I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel Book Review

{Disclaimer: This review contains affiliate links to Amazon.com. I will be compensated a very small amount per book purchased through the links contained in this post, at no additional charge to you. I was provided an advance copy of the book by the author; all opinions are my own.}

My friend Anne Bogel's book of bookish essays came out a couple of weeks ago and y'all, it is so good.

Anne is the blogger behind Modern Mrs. Darcy and the podcaster behind What Should I Read Next? and, as her internet ventures' names would suggest, she really knows books. She also knows people, and human nature. She's a smart, kind, and funny lady who's spent a lot of time reflecting on personality types, reading styles, and all sorts of meta/ intellectual things. And she manages to write about these things in an accessible, warm, and funny style.

I’d Rather Be Reading is a collection of brief, lovely essays about the delights and obstacles encountered by those of us who really know and love books. There are musings on how many copies of a title you should own (If you find yourself in possession of multiples, you should own three. Two, it seems, is an oversight; three is a collection), reflections on reading the right books at the right time, and a charming story about how different the dream of working as a bookseller is from the job’s reality.

Louisville natives will recognize the St Matthews Eline Library as the “library next door” which Anne visited daily when her children were young, as well as Carmichael’s Bookstore and the late, lamented Hawley-Cooke Booksellers. Anyone who loves books will appreciate her quest to read as often as possible.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman Book Review

{This book review contains Amazon Affiliate links. I receive a small compensation for books purchased through the links in this post.}

I recently finished Catherine Steadman's Something in the Water in Audible audiobook format; it came recommended as the June selection for Reese Witherspoon's Book Club. This is such a great thriller, one that raises a lot of questions about personal ethics and the extent to which "good people" will allow themselves to go. 

Something in the Water is the story of a London couple, Erin and Mark, who lead a seemingly charmed life. Erin, a fledgling filmmaker, is working on a documentary about three incarcerated Londoners and their plans for post-prison life When investment banker Mark loses his job weeks before their wedding, cracks begin to appear in their perfect relationship.  Meanwhile, Erin becomes more deeply entrenched in the lives of her documentary subjects. When they embark on a honeymoon in Bora Bora, they discover a small fortune and must question how far they're willing to go for money, and what it actually means to be a good person. There are elements of classic parables like The Pearl or The Diamond as Big as the Ritz mixed with gangsters, money, and pretty people.  It's a fast-paced and riveting story, and I found myself extremely anxious to see what happened next. Although the novel was only released last month, I already find myself hoping it'll be optioned for film soon!

The Audible audiobook is narrated by the book's author, Catherine Steadman, who is also an actress who appeared as one of Lady Mary's romantic rivals on Downton Abbey. Ms. Steadman's narration lends the appropriate amount of drama and suspense to the tale, and her posh British accent works well with the characters she creates.

This book is a great listen in audiobook format; I can see it being fantastic in print as well. It's a fantastic vacation read -- all the talk of beaches and flights incites more than a little wanderlust! 

Let me know in the comments if you've read Something in the Water yet and if you like suspenseful novels like this one!

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin Book Review

{This book review contains Amazon Affiliate links. I receive a small compensation for books purchased through the links in this post.}

Emily Giffin is an author with whose work I have a complex relationship. I think she's an amazing storyteller and that she has a knack for compelling dialogue and "smart lady soap opera" fiction. I often can't wait to read her books and have them delivered via Amazon Prime on the day of publication. I devour each new book in a day or so. I can't put Ms. Giffin's books down. And yet I often find myself highly conflicted. Something a character says doesn't hit me right, or a plot point seems... not quite right. 

I preordered Ms. Giffin's latest, All We Ever Wanted, as soon as I learned that it was set in Nashville. Now y'all know that Nashville is my happy place. I travel there as frequently as possible to recharge my creative batteries. I especially love the neighborhoods in the southern/ southwestern end of town; several of the main characters live in this area, in the exclusive Belle Meade neighborhood. I've made many fun trips to the East Nashville area for meals and festivals and events; this neighborhood plays a prominent role in the work as well. So, I kind of braced myself. Ms. Giffin grew up in suburban Illinois, practiced law in NYC and wrote in London before settling in Atlanta with her husband and kids. I always wonder if she has a bit of disdain for the South; the main character in Love the One You're With -- an otherwise highly compelling novel -- seemed to delight in subtly disparaging the South in a way that made me cringe. So, when I picked up a novel set in my favorite city by an author whom I know to be a compelling storyteller, I still had guarded expectations.

Let me just start off by saying that, from a storytelling perspective, All We Ever Wanted is fantastic. The book tells the story of two Nashville families, the Volpes and the Brownings. The wealthy Brownings, Kirk, Nina, and their son Finch, are firmly ensconced in Nashville's elite Belle Meade circles, while single father and carpenter Tom Volpe raises his daughter Lyla in a blue collar East Nashville setting. Finch and Lyla are classmates at a prestigious private school; their worlds are changed forever when a drunken photo of Lyla is posted to Finn's social media. The story is a fast-paced and heart-wrenching story of parental guilt, hidden secrets, and long-ago pain. Nina finds her small-town morals at to be at odds with her husband's desire to protect their son's Princeton admission at any cost, and she begins to address a long-suppressed assault that has impacted her entire adult life. Tom must confront his own class biases and the scars left by his tumultuous relationship with Lyla's mother, an alcoholic who abandoned them when Lyla was a toddler. This story plays out as every mother's nightmare: "How did my little baby become this person?" becomes "Is my child a psychopath?" in fairly short order. The work forces readers to think about the impact of class and privilege, the slippery slope between alcohol use and abuse, and the often-terrifying landscape of sexual consent and assault. It's a timely, nuanced, and tight narrative about the damage we can inflict on others and on ourselves, and it's a fantastic pool read.

And yet -- y'all knew there'd be a yet -- there were problems. Readers, I think I have to confess to y'all that the problem was with me and not with the book. I couldn't get past weird little details like "You send your kids to single sex-high schools like MBA or Harpeth if you live in Nashville" or "Nobody splits a glass of wine at Husk" or "A Methodist cop who's lived his entire life in Bristol would never drive home after drinking even a single beer." I didn't love the broad-sweeping message that you're kind of inherently vapid and materialistic if you live in Belle Meade and that you're in touch with core values if you hail from East Nashville; I've definitely met plenty whofolks who defy each of these stereotypes. And yet, as a writer and a serious reader, I know better than to allow myself to get mired in these little details. I know that if I set a novel anywhere other than the places I've lived -- Lexington, Louisville, Nashville, or the holler -- I couldn't pass this test. If I set a piece of fiction, the author of this work could likely find just as many nitpicking details that I got wrong. Ms. Giffin has been painstaking in her research of the city. So many things seem perfectly right, like pastries from Sweet 16th, which makes the best red velvet cake in East Nashville, or possibly anywhere in the world. Ultimately, she gets more "Luke Bryant popups in the Gulch" and "Buying jeans at Imogene + Willie" stories right than wrong, these little details make me sound like a pedantic malcontent, and the book is the best piece of chick lit that's been published so far in 2018.

I recommend All We Ever Wanted for anyone who loves Big Little Lies, Something Borrowed, or the early seasons of Nashville. Please chime in if you've read the book and have an opinion on the story, or if you've ever found yourself derailed by an author's tiny missteps in regard to locale and local customs! 

A Gentleman In Moscow Book Review

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I recently listened to A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles on Audible. (Click here to download your copy of this audiobook for free!) This book had been on my to-read list for a while, and it turned out to be one of those books that struck my imagination in so many ways! 
 

The story centers around Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian nobleman and bon vivant who, in 1922, is sentenced by a Bolshevik tribunal to spend his remaining days living in Moscow's Metropol hotel; his sentence carries the threat of a firing squad if he leaves the hotel's grounds. I've read interviews in which Mr. Towles notes that he chose Russia of this era because odd "life sentences" were unique to that setting. The Russian setting is, in many ways, immaterial to the plot of the story. The tiny world within the Metropol's walls could be constructed anywhere at any time, as the story's theme of finding gentility and beauty in any circumstance shines through. 

A Gentleman in Moscow tells the story of Count Rustov's adventures and interactions, triumphs and sorrows over the 30+ years he resides at the Metropol. Some reviewers have called the book a bit too twee in its portrayal of post-Revolutionary Russia and, indeed, there are times when it feels like Doctor Zhivago has taken up residence at the Grand Budapest Hotel. Certainly, the novel is framed in the sensibilities of its author, an American investment banker turned writer. The novel's beauty lies less in its historical accuracy or political sensibilities than in its exploration of the idea that Count Rustov built friendships and lived a remarkable life within the walls of his captivity. The world within the Metropol seems as layered and nuanced as any international travel, and even stripped of his title, the Count's character embodies gentility and nobility at every turn. I eagerly await the British TV adaptation of the work, and can't imagine any actor better suited to the Rostov role than Kenneth Branagh.

I'm fairly new to audiobooks; I particularly enjoyed this format for A Gentleman in Moscow for a couple of reasons. First, as with any book set in Russia, the names get tricky, and it's often quite cumbersome to recall diminutive forms. Second, the early chapters of the work are a bit slow, and the narration by Nicholas Guy Smith infuses humor and good nature into the Count and his friends and colleagues as the reader comes to know them all. I find that audiobooks on Audible are great for work car trips as well as while I'm sitting at my desk doing administrative tasks. I pair my phone's Audible app through my car's Bluetooth and through the speaker in my office. Both setups provide a far richer sound quality than if I merely press play on the phone.

If you love epic novels or tales of manners and social class, you'll love A Gentleman in Moscow. Try it on Audible for free and let me know what you think!

Dolly Parton's I Believe in You Benefits Imagination Library

I seriously love Dolly Parton, y'all. 

Reese Witherspoon knows what's up.

I mean, she's a mountain girl with big hair who followed her dreams and forged her own path. She basically drew a road map for me.

Of course, beyond her timeless songs (there really isn't a serious argument against my belief that Jolene is the best song ever written...) and two of the most iconic movie roles ever (Doralee and Truvy, obvs), there's Dolly's commitment to treating others well, sharing her good fortune, and generally doing the right thing. Dolly has been vocal about her support of marriage equality. She gave millions of dollars Gatlinburg-area families the funds to help them get back on their feet after devastating fires claimed their homes. 

And then there's the Imagination Library. Y'all, this is seriously one of the coolest initiatives ever. Miss Dolly founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to provide books to the children of her hometown Sevierville, Tennessee. Dolly's mission to ensure that children had access to high-quality, age-appropriate books, regardless of household income, was designed to honor her own father, whose circumstances in the Appalachian hills of Tennessee led to his never learning to read or write. Over the past 22 years, the Imagination Library has mailed more than 100 million books to children in Australia, Belize, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. This service is completely free to the recipients, y'all! Over 1600 communities are served, and over 1.1 million children have registered!

Here in Kentucky, there are over fifty Imagination Library affiliate programs. You can register your child aged 2-5, regardless of household income, if you live in an area supported by the Imagination Library. I love the fact that my little niece receives a monthly Imagination Library book! She already loves books, the alphabet, and reading, and she's showing every sign of having some seriously big hair of her own. It’s a pretty good start for a little mountain girl!

If you love Miss Dolly (and childhood literacy) as much as I do, then you should check out Dolly’s new children’s album, “I Believe in You” which is available in stores today! All proceeds from the album benefit the Imagination Library. There’s even a special edition CD package that comes with a children’s book based on Dolly’s song Coat of Many Colors. What a cute Christmas present!

Here's to big-haired mountain girls who know what they want, and who always exhibit grace and kindness on their journey!

Love Dolly as much as I do? Shop the Draper James What Would Dolly Do collection! This tee might be the most-complimented item I own! 

My Father, The Pornographer by Chris Offutt

{Trigger warning: the book reviewed in this post contains many passages of a highly adult nature. The book includes depictions of sexual violence and molestation.}

Today is World Book Day, an event organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. In a weird way, it seems that this is the right occasion to review the latest memoir by Kentucky's King of Grit Lit, Chris Offutt.

It goes without saying that a book entitled "My Father, the Pornographer" isn't a work for everyone. At times, I wasn't even sure it was for me, and I rather love Mr. Offutt's writing. This memoir is, as one would expect, gritty and often ugly. It's also a surprisingly funny, delicate, and beautiful tribute to a complex, weak, and ultimately flawed father.

Chris Offutt, the Rowan County native, author, and sometime television screenwriter, has never shied away from ugly subjects. When he returned to his childhood home in the tiny Eastern Kentucky town of Haldeman to sort through the personal effects of his father Andrew, he found himself -- an Iowa Writers' Workshop-trained professor of English at Ole Miss -- facing the literal body of work his father had produced: over 400 pornographic novels. 

Mr. Offutt in his father's office. Image via The New York Times.

Mr. Offutt creates a fascinating world for his reader: a spot-on depiction of Kentucky life, from his mother's working-class Irish Catholic early life in Lexington to the family's prosperous years when Andrew owned two insurance agencies and owned the only Mercedes-Benz in Rowan County. The Offutts were always outsiders. Of his Appalachian childhood, Mr. Offutt writes:

My experience was similar to the children of career diplomats from the colonial era -- we lived in the big house, we had extra money, we mingled with the locals but never fit in. We even spoke a different language, what my father called 'the Queen's English' instead of the grammatically incorrect dialect of the hill. Other kids learned to hunt and fish; I learned to speak properly. 

When young Chris needed braces, his father determined that the best way to pay for orthodontic work and write porn full-time. (You know, as one does...) andrew j. offutt (as he styled his signature) would go on to write several works of science fiction and fantasy that gained a cult following, while his pornographer alter-ego John Cleve produced adult fiction under a variety of pseudonyms. (Offutt Sr. had separate wardrobes and working habits when he adopted the Cleve persona.) Chris Offutt and his siblings grew up in a fascinating and terrifying world of family vacations to Sci-Fi Conventions, verbal abuse, and swinging '70s values; it's hard to imagine these  events taking place in an insular rural Kentucky town that was looked down upon by the "city folk" of Morehead.

And yet, this memoir works so well because Mr. Offutt's depiction of rural Kentucky is stunning in its authenticity and clarity. If you can get past the dirty parts and the scary parts, it's easily the most spot-on description of Eastern Kentucky that I've read in the past decade. It's a hillbilly version of Pat Conroy's The Death of Santini without the apologies or the flowery language. It's an unflinching portrayal of a really screwed up childhood. And it's the best book about Kentucky I've read in a damned long time.

January Book Club Part II: The Undertaker's Daughter

Thanks to everyone who's been reading along with The Undertaker's Daughter by Kate Mayfield! Two weeks ago, we talked about the Kentucky themes in the novel. Today, I thought I'd share the Simon & Schuster Reading Group Questions, to get your opinions on these themes. If you're new to the Book Club, please feel free to refer back to the first post, and we'd love to hear your comments on both sets of questions!

1. In what way does the prologue story of the bridge game set the tone for the book? What themes are foreshadowed here? Discuss specific examples and how they relate to later scenes. 

2. On page 14, Kate contrasts her father’s appearance and comportment with the stereotypical view of “mortician” or “undertaker.” What images do those words conjure up for you? Did Kate’s father live up to your expectations? Why or why not? Can you imagine yourself in that profession? 

3. Discuss Kate’s descriptions of her father’s reverence for death, the dead, and the paraphernalia of death. When did this reverence cross the line to affect his family? In what ways was Frank both selfless and selfish in the sacrifices he made for his business? 

4. On page 24, Kate describes a typical family dinner, at which she was admonished not to talk about death at the table, even as her parents “spoke of nothing else.” How was death a taboo in Kate’s family, even as it permeated all aspects of their lives? What other taboos were there among the Mayfields and in the town of Jubilee? What are Kate’s contributions to these secrets, and how do they later lead her to feel as if she is “two people” (page 249)? Are there any ways in which you similarly lead a secret life? 

5. Kate experiences funerals from evolving vantage points as she grows up, beginning with her secret perch on the stairs, and later as the organist. Describe the things Kate notices most at different points in her life. What details stand out to you from funerals you’ve attended? What is the main reason Kate agrees to fill in as the organist? 

6. Much of what Kate knows about her father’s secrets she learns from family members, friends, and, later, historical records. Why doesn’t Kate simply ask her father these questions? What is the reason Kate eventually learns her father chose his profession? What other events impacted his choice? 

7. Kate had several hiding places while growing up. Describe these getaways. What was the most unusual, and why was that her favorite? Share your own secret getaways as a child and why they were important to you. 

8. Kate describes only one close childhood friend, a girl named Jo who moves in two doors down from the Mayfield funeral home one summer during their early teens. Why are she and Jo are drawn to each other? How is Jo different from other girls in town? What deeper secrets do we later learn Kate and Jo share? Why does Kate feel she is closer to Jo than to her own siblings? 

9. How does the “business of death” (page 43) differ from how we experience death as mourners? How is this underscored by Frank’s description of the different views people have on selecting a casket? How is money sometimes just as much a taboo as death? 

10. Frank spends “thirteen years toing and froing” (page 94) Miss Agnes around town, taking her meals on holidays, and seeking her counsel. What effect does this relationship have on the Mayfield family? Why does Lily Tate agree to their arrangement? How does Miss Agnes help Frank’s business, particularly concerning the Old Clan? Why do you think Miss Agnes chose to develop a special relationship with Kate, out of all the Mayfield children? 

11. Kate weaves stories of the lives and deaths of the townspeople of Jubilee into her memoir. How do these stories contribute to the flow of the book and our understanding of Kate’s experiences with death? Which one evoked the strongest feelings for you? Choose your favorite of these stories and share the reasons why with your group. 

12. The strong reaction to desegregation displayed by adults in her life was incomprehensible to young Kate. Discuss the differences between how blacks and whites in Jubilee lived, died, and grieved. What were the consequences of the intersection of these two worlds? Identify some of the ways that both Frank and Kate cross over this line. 

13. Kate first feels the contrast between the smallness of Jubilee and the “great expanse of America” (page 175) during a family trip to the beach. How does Kate’s desire for the freedom of a larger world manifest? Revisit the afternoon where Kate and Jo discover the musician Charles Mingus (page 209). How does this experience solidify Kate’s idea that she might visit or even live in a place far different from Jubilee? 

14. On page 274, Kate calls the funeral business “the most segregated business in Jubilee and in the whole of the South.” Do you agree with this claim? Why or why not? Identify other social institutions that Kate observes as heavily segregated in Jubilee during her time there. 
 

February's book club selection will be Whiskey Women by Fred Minnick!