The Fire - Katherine Neville

I promised a review of The Fire when I reviewed The Eight and here it is! This novel picks up 30 years after The Eight and is told in two narratives, one set in the 1820's and the other in the 1990's. When we first meet Alexandra, Xie, the daughter of Cat Velis and Alexander Solin, she is a 12 year old chess prodigy who lost an extremely important match due to Amaurosis Scacchistica, also known as Chess Blindness. She is given a second chance with a rematch opportunity in Russia but the game never takes place as her father is murdered after a startling discovery. 10 years later, Alexandra is summoned to her estranged mother's place in Colorado for a birthday party. When she arrives, she discovers that not only has her mother vanished but she left behind a complex series of clues, including a chessboard set up to mimic the last game Xie ever played. With the help of a cast of characters including her best friend, Key, her Basque boss, and some old favorites like Dr. Ladislaus Nim and Lily Rad. The story isn't as complex as The Eight, although that may have more to do with the fact that we now know what the Montglane Service is capable of and how dangerous it can be, but it is still enjoyable. It's fast paced and while it helps to have read The Eight, it isn't required. Although I didn't love this novel like I did The Eight, I was still entertained and would encourage you to read it.

Books I Haven't Read

I love to read as is obvious by this entire blog. I thought it might be funny to list the so-called must read books that I haven't tackled yet for one reason or another. Some are due to lack of interest, others lack of time, still others are always just too far down on the list...

Lolita (Nabokov): This is perpetually on my list, I even went so far as to request it from the library but for some reason the copy I ended up getting was in Spanish so back it went.

The Brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky): After reading and enjoying Anna Karenina, this jumped on to the list, yet though I have the book, it just sits there, unread. Mostly because I know that it will be a commitment to read and I haven't psyched myself up for it yet. All the other Russian novels fall into this category as well - War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, etc.

A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens): I know, I know, how did I not read this in school? I think my class read Great Expectations or Great Gatsby or something else instead. So I still haven't tried this Dickens classic.

Lord of the Flies (Golding): I'm not sure how I missed out on this one but after hearing it discussed ad nauseum, I have no desire to actually read it myself.

Catch-22 (Heller): This is one I do want to read but for one reason or another I never remember that I want to read it! One day I'll remember and actually get it from the library.

Asian Inspiration

I just returned from a vacation in Asia and was inspired to read about the region. All of these are by James Clavell who I have recently rediscovered.

Noble House tells the future of the Straun family, who we were first introduced to in Tai-Pan. Now it is 1963 and Ian Straun is attempting to make one of the biggest deals in his company's history with an American Company, Par Con. Linc Bartlett and his protégé, K.C. Tcholak are the dream team behind Par Con and their arrival in Hong Kong shakes things up. Not only are they working out a deal with Straun, but behind his back, they are working out another deal with his primary competitor and arch-rival. This book is very fast paced, the entire 1000+ page novel takes place over the period of one week and you would almost not believe everything that is crammed into such a tight time frame; espionage, backstabbing, vehicle tampering, mud slides, affairs, the list goes on. The twists and turns never cease and while I didn't read King Rat until after I had read this book, some of the characters make an appearance, which I enjoyed.

King Rat is an interesting novel; it tells the story of a Japanese-run prison camp named Changi on Singapore during WW2. What I didn't realize until after reading this book, was that Clavell himself spent time in that same prison. I am not sure how much of this novel is autobiographical but I am sure some of these things were culled from his experiences at the camp. King Rat is primarily the story of the King of Changi prison, an American corporal who dominates both the captives and the guards of the camp through his courage, insight and American business practices. We also meet Peter Marlowe, a RAF captain who is befriended by the King; their relationship is interesting. At first it seems as if Peter can only be helped by the King but we later realize that they help each other. The King even saves Peter's life and at the end, Peter tries to return the favor. I wont go into any more detail than that because I don't want to give it away. This is a short book compared to Clavell's other novels and it is a quick read since the stories of the prison are so engrossing. It really makes you think - prison is a great equalizer. It doesn't really matter who you were before, but only matters who you are now.

Tai-Pan is the precursor to Noble House and is where we are first introduced to the Straun family. Here is my review.

The Baroness is on Vacation

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but I've been getting ready for a three week vacation which starts tonight. I will be back to posting when I return. In the interim, please feel free to suggest any books you'd like to see me review.

The Wicked Years

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. If you’ve ever wondered what happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in, this is the story for you. It tells the story of Elphaba Thropp, a child born with green skin and huge teeth, who will grow up to become the Wicked Witch of the West. But there is so much more to Elphaba than the color of her skin and some would claim she is just misunderstood – after all, before her notoriety rose, she was an animal rights activist, a nun and a nurse in her earlier years. And most importantly perhaps, a sister to Nessarose and Shell; Nessarose you’ll have heard of before – she’s the infamous Wicked Witch of the East whom Dorothy inadvertently killed. Maguire has a wicked imagination and the Oz he brings to life includes talking Animals, Munchkinlanders, Dwarves, various other tribes, and of course, humans. The story is funny and satirical and makes you think about government, religion, free will and good versus evil. And on a semi-related note – if you are a fan of the theater, please, please see Wicked on Broadway. It’s an amazing show and you will enjoy every second.

Son of a Witch. As anyone familiar with The Wizard of Oz knows, the Wicked Witch of the West is killed by Dorothy; but the death of Elphaba raises many questions and many wonder if she left behind two children instead of just her daughter, Nor. When we first meet Liir, he is hiding in the castle at Kiamo Ko, badly beaten and left for dead by his attackers. But Liir is not dead and he has Elphaba’s cape and broom; but can he use them? Is he really her son or just a poor orphan boy she cared for? Thus begin’s Liir’s quest – to determine who he is and to find his half-sister, Nor. From the mountain top castle of Kiamo Ko to Emerald City to the Thousand Year Grasslands to Southstairs, the filthy prison beneath Emerald City, Liir traverses them all to find Nor and his power. Maguire does a good job of showcasing the changes in Oz since Wicked – through several regime changes (from the Ozma’s to the Wizard to Glinda and Scarecrow) without boring those of us who read the previous book, but while still providing enough information to anyone new to the series.

A Lion Among Men. After two books dealing directly with Elphaba and her descendants, this book is a nice change of pace. Instead we meet Brrr, an emissary from Emerald City who is searching for information about the elusive Elphaba Thropp. In his quest for information, he comes across Yackle, an elderly maunt who promises information about Elphaba if Brrr provides her with his own story in return. And so we come to learn the history of the lion we have only known in relation to Dorothy; abandoned as a cub, his earliest memories are filled with loneliness until he meets Jemmsie, a young soldier caught in an animal trap and makes his first “friend.” Since is unable to save the young man, Brrr takes it upon himself to return Jemmsie’s medal of honor to his family. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done for a talking Animal; Brrr stumbles through the Ghost Swamp, inadvertently becomes implicated in the massacre of trolls, gives up on his mission of finding Jemmsie’s family, and struggles to remain free in the midst of laws oppressing talking Animals. In return, Yackle shares some of her knowledge about the Grimmerie, the magic book that vanished when Elphaba died, the Clock of the Time Dragon and Elphaba herself. This book is the ultimate battle of wits and wills and you will be forced to think about preconceived notions and wonder, can we truly change who we are?

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

The House at Riverton was recommended to me by a coworker and what a great suggestion - I actually was so caught up in the book I had to make myself put it down so that I wouldn't finish it all in one sitting. The book is narrated by Grace, and alternates between her modern day life as a 98-year old living in a retirement home, and her memories of her life at Riverton, where she started serving as a housemaid at the age of 14. It was at Riverton that Grace first met the grandchildren of the Master, David, Hannah and Emmeline and where her life becomes intertwined with theirs, especially Hannah's. Grace has kept the secrets of the Ashbury family for her entire life, starting before WW1 and right into the roaring twenties, it is only as she is in the twilight of her life that the memories start flooding back and she is almost overcome by the past. While I enjoyed the story of modern Grace, I really was caught up in the stories of the past - the characters are so well developed that you really feel like you're a part of their lives. I don't want to give too much away because I really think that any reader deserves to be surprised by all the twists and turns, I will say that the final twist at the end felt a little contrived, but overall didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I read some reviews online and one of the reviewers said that they hoped the book was made into a movie, and I have to say I think that is a great idea, especially if they can remain true to the heart of the story. I would definitely want to see that!

The Lace Reader

I'm not exactly sure how best to describe The Lace Reader - there is so much going on and while I really enjoyed it, I'm not sure I completely understood it! Brunonia Barry's debut novel is about Towner Whitney, who leaves her self-imposed exile in California to return to her hometown of Salem, Massachussets when her favorite aunt Eva is found dead. Generations of Whitney women have a gift for seeing the future in the lace they make, and Eva was one of the best, but her shocking death is just another trauma in Towner's life. Once back in Salem, she is quickly swept up in the disappearance of a young woman who had joined a local cult whose leader was well known for his history of violence against the Whitney women. As they search for the young woman, Towner becomes wrapped up in the investigation and the cop leading it, John Rafferty. And as the story unfolds, we learn more and more about Towner's past and begin to question everything we've read so far. The ending will have you looking back throughout the book and re-reading it with a different frame of mind but whether you understand it completely or not, you'll enjoy every page.