Five Minutes Peace

Grace (Eventually) - Anne Lamott

I love Anne Lamott's books so much. They make me feel joyful and tearful and appreciative. They make me want to move to California (although that is always in the back of my mind anyway). 

Grace (Eventually) is a collection of essays ranging from the time Anne jumped from a too high ski lift, the time she lost (temporarily) her beloved dog while out on a hike, to the time she slapped her 17-year-old son. It also includes an incredibly beautiful essay about how she helped a terminally ill friend to take his own life. Another essay, The Born, expressed my feelings about abortion better than anything else I've ever read. 

That makes it sound sadder and harder work than it actually is. Anne never loses her sense of humour or joy and I found that, once I started reading, I didn't want to stop because I find her voice so comforting. (And yet I wanted to stop reading because the more I read, the sooner the book would end - I hate that!)

The essays are beautifully written, filled with humour and compassion. 

I read this sitting in Northumberland with a cup of coffee and a beautiful view, which was the perfect way to read it. Like Lamott's other books, Grace (Eventually) made me feel glad to be alive. 

BOOK NEWS: The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry

Happy publication day to the multi-talented and charming cultural phenomenon known as Stephen Fry. It's thirteen years since the memoir of his childhood - Moab is my Washpot - hit our shelves, and I'm beyond ready for the next installment.

The Fry Chronicles promises to be just as touching, honest and entertaining as Moab and it's going straight to the top of my to-be-read pile.

BOOK REVIEW: 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

I was aware of this book - of course I was - and I'd seen the film many years ago (Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, delightful). What I'd failed to grasp, however, was that the book wasn't fiction.

84 Charing Cross Road is the true story of a twenty year correspondence between New York writer Helene Hanff and Frank Doel, the chief buyer for an antiquarian book shop in London.

Hanff first contacted the shop in 1949, searching for classic and British literature editions, and a friendship evolved between her and Frank, and many of the other staff members at the shop.

BOOK REVIEW: Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

This memoir has been recommended to me many times but I'd somehow never got around to reading it.

Well, I'm glad I finally did. Glad and a little bit freaked out... It's the tale of Burroughs's childhood and, as it's a real life story, I'm sure I shouldn't have found it so entertaining and funny. His mother (a psychologically-unhinged poet) left his alcoholic father and proceeded to get Augusten adopted by her therapist. Unfortunately, he turns out to be a nutter who may have 'looked like Santa Claus' but was the bizarre patriarch of an incredibly dysfunctional family.

BOOK REVIEW: Paperboy by Christopher Fowler

I've always had a soft spot for Christopher Fowler. I remember seeing his novel Spanky on the shelf in Athena in the Trocadero when I first moved to London (i.e. in olden times). Later, I met my husband and learned that Fowler was one of his favourite authors. We went to see him talk about one of his books (I forget which) and David asked him a question which got a very enthusiastic response and made us all very happy. Having said all that, I haven't read any of his books for years - I've meant to, it's just that he is so prolific and I can't keep up. (Rubbish excuse, I know, but really SO MANY BOOKS!).  

I was about to say that Paperboy represents a change for Fowler, but I can't really since he writes in so many different genres, so I'll say this: it's a memoir. I bought it for my husband, but started reading it and couldn't stop. 

BOOK REVIEW: Mousetrapped by Catherine Ryan Howard

I "met" Catherine Ryan Howard on Twitter (where I spend most of my life) and was lucky enough to win a copy of her debut book, Mousetrapped, on GoodReads. (I totally would have bought one anyway.)

Subtitled 'A Year and A Bit in Orlando, Florida', Mousetrapped is the story of what happened when Catherine decided to "swap the grey clouds of Ireland for the clear skies of the Sunshine State." Just typing that makes me want to emigrate and the sun is actually shining here (for once), but the idea of taking off on an adventure always appeals. 

BOOK REVIEW: Lopsided by Meredith Norton

I first heard of this breast cancer memoir a while ago and thought it sounded interesting, but I didn't *have* to read it until I spotted a different cover, featuring what was presumably its original title on another site. Once I'd seen that, I couldn't read it fast enough. (Check it out over the cut.) 

Meredith Norton is an American woman living in Paris with her French husband and baby son when she finds that what she though - and what a number of French doctors had told her - was an infected milk duct is actually breast cancer. She flies home to California for treatment and to be closer to her own family and friends. 

MOVIE NEWS: Eat, Pray, Love trailer

I loved the book, but I must admit I found the trailer a tiny bit irritating, though I can't quite put my finger on why. What do you think?

[via Galleycat]

BOOK CLUB: January - Stuffed by Patricia Volk

So have you read it? Did you love it? Hate it? 

This year, we're going to kick off discussions with a few book club-style questions. Obviously you don't have to answer them - we'd love to know what you think about any aspect of the book. 

1. Volk uses a non-linear structure in Stuffed, i.e. the narrative hops all over the place. Did you like this or did you struggle with it? Why do you think she wrote it that way? (Inspired by Helen's comment on an earlier post) 

2. What did you think of the descriptions of food? I know this has put some readers off, but it was one of the things I loved. I want to try everything she described (and did actually once go to Fortnum & Mason's to try the Welsh Rarebit, but couldn't get a table. I will try again). 

And two questions I've pinched from here (because they're just what I wanted to ask, but worded better than I could have managed): 

3. To what degree does Stuffed express a sense of nostalgia for childhood, for a sheltered existence, and for an earlier time? How realistically does Volk recall the atmosphere of middle-class family life in the middle decades of the twentieth century?

4. Why has Volk chosen "Stuffed" as her title? What does it mean to be stuffed? What is the relationship between being satiated and being stuffed? Is there a fine line between being comfortably satisfied and feeling dangerously overindulged?

Diane's top ten books of 2009

I aimed to read 100 books this year. I totally failed, "only" racking up 86, but that still left a lot to choose from when whittling it down to ten. So I narrowed it down to the best books I read that were published this year. (For the purists among you, some of these were first published last year in hardback, this year in paperback; others were published in 09 for the first time.)

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

An epic novel (based on the life of Laura Bush) which aims to answer the question "what do you do when the man you love has completely different political views than you do... then becomes President?" Intriguing, compelling, and yes, important.

The Family Man by Elinor Lipman

A welcome return from a favourite of mine, The Family Man is definitely one of her best. Easy to read and full of Lipman's trademark Austen-esque wit.

Speed Shrinking by Susan Shapiro

First (but not the last) novel from the American memoirist. Not much happens but all it's well-written, funny and charming.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Simply my favourite book of the year. Read it!