Call the Canaries Home by Laura Barrow

This is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for December, chosen by Mrs. Tirollo.  We are having an apps/dessert potluck at her home again as our holiday gathering.  My vote would be "liked it" but not "loved it".

Savannah is the youngest of 3 (living) sisters.  Savannah's twin Georgia was kidnapped when they were children and is presumed murdered by a serial killer now on death row.  Savannah has stayed in their tiny, rural, relatively poor town to care for their grandmother Marylynn, known as Meemaw.  She bounces from menial jobs like waitressing and housekeeping. Oldest Rayanne married into money, drives a brand new SUV, has two young children, and survives on anxiety medication.  Middle sister Sue Ellen became an organic/vegan/fitness guru, moved to New York City, has several degrees, and is an English professor.  Their mother died shortly after their sister's kidnapping from cancer; their father lives nearby but is a deadbeat.  

25 years after Meemaw took custody of the girls, they return to dig up the time capsule they buried in the yard at their old home.  They find a photo of the last day the four girls were together, which triggers memories and sends Savannah on a quest to find a possible witness.        

As this is somewhat a murder mystery, I don't want to spoil too much.  I will say my initial guess was incorrect, and I was not satisfied at the end.  The ending felt rushed, almost as if it is a set up for a sequel.  This was told in alternating viewpoints from Meemaw and all 3 sisters, varying from the 60s to the present, but the focus is definitely Savannah, and I felt there is a set up for Sue Ellen to have the spotlight next.  However, I can't check because for some reason our filtering software is blocking the author's website.  Insert eye roll here. 

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.                

Madly, Deeply; The Diaries of Alan Rickman

I think you know I love all things Harry Potter.  And that includes Snape of course, and Alan Rickman.  I think Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood is a far better performance than Kevin Costner's title role.  Rickman's breakout in American Hollywood was the bad guy in Die Hard (who will ever forget the face as Bruce Willis drops him off Nakatomi Tower--which was because Willis let him go on 2 rather than 3).  

Rickman kept a diary, which is more like a date book record of meetings and appointments with commentary thrown in. This was published after his death.  His longtime partner (he formally/officially married Rima in 2012 to protect her financially) provides an epilogue of his final days in the hospital in late 2015 to early 2016.

It was July 27, 2007 when Rickman read Snape's death in the book.  He wrote in his journal he was satisfied with his character's ending.  He briefly considered allowing Snape to be recast for the final three movies after his cancer diagnosis in 2005, but wrote he must see the storyline through.  He never let his castmates know he was ill, instead allowing his pallid complexion and pained demeanor to be seen as living in character.  His younger castmates called it "Snaping about".

His talent and, as former castmate Johnny Depp called it, "uniqueness" will be missed. 

Note, I didn't realize when this was purchased through our vendor it is the large print version.  It still does not list so on the book sale page.  Please do not let the length/size of the book deceive you, as the font is gigantic.               

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

This is review #2 for today.

Ms. Keefe is a retired school psychologist who spent much of her career here in West Haven.  She now splits her time between WH and FL.  This is her choice for the Teachers and Friends Book Club, and we will be meeting today to discuss. 

This is a modern interpretation of David Copperfield, which until recently was a standard in Literature courses (although not in West Haven for some time now).  

Demon is born to a single, addicted mother in Lee County, Virginia.  The novel tells his life story, through the lenses of the foster care system, American education, addiction, alcoholism, poverty, LGBTQ+ issues, all in the rural South.  

I have mixed feelings about it.  Heartbreaking to read about a child seemingly discarded from birth, a innocent victim of circumstances beyond his control, but also some anger that places I love were being portrayed as resistant to change and therefore it's their own fault.  Bristol is less than an hour away.

I am curious to hear what others have to say today.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Home Is Where The Eggs Are by Molly Yeh

I know I have been slacking on book reviews.  Things have been bonkers in these parts of late.  This will be review 1 of 2 today.

I LOVE Molly Yeh's cooking shows.  And Mr. Kent asked me to update some of our holdings to inspire our culinary students.  So this seemed like a no-brainer purchase I'll be donating today.  

Molly Yeh is Chinese American and Jewish.  She grew up in NYC.  Her husband is a Scandinavian farmer from the North Dakota-Minnesota border. That's quite a culture clash.  They have two toddlers and a flock of chickens all named Macaroni.  So meals must also be kid friendly.  

Each recipe begins with an introduction as to its inclusion.  Yeh states you can Google a recipe for just about anything now, so if she's going to include it in a book, there must be a reason.  I really enjoyed reading how she adjusted to life outside the city, to incorporating her and her husband's traditions in their daily lives, and to creating meaningful meals when ingredients widely available in NYC aren't in rural farmland.  I almost want to shelve this in memoir rather than cooking.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore

This is review 2 of 2; please read review 1 first.

This was recommended to me by Kym Powe of the CT State Library two years ago.  At the time, it was available as an ebook only.  I much prefer physical books, so when I saw this available as a hard cover from our vendor, I put it on our wish list for this school year.  

This is a fictionalized account of the life of Donaldina Cameron.  Cameron worked to save trafficked Chinese girls in late 19th century San Francisco.  Called "paper daughters" because their paperwork was falsified for entry into the United States, these girls were sold in servitude, often prostitution.  The novel is just a brief chunk of Cameron's life told through the lens of just one of the girls she saved.

This isn't an easy read.  It's history, and does not paint many in a good light.  But, it is a piece of history often left out of our textbooks and discussions.  

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.    

Born to Be Hanged by Keith Thomson

I know I have been terrible about keeping up with written reviews.  It has just been bonkers in these parts lately.  This will be review 1 of 2 today, both West Coast history. 

I really wanted to like this.  If you've followed this blog for a while, you know my obsession with pirates, especially New England and Canadian Maritime pirates.  I did not realize this was about PACIFIC pirates when I started it.  In fact I had no idea Captain Morgan, yes THAT Captain Morgan, left Jamaica to plunder the West Coast rather than the Caribbean.  

I decided to continue reading anyway.  I expected narrative non-fiction like The Murder of Helen Jewett or Conductor on the Underground Railroad, but this was wayyyyyy too wordy to hold my interest.  I gave up about midway through, and read Morgan's entry on Wikipedia instead. *shrugs 

I do hope someone out there finds this branch of pirate/West Coast history intriguing.  

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

Today's review is the Teachers and Friends Book Club selection for September.  It was chosen by city side employee Roberta and our discussion will be held at Solun next week.  

I have mixed feelings about the story.  I liked the premise.  Two young women who became friends in college meet up yearly to take a vacation in a remote spot--hiking, biking, boat rides, etc.  Last year in Cambodia, Emily was assaulted by a man they met in a bar, but was saved when Kristen burst into the room and attacked him. The man died from his injuries, but the women hid his body and were never charged. 

This year, they are going to Chile. Unfortunately, the same scenario plays out, this time Kristen is attacked.  She fights off the man, and hits him with a lamp.  They repeat their hide the body and leave the country plan.  But this man is not a local.  He's the son of a wealthy American also on vacation, and his parents are not going to let the crime go unsolved.

As the investigation continues, Emily learns more and more disturbing things about Kristen's past.

This is where I am going to stop with plot as it's a murder mystery.  That being said, the last paragraph of the book completely threw me (and Ms. Corrado...) for a loop.  I look forward to discussing it. 

I did find Emily and Kristen's dialogue a tad annoying.  They both seemed to have valley-girl esque voices in my head, despite being from Wisconsin.  Kristen reminded me of Debbie from The Addams Family movie too.  And Emily was so whiny.  I wish they were stronger female leads, but I guess that would have changed the plot significantly. 

I'll be adding this to the collection, but it will be on hold for other members until our meeting.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.