the local rabbi who also happens to be a trained midwife. Despite the fact that she is only 23, she's gained the reputation of being the best and so she finds herself called on by the Catholic population. Add a Catholic Canon who falls in love with Ruth and a Spanish inquisitor to the plot and you have a wonderfully entertaining (not to mention a tad educational) story.

Despited the titillating cover (which gives it more of an S & M appearance in my opinion, than a historical appearance! lol), I recommend this as a good satisfying read!

The Historian

I'm not especially intrigued with all the YA vampire-themed novels/series that are popular right now, however, this book is so filled with intriguing historical details and characters that they overshadow the supernatural aspects. For anyone who has traveled Europe--especially eastern Europe--I think you'd find this an especially interesting read.

Somehow I wasn't "in the loop" last summer when Lisa, Natalie, and Kari read this. I picked this up for $1.00 at Half-Price Books...great read...highly recommend it.

A Can of Peas by Traci DePree

How do newly weds learn to support each others' dreams, find a shared sense of place, and learn toward common goals? After his grandfather dies, Peter and Mae Morgan decide to change their life by managing the family farm near the tiny Lake Emily, Minnesota. How hard can it be to milk a heard of cows or to raise hay, corn, peas (yes, peas!), and chickens? Peter and Mae initially think it'll be a quiet, simple existence after living in the city, but the stress of long hours in the field, the rigors of the milking parlor, and their inability to control weather or milk prices -- it all taxes their young optimism and their relationship. DePree alternates the storyline with early vignettes of characters, giving the reader a sense of history, helping make sense of characters' actions and providing a thread of hope that things just might turn out.

Having lived in a rural community like Lake Emily, MN, the characters and story ring true: the isolation, the dependence on nature and market prices, the peaceful countryside, the bountiful (or meager) harvest, and especially the relationships -- the community that arises to provide hope and unquestioned support during both celebrations and heartaches.

This book came to me via Paperback Swap...but I cannot remember why I placed this on my wish list. DePree is known for editing and writing Christian novels, and I'm not known for being a lover of Christian fiction. But although this book does incorporate a strong strand of Christian message throughout, Can of Peas is a well-crafted storyline and contains powerful characters...and it all works well together. I started reading and had trouble putting the book down when it was time to turn out the light. I found the ending particularly compelling -- life is a full circle of joy and heartache.