Book Review: Little Bee

To say that I loved Chris Cleave’s “Little Bee” feels like an understatement. Having spent the past few years catching up on all the novels my favorite authors have written, it has been a while since I came across a new author that has caught my fancy. Almost every book I’ve reviewed in the past is incomparable to “Little Bee.”

The whole story is shrouded in mystery. Not much is given to a potential reader when looking at the inside flap. Two women’s lives collide: one makes a difficult choice, a choice that should never have to be made. The story starts when, two years later, they meet again. That’s all I’m going to tell you, because after reading “Little Bee,” I realize how crucial the secrecy is.

As the two women, Little Bee and Sarah O’Rourke, are introduced, I felt like a young child again sitting cross-legged in kindergarten, waiting eagerly for the teacher to tell us a story. This feeling is one of the strongest elements of Cleave’s novel. We’re not outside observers with no connection to the characters. Little Bee is talking to us directly when she tells her story. Cleave uses the first person narrative style to pull the reader in as close as he or she can get. We are now sitting cross-legged in front of Little Bee, hanging on her every word.

Sarah tells her story differently. Unlike Little Bee, she doesn’t talk to us directly, but is more commentating on her past and present. Still using first person, Cleave is more traditional with Sarah’s parts. She never references the reader directly. Instead, she pulls away from herself and the reader. It’s hard not to connect with her; Sarah is a dynamic woman, compelling in her daily life. She’s an average woman I could pass by on the street. It’s only when I take time to know her does she shed that average title.

What struck me as most astounding about “Little Bee,” is that Cleave is a man writing in first person from the persona of two very different women. And he did it extremely well. That’s the mark of a truly great writer.

Readers often glance over little details such as a man writing in a woman’s voice. This skill is taken for granted. My challenge for all who read this is to write a paragraph in the voice of the opposite sex; only through doing it will one be able to understand the great difficulty writing in the other gender’s voice can be.

Cleave’s natural talent for writing clearly shows. The attention to detail in almost every sentence is exquisite. I didn’t notice any clichés. Then again, if they were there, they were heavily embedded in the rest of the prose—that’s the type of writer Cleave is. His word choices are elegant and precise; his sentences have rhythm, flowing naturally into the next. Reading the story gave me a feeling of effortlessness on Cleave’s part. It’s like he simply sat down in front of his keyboard and just typed, start to finish.

“Little Bee” is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Right away, the story catches the reader’s attention. Time is forgotten as the reader delves deeper into the mysteries and magic inherent in the novel. This book is one I will recommend to everyone I meet. I will sing its praises from the rooftops, because that’s the type of story “Little Bee” is.

~Nepenthe

Book Review: High Voltage Tattoo

Tattoos, considered body desecrations by those who don’t understand the culture behind it, are another form of art. People who swear off tattoos and say they are permanent blights on the skin or marks of a strange and rebellious generation have difficulty understanding the temptation and motivation behind tattoo junkies.

To all the tattoo heads around the world, being inked is a form of outward expression in an unconventional way. Stephen King chose literature, Kat Von D chose tattoos.

In her first book, “High Voltage Tattoo,” Von D delves into her own motivations behind turning herself into a living canvas. She also takes a look at how the craft is done and how she has made tattoos for celebrities, rockers, pro-skaters and other everyday citizens.

Only part of the book centers around Von D’s personal story about the path she took to getting her first tattoo and how she became a renowned tattoo artist. The rest of the book takes a closer look at tattoo culture in general. Using her tattoo parlor in Las Vegas as an example, the “L.A. Ink” star breaks down the art of tattooing. She gives a behind-the-scenes look to readers, talking about how she started her parlor and the tools tattoo artists use. Von D also explores different techniques used in creating a tattoo, walking through the steps for tattoo virgins.

The most appealing parts of the book are the design and layout. As a piece of non-fiction, most would expect the book to be dry with the same boring textbook-like layout: small printed words in Times New Roman with a sparse scattering of poor quality, pixelated pictures.

Get ready for a shock to the system, because the minute the cover is opened, a glamorous world of gothic style, mixed with parchment-esque paper design and stunning colored images, is ready to blow the reader’s mind. Every page is a new adventure for the reader. Along with the text Von D has included snapshots of her past (old family photos, drawings she did as a young girl) and quotes from a variety of different sources. While the writing is presented in an organized manner, the other graphics are thrown onto the page like glitter on a poster board. Surprisingly, this style works.

Along with the actual design, another appealing part of the book is the pictures of tattoos, including Von D’s and others. After her autobiography, Von D breaks down, in several pages, all the tattoos she has on her body and explains the significance or story behind them all. Some of the other people featured in the book, such as the cover band Steel Panther, show off an assortment of their tattoos and Von D breaks down how the work was done.

An interesting take on tattoo art and culture, “High Voltage Tattoo” is a must read for all enthusiasts in this form of expression and those thinking about joining the culture or getting their first tattoo. Although it might not be the ultimate reference book about tattoos, it’s a good start for those who are curious. Read the text to learn more and enrich your visual world with the saturation of pictures, graphics and a whole lot of tattoos.

~Nepenthe

DISCLAIMER NOTICE

DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise noted, ALL posts labeled "Book Review" are the product of Nepenthe. They are not taken from an outside source, but the opinion of N.
~Nepenthe

New Books to Read

Looking for the next book to read while snuggled beneath bed covers, soaking in the tub or just to pass the time while sitting around? Already a month and a half into the new year, there have been a multitude of new books and authors published in the US. Some are bestsellers, others small fries that don't get enough recognition. Being a supporter of the underdog, I've listed below a few new books worth reading that may not be publicized as much as the big "blockbusters."
~Nepenthe

Eclipse by Richard North Patterson

Damon Pierce’s life has just reached a defining moment: a gifted California lawyer, he’s being divorced by his wife and his work often seems soulless. Then he receives a frantic e-mail from Marissa Brand Okari—a woman he loved years ago—and decides to risk everything to respond to her plea for help.

Marissa’s husband, Bobby Okari, is the charismatic leader of a freedom movement in the volatile west African nation of Luandia, which is being torn apart by the world’s craving for its vast supply of oil. Bobby’s outspoken opposition to the exploitation of his homeland by PetroGlobal—a giant American oil company with close ties to Luandia’s brutal government—has enraged General Savior Karama, the country’s autocratic ruler. After Bobby leads a protest rally during a full eclipse of the sun, everyone in his home village is massacred by government troops. And now Bobby has been arrested and charged with the murder of three PetroGlobal workers. Still drawn to Marissa, Pierce agrees to defend Bobby, hoping to save both Bobby and Marissa from almost certain death. But the lethal politics of Luandia may cost Pierce his life instead.

Culminating in a dramatic show trial and a desperate race against time, Eclipse combines a thrilling narrative with a vivid look at the human cost of the global lust for oil. Here is Richard North Patterson at his compelling best, confirming his place as our most provocative author of popular fiction.

Fool by Christopher Moore

"This is a bawdy tale. Herein you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity, as well as nontraditional grammar, split infinitives, and the odd wank . . . If that's the sort of thing you think you might enjoy, then you have happened upon the perfect story!"

Verily speaks Christopher Moore, much beloved scrivener and peerless literary jester, who hath writteneth much that is of grand wit and belly-busting mirth, including such laurelled bestsellers of the Times of Olde Newe Yorke as Lamb, A Dirty Job, and You Suck (no offense). Now he takes on no less than the legendary Bard himself (with the utmost humility and respect) in a twisted and insanely funny tale of a moronic monarch and his deceitful daughters—a rousing story of plots, subplots, counterplots, betrayals, war, revenge, bared bosoms, unbridled lust . . . and a ghost (there's always a bloody ghost), as seen through the eyes of a man wearing a codpiece and bells on his head.

A man of infinite jest, Pocket has been Lear's cherished fool for years, from the time the king's grown daughters—selfish, scheming Goneril, sadistic (but erotic-fantasy-grade-hot) Regan, and sweet, loyal Cordelia—were mere girls. So naturally Pocket is at his brainless, elderly liege's side when Lear—at the insidious urging of Edmund, the bastard (in every way imaginable) son of the Earl of Gloucester—demands that his kids swear their undying love and devotion before a collection of assembled guests. Of course Goneril and Regan are only too happy to brownnose Dad. But Cordelia believes that herfather's request is kind of . . . well . . . stupid, and her blunt honesty ends up costing her her rightful share of the kingdom and earns her a banishment to boot.

Well, now the bangers and mash have really hit the fan. The whole damn country's about to go to hell in a handbasket because of a stubborn old fart's wounded pride. And the only person who can possibly make things right . . . is Pocket, a small and slight clown with a biting sense of humor. He's already managed to sidestep catastrophe (and the vengeful blades of many an offended nobleman) on numerous occasions, using his razor-sharp mind, rapier wit . . . and the equally well-honed daggers he keeps conveniently hidden behind his back. Now he's going to have to do some very fancy maneuvering—cast some spells, incite a few assassinations, start a war or two (the usual stuff)—to get Cordelia back into Daddy Lear's good graces, to derail the fiendish power plays of Cordelia's twisted sisters, to rescue his gigantic, gigantically dim, and always randy friend and apprentice fool, Drool, from repeated beatings . . . and to shag every lusciously shaggable wench who's amenable to shagging along the way.

Pocket may be a fool . . . but he's definitely not an idiot.

The Women by T.C. Boyle

Having brought to life eccentric cereal king John Harvey Kellogg in The Road to Wellville and sex researcher Alfred Kinsey in The Inner Circle, T.C. Boyle now turns his fictional sights on an even more colorful and outlandish character: Frank Lloyd Wright.

Boyle's account of Wright's life, as told through the experiences of the four women who loved him, blazes with his trademark wit and invention. Wright's life was one long howling struggle against the bonds of convention, whether aesthetic, social, moral, or romantic. He never did what was expected and despite the overblown scandals surrounding his amours and very public divorces and the financial disarray that dogged him throughout his career, he never let anything get in the way of his larger-than-life appetites and visions. Wright's triumphs and defeats were always tied to the women he loved: the Montenegrin beauty Olgivanna Milanoff; the passionate Southern belle Maud Miriam Noel; the spirited Mamah Cheney, tragically killed; and his young first wife, Kitty Tobin. In The Women, T.C. Boyle's protean voice captures these very different women and, in doing so, creates a masterful ode to the creative life in all its complexity and grandeur.

Drood by Dan Simmons

On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens--at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world--hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever.

Did Dickens begin living a dark double life after the accident? Were his nightly forays into the worst slums of London and his deepening obsession with corpses, crypts, murder, opium dens, the use of lime pits to dissolve bodies, and a hidden subterranean London mere research . . . or something more terrifying?

Just as he did in The Terror, Dan Simmons draws impeccably from history to create a gloriously engaging and terrifying narrative. Based on the historical details of Charles Dickens's life and narrated by Wilkie Collins (Dickens's friend, frequent collaborator, and Salieri-style secret rival), DROOD explores the still-unsolved mysteries of the famous author's last years and may provide the key to Dickens's final, unfinished work: The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Chilling, haunting, and utterly original, DROOD is Dan Simmons at his powerful best.

Fade by Lisa McMann

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open — but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability — and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

Book Review: Very Valentine

With Valentine’s Day only a couple of days away, it’s only appropriate that this week’s reviewed book deal, in some way, with love and romance. Searching through lists of upcoming releases, one book really stuck out from the rest. Only released a week ago, “Very Valentine” by Adriana Trigiani is a must-read for anyone interested in a little romance, family bonds and finding the courage to be the little guy in a world full of big business.

Valentine Roncalli, an Italian American woman living in Manhattan, has a problem: she just broke up with her longtime boyfriend, quit her teaching job and now makes custom wedding shoes and resides in an old building with her grandmother. On top of all her other worries, the shoe business is on the brink of ruin, weighed down by the large debt the company owes. Now throw in a dash of family drama, top it all off with a hot hunk of an Italian chef and you have one hell of a story.

One of the greatest strengths of the novel is the dominant female character of Valentine. She’s a middle-aged woman who seems to be living a life of whimsy, but, as the story is told through her point of view, the reader can see she is following her dreams. Throughout the novel she struggles with her relationship to the admittedly older, smokin’ Italian chef Roman Falconi, whose very name melts her like butter. Both are committed to their professions, yet the undeniable attraction forces them to find a way for the relationship to work. Valentine can’t believe she found such a perfect man, and blinded by her infatuation, doesn’t realize just how forgiving she is for missed dates and empty promises. It’s hard not to side with Valentine and feel the same woes. One might even start to feel that heavy weight of responsibility that she takes upon herself to keep the family shoe company in business. Trigiani, author to a multitude of other works, is apt at creating sympathetic characters: there are no real villains; in the real and fictional world everyone’s human.

Another praise for “Very Valentine” are the strong family ties throughout. The Roncalli’s consist of Valentine’s parents, her grandmother, two sisters, a brother, the assortment of in-laws and a multitude of nieces and nephews. As a heavily traditional Italian family, they enjoy throwing parties and having other such gatherings for any occasion. In the first chapter, immediately the reader is enmeshed with the Roncallis, learning their quirks and some family secrets. Even in the fictional world, families aren’t portrayed as perfect, but the Roncallis seem to rejoice in their flaws. Fights can be brutally verbal, but at the end of the day, they still love each other. The sheer strength Trigiani portrays the family having is astounding. They stand tall; they lean on each other in times of need; no matter what, they are all there to give support.

At points in the novel, the action dies away and stalls. It can be hard to keep reading at those times, but the best option is to put the book down, walk away from it and come back at a later time when you are refreshed and ready to start reading again. This is not a novel that captivates wholly from start to finish. It’s enjoyable to read the little bits of history Trigiani has Valentine recalling, but the transitions can be weak for some and almost non-existent for others. It’s endearing to note that, like the characters, the book has its own flaws.

The first book in a trilogy revolving around Valentine, her quirky family and wacky love life, “Very Valentine” is, overall, a very enjoyable novel and a recommended favorite for all to read.
-Nepenthe