Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts

March 12, 2012

The Priest and the Peaches, by Larry Peterson

The Priest and the Peaches is the story of the Peach family, immediately following the death of their patriarch. There are five kids, led by Teddy and Joanie, only 18 and 17 respectively. As they bury their father, they contend with what he left behind -- unpaid bills, debt, unsatisfactory living conditions, but also a whole cast of characters ready to pitch in and help.

Plot: I was intrigued by the plot when I picked it up. And I feel like the premise was there. But, in the end, the book was just too simplistic for me. It only spans two weeks, and while a lot happens in that time, you know that there's so much more to the story. These five kids are only at the beginning of an entirely new life and I felt it was a bit of a disservice to only focus on the immediate aftermath.

The book also has a strong Christian message, which I'm not opposed to, but I often find that Christian literature often takes the opportunity to hit you over the head with its intended message. I like a story with a message, but I don't like it when communicating the message means that everything is wrapped up perfectly with a bow on top. Throughout the book, there were "miracles" - the kids magically found money to pay bills when they were down to their last dime and there were people who magically appeared to save the day. Don't get me wrong, I believe miracles happen, but when you added everything up, it felt trite. In the real world, their struggle would have been just that -- a struggle -- even with God and good people on their side. Thus, there had to be a way to get the message across while also communicating the reality of the situation.

Characters: I think the characters were great, but again, I would have liked to see them further developed. Also, the younger Peach had nicknames and that really annoyed me.

Overall, I felt it had potential, but just didn't live up to what I'd hoped. 2 stars.

I received an electronic copy of this book for the purpose of my review. My thoughts are my own, though!

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Reviewed by A Super Girl at 6:41 PM 2 comments
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April 5, 2011

The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel

I have always held a fascination for diaries and journals, stories about people's diaries/letters, books about how to be creative in writing a journal, etc. So naturally, when this book popped up on a list somewhere, I was very eager to read it. 

Lily Koppel, a young writer, living in New York and working at the New York Times, walks out of her apartment one morning to find herself looking at a "treasure in the trash" situation.  A dumpster, brimming with old steamer trunks and piled high, staring back at her.  Her doorman tells her that among the chaos, "some girl's diary from the 30's" was found and then gives it to her.  To find out more, "Koppel embarks on a journey into the past, traveling to a New York in which women of privilege meet for tea at Schraffts, dance at the Hotel Pennsylvania, and toast the night at El Morocco. As she turns the diary's brittle pages, Koppel is captivated by the headstrong, young woman whose intimate thoughts and emotions fill the pale, blue lines. She re-creates the romance and glitter, sophistication and promise, of 1930's New York, bringing to life the true story of a precocious young woman, who dared to follow his dreams."

For a reader who is fascinated by New York in the late 1920's and early 30's, this would be enjoyable as it is filled with descriptions of life and the happenings of that time period. It was fascinating to see New York through the eyes of a teenager living in a time that was long ago, and growing up in a city that was also growing up. Florence's life was filled with art, music, writing, experimenting and pushing the boundaries.

 I think I may have appreciated it more if Florence Wolfson had narrated it in her own words, instead of Lily Koppel re-creating it, because somewhere in the middle, a story was lost and a journalistic report was born. It was interesting, however, to get to know Florence and think back to one's own teenage years of potential and possibilities with a whole world to conquer. The photographs, sprinkled throughout the book gives it some visual appeal.  The premise of the book is great - finding it in a dumpster, the contents of the diary makes one curious to know what happens in this girl's life, but the story could have sprung to life if it were written differently - not quite so choppy and all over the place, unimaginative and lacked character development, to a certain extent.

The content was fine but the writing was not for me. I am sure there are people out there who would connect to this book much better than I did, but I found myself skimming over parts of it, just so I could finish it and return it to the library in time.
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Reviewed by Yolanda Taylor at 5:38 PM 6 comments
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April 6, 2009

A Fortunate Age by Joanna Smith Rakoff



A Fortunate Age by Joanna Smith Rakoff, approaches a group of post-graduate Gen-Xers as they begin their adult lives tackling friendship, coupling, love and sex. Rackoff is a tactical author who employs fresh methods of story telling to establish excitement and interest. For example, instead of getting a narrative of events central to the story, we get character reactions to some of these events, as the group tries to relate major events to how they may affect their own lives. To accomplish this we get a lost of tangents and back story which then clarifies character’s motive and thought processes. Huge plot developments are not even mentioned—only inferred later in the story. Such devices combine ensuring a dramatic story arc for all of the characters, and a book that reads as more of complex study of characters then a typical novel. Readers will literarily climb into Rakoff’s group and the minds of its members. Overall, Rakoff delivers a strong and highly literary debut. The layered examination of New York culture during the time period reads like a modernized Wharton.


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Reviewed by Sara at 1:55 PM 0 comments
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March 24, 2009

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley



Walter Mosley’s The Long Fall is a mystery novel set in New York. The main character and narrator, Leonid, is perfection. A private investigator trying to balance what he believes is right and what is necessary to pay his rent and provide for his family. When he ignores his gut and takes the wrong case; inadvertently assisting in murder, he finds himself fighting for his life. Which is only the beginning of his problems, as his youngest son is also plotting a murder. There is a lot of back story and compelling family drama intermixed with the front burner story line—the book is obviously a series launch.

The plot is very intricate (sometimes predictable), but the structure and pace become consuming. I had some difficulty understanding how Leonid came up with some of his conclusions, but it could be that I was racing through the pages.

When I wasn’t reading this book, I wanted to be reading this book. The Long Fall is as near a perfect mystery as I have read lately. I am looking forward to the next installment of the series.



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Reviewed by Sara at 11:49 AM 2 comments
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