A Reliable Wife

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

read March 2010

So this was one of those books that where you knew what would happen about 20 pages into it. However, I kept reading it and.... I. Loved. It! Really good book. From Barnesandnoble.com because I'm too lazy to paraphrase it myself...

It's a frigid mid-October night in 1907 and Ralph Truitt, a wealthy industrialist living near the Canadian border, is meeting the train. It carries Catherine Land, his mail-order bride, who answered his newspaper ad for a "reliable wife." As happens in all small towns, Truitt's private business has become public. Waiting on the railroad platform, he's surrounded by curious neighbors, most of whom his mills or mines employ.

When the train finally arrives, the exotic beauty who exits the private railroad car Truitt sent to fetch her is clearly not the same woman whose photo he holds in his hand. But with so many curious eyes upon them, Truitt hustles her off to avoid a scene, yet delivers a warning: "This begins in a lie. I want you to know I know that."

Great book. Quick read. I couldn't put it down.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

read March 2010

This is the same author that wrote "Pride and Prejudice for Zombies", which I never read but kept picking up at the bookstore. So because vampires are the latest craze, and because it was on sale at Target, I gave this one a try. In this book, the author meets a vampire (Henry), who gives him a bunch of Lincoln's old journals. As the author reads, he lears that Abraham Lincoln was a prolific vampire killer. See, according to the story, Abe's mother dies from the bite of a vampire, and her sickness was passed off as "milk sickness". From this moment on, Lincoln vows to destroy as many vampires as possible.

This was a pretty good book. I kept wanting there to be more of it. There's enough historical background in it that you keep thinking, "Hmmm....could it be???" I already have "Pride and Prejudice for Zombies" on reserve at the library. I'll let you know how that one turns out!

Wench

Wench - A Novel by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

read March 2010

I first read about this book in February's issue of Oprah Magazine. And, of course, because it was recommended by Oprah, I was like 80 millionth in line for it at the library. But my turn came up quicker than I though, and I was super excited to pick up the book on Monday. I read this in 2 days. It is an AMAZING book. It's the story of four slave women whose Southern white owners take them to a resort every summer for vacation. The resort is in free state Ohio and it takes place pre Civil War. The book is fiction, but the resort that's mentioned in the book (Tawawa Resort) did exist. It was close to Xenia, Ohio, and the author mentions that it is documented by historians that Southern slaveholders frequented the resort with their slave mistresses. Interestingly, the resort was only open for four years and was then sold to The Cincinnati Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1963, this property was purchased and renamed Wilberforce University, which is the nation's oldest, private, predominatly African-American University. Interesting, no? I can't even begin to describe the different emotions I went through when reading this book. The relationships between the slave women and their masters, the women with each other, the women with the slaveholders' wives were all fascinating. This is the author's first novel. If you look at her picture, she looks awfully darn young to have written such an awesome book! Good for you! It's one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians #1

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

read March 2010

Yes, I do realize that you will find these books in the "Ages 9-12" section of Barnes & Noble. Honestly, though, they're pretty good! Almost as good as the Harry Potter books. They're all about Percy (short for Perseus) Jackson, who discovers that he's a half blood. That's half human, half Greek god. I won't tell you which one...that would ruin the surprise. I haven't seen the movie that's out (I think it's still out, right?). In general, I find that movies just are never as good as the book. They're quick reads, of course, but I'd definitely recommend them. I've already ordered the 2nd one, which should be here any day!

Where the God of Love Hangs Out

Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom

read March 2010

Okay, I admit. I didn't read this book completely. It's basically a collection of short stories. I read about it .... probably in People magazine .... and checked it out from the library. But I was so into other books at the time and I didn't get around to starting it until yesterday. And it's due tomorrow. (Not renewable, of course, because it's on someone else's reserve list.) I don't love it enough to rack up late fines either. It's an okay book. I didn't like the first story at all, but I liked the next two enough to put this back on my list to read again soon.