Review: The Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio (book)

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio* is a memoir by Terry Ryan about her mother, Evelyn, who supported her family by winning jingle-writing and advertising contests. Her husband is an abusive alcoholic who spends most of his salary on liquor, leaving her to cope as best as she can with their ten children. The book is, by turns, charming and funny, and absolutely heart-breaking. Evelyn is clearly a very talented and intelligent woman who, if she had been born a few decades later, could have had the career in New York she always dreamed of. But Evelyn knew this and didn't let it get her down, instead choosing to be upbeat despite the enormous hardships of her life. I didn't really find this book to be as funny as the jacket copy led me to believe it would be, but it was very interesting and a good read.

Buy The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less on Amazon.

The book was made into a movie, also called The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, starring Julianne Moore in 2005.

* Though the title, to me, makes it sound like a book about boxing,

Review: Black Water

As I'm sure you are aware, Ted Kennedy died this week. Let me start off by saying that I'm very liberal and supportive of his work in the Senate, but I don't want to make this into a political post. During yesterday's conversation on the radio about Kennedy's life, I couldn't help but think of his earlier life and the terrible behavior he exhibited surrounding the death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick. Being the bookish person I am, I then thought "what would Joyce Carol Oates say?" Oates is the author of Black Water, a novel based on the Chappaquiddick incident. Luckily for me, I'm not the only person who had this thought, as the Guardian asked Oates to write an essay about Kennedy. I'm resisting the urge to copy and paste the entire essay here, as it is quite wonderful. Oates never hesitates to say the most uncomfortable idea, the one that sticks in your head and has you returning to her work, even though it makes you squirm.

Black Water is a simple read in some ways - at only 160 pages (according to Amazon), the plot can be summarized in just a sentence:

A senator seduces young Kelly Kelleher at a Fourth of July picnic, and as they head for his hotel, his rented Toyota swerves off the unnamed road and into the black water.

Of course, it's the writing and the depth to which Oates plumbs this young woman's dying thoughts that make it such a powerful read.

Buy Black Water on Amazon.

Winner!

Its time to pick a winner for my blog birthday giveaway. I picked a number using random. org, so ...

Congratulations to Becca!

Becca wrote:

I would love a copy of Medicus because I am fascinated by ancient Rome and Ruso sounds like a very interesting guy. Plus someone gave me a copy of the second in the series but I don’t want to read it until I have read this one.

I'm a stickler for reading series in order, too, Becca, so I totally understand! Email me with your address at lorin_arch (at) hotmail (dot) com

Thanks to all of you who entered and thanks for reading arch thinking!

Reminder: Giveaway Ends Today!

Last chance to enter my blog birthday giveaway!

Waiting Wednesday: Committed

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who’d been living in Indonesia when they met. Resettling in America, the couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. (Both were survivors of previous horrific divorces. Enough said.) But providence intervened one day in the form of the United States government, which—after unexpectedly detaining Felipe at an American border crossing—gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again. Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving into this topic completely, trying with all her might to discover through historical research, interviews, and much personal reflection what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is. ... Committed attempts to “turn on all the lights” when it comes to matrimony, frankly examining questions of compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations, divorce risks and humbling responsibilities...

Also, check out this New York Times article about Gilbert's new book. The publication of Committed is controversial already, as Gilbert's ex husband (the one that prompted the events of EPL) is publishing a book about their divorce, too. Yikes.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Review: Witch World

Despite years of reading fantasy and science fiction, I only knew Andre Norton for the award named after her, not for having read any of her work. Since we own several of her books, I decided it was time to rectify that and picked up Witch World, the first book in her Witch World series, about a parallel universe where magic works.

In Witch World, ex-military man Simon Tregarth is on the run on earth and is given the chance to escape into this new universe. He helps a woman - later revealed to be a witch of Estcarp - escape from men hunting her, and is drawn into helping her fight a war against the sinister Kolder.

In some ways, Witch World reminded me of Glory Road by Robert Heinlein. They were published almost simultaneously (WW in 1963, GR serially in 1963 and as book in 1964), too. Both are about a normal human dropped into a strange world and given a quest. But where Glory Road is fairly light-hearted and a fun read, Witch World is much more serious. It is also written in a very stylized manner - there's a lot of "and he thought they were dead. But they were not!" - common to the era it was written, I think, but not really my usual cup of tea.

That said, I'm really intrigued by the mystery of who or what the Kolder are. I think I will find book 2 on our shelf one of these days and try to find out.

Buy Witch World on Amazon.

Review: The Book of Unholy Mischief

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark was not at all what I expected. Maybe it was the title - evocative of magic - or maybe it was the setting - 15th c. Venice, rich with intrigue and spice - but I definitely thought this was going to be a DaVinci Code-esque knock-off thriller. Fortunately, it was something I generally enjoy much more - an ode to food, cooked well, and eaten with gusto.

It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that holds the secret to unimaginable power. It is an alchemist's dream, with recipes for gold, immortality, and undying love. Everyone, rich and poor alike, speculates about the long-buried secrets scrawled in its pages and where it could possibly be hidden within the labyrinthine city. But while those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.

As a storm of intrigue and desire circles the republic, Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen. There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef's rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets.

Luciano's loyalty to his street friends and the passion he holds for a convent girl named Francesca remain, but it is not long before he, too, is caught up in the madness. After he witnesses a shocking murder in the Palace dining room, he realizes that nothing is as it seems and that no one, not even those he's come to rely on most, can be trusted. Armed with a precocious mind and an insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth.

Truth be told, the plot of this book left a bit to be desired. It lagged a bit and the ending slumped off rather than truly wrapping the story up. The story is secondary to Newmark's descriptions of the lavish dinner parties and political intrigue at the Doge's palace. But for those who will read a story just to enjoy the atmosphere, this is a really charming book.

And in case you haven't been to Venice, here's a photo of the palace (via Wikipedia) to set the mood:



Buy The Book of Unholy Mischief on Amazon.

Thanks to Pump Up Your Book Promotions for including me in this book tour.