The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley 3.5 / 5	Published 2009 First Sentence "It was as black in the closet as old blood."
Publisher's Description: It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”
Dear Reader, What did I think of this book? That is a good question. I guess...I felt mostly ambivalent. It was enjoyable enough, but nothing special. I picked it up because it was another read for the Letter Writers Alliance book club, and it did revolve around postage stamps. But I didn’t end up falling in love with it as much as I’d hoped. The story revolves around young Flavia de Luce, a sort of 1950s British Harriet the Spy. She discovers a dead body in the garden, and works tirelessly from then on out (despite much flack from the local police force) to discover the culprit - especially because her own father has been accused of the crime! Flavia is a great mystery novel protagonist with a lot of potential: she is whip-smart, knows everything about chemistry, and her curiosity and sense of adventure never flag. However, I did find her at times a bit annoying. And the story didn’t compel me consistently. I suppose I was curious about who the murderer was and why, but it kind of felt neither pressing nor all that important in the grand scheme of things. Some of Flavia’s actions didn’t really make sense to me. And - as I’ve complained about in other books - I felt as if I were waiting for it to begin...the entire time I was reading it.  At least there is this great little quote: “...it occurred to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No...eight days a week.” (I agree!)  It’s an enjoyable little jaunt, if you want some distraction. Certainly there is some fun to be had. And of course, it may just not have been - pardon the pun, because the book is British - my cup of tea. Best, Arianna

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My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale #1)

My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale #1) Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator) 4/5	Published 2011 First Sentence "This morning Rino telephoned."
Publisher's Description: A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow, as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists, the unforgettable Elena and Lila. Ferrante is the author of three previous works of critically acclaimed fiction: The Days of Abandonment, Troubling Love, and The Lost Daughter. With this novel, the first in a trilogy, she proves herself to be one of Italy’s great storytellers. She has given her readers a masterfully plotted page-turner, abundant and generous in its narrative details and characterizations, that is also a stylish work of literary fiction destined to delight her many fans and win new readers to her fiction.
Dear Reader, This book was a delight and was completely unexpected. I took one look at the cover (not the one I used above, that one was changed for the paperback, thankfully) but this one: This looks like a book I would COMPLETELY avoid. Not only does it depict a woman in a traditional wedding gown and two little children following behind... but has a beautiful scenic view. Yeah, not for me at all. However, the cover of the girl amongst the shadows... now that is intriguing. After reading the book, the paperback cover definitely does justice to the book that the hardcover took away from. I don't want to focus on this, since it's been mentioned by a bunch of people reviewing this book, but I did have to speak my peace. Getting back to this epic Italian literary tale, I was completely ensnared into the lives of Elena and Lila. At first I thought this was going to be a cautionary tale of how careful you have to be picking friends, but while this might be a lesson early on, the story takes a bigger look at friendship. Part of the charm is the setting, Italy. When I think of Italy I see romance, gondolas, high fashion and great food (I have to admit that I've traveled to Italy a few times) but My Brilliant Friend gives you a sneak peek at a different Italy, one with rags, struggle, traditions and epic family battles. I've heard and experienced the powerful Italian personalities, but this book really brings it to light. All of the characters speak their mind, swearing at one another, professing love, throwing themselves into romance and passion. Who wouldn't want to read that? I have to apologize though, I might be mixing my feelings for the second book in the series with this one. Right after this book ends (on a cliffhanger), I picked up the next one and started reading it that same night (no sleep for the addicted reader). This novel follows the girls early childhood years, which is a great set-up but lacks the relatability with my current feelings and situations. I did connect with a few nostalgic childhood references but overall the charm was held within the differences. I loved experiencing and learning about the Italian traditions, the struggle the lower class Italians had to overcome was eye opening, from the challenges of keeping up good grades to remain in school to learning your work trade passed down from the family (giving you no room to create your own future). This book is very unique, I'm not very fond of being sucked into a series, my "too little books, too little time" motto gets in the way. However, this is a series that I don't regret starting and will eagerly anticipate the next one. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Dreams of Joy

Dreams of Joy (Shanghai Girls #2) Lisa See 4 / 5	Published 2011 First Sentence "The wail of a police siren in the distance tears through my body."
Publisher's Description: In her most powerful novel yet, acclaimed author Lisa See returns to the story of sisters Pearl and May from Shanghai Girls, and Pearl’s strong-willed nineteen-year-old daughter, Joy. Reeling from newly uncovered family secrets, Joy runs away to Shanghai in early 1957 to find her birth father—the artist Z.G. Li, with whom both May and Pearl were once in love. Dazzled by him, and blinded by idealism and defiance, Joy throws herself into the New Society of Red China, heedless of the dangers in the Communist regime. Devastated by Joy’s flight and terrified for her safety, Pearl is determined to save her daughter, no matter the personal cost. From the crowded city to remote villages, Pearl confronts old demons and almost insurmountable challenges as she follows Joy, hoping for reconciliation. Yet even as Joy’s and Pearl’s separate journeys converge, one of the most tragic episodes in China’s history threatens their very lives.
Dear Reader, Wow.  It was amazing to revisit the story of Pearl and May, who I hadn't encountered since reading Shanghai Girls about a year ago.  This book was even better than the first - if only because of how much it taught me about Communist China in the 1950s.  Unbelievable.  I don't even know what to say about it all. The story?  It's of Pearl's (and May's, if you know the story) daughter, Joy, who decides in her confusion after the end of the last book to go to China, believing strongly in Chairman Mao's ideology.  (I think I might have felt the same way, hearing of the idealism of socialism and communism - despite how much of an evil it was considered during that postwar era.)  She's been even more convinced regarding the ways of China's politics by a college boyfriend, which is also believable.  So Joy decides to run from the only family and life she has ever known, to seek out her birth father and her destiny in China.  Her travels are difficult right from the start, but she makes it past Red China's borders and begins her life there, having successfully reunited with Z.G.  Her time there sounds so promising in the beginning, as she builds new relationships and embraces the ideals of the communes she visits.  That part of the story was interesting, of course, but it was afterwards when the true meat of the story began. Joy's mother Pearl follows her daughter to China, convinced that her daughter needs to be rescued.  Pearl meets up with Joy just as the younger is about to get married to a country boy and become part of a rural household.  Despite her parents' protestations, Joy marries the man out of what she believes is love.  However, her bubble is soon burst as she begins to experience provincial life, and life under the Chairman and his minions.  Starvation makes monsters of the country's people, inducing many of them even to cannibalism.  It was so difficult to read the graphic descriptions that See renders with her writing; I was constantly gasping in horror at her stories, but I believe she writes from true history.  The way she was able to frame this terrible experience within a story of familial love made it all more bearable, but just.  Having grown up well past the Red Scare, I had no real feelings about Red China.  I only knew that I recognized the promising ideals of Communism, and always thought it might be a good political system, despite the paranoia that many were fed post-WWII regarding it.  However, I had no real knowledge of the Communist China which existed in the 1950s (although, come to think of it, I did know how rough it was in the USSR during my childhood, which is odd).  I think this was a great book for me to read; I really had no clue at all about how things went down under Chairman Mao.  I only knew I was supposed to see him as an evil dictator.  Now, I understand the horrendous things he made his people suffer under his regime.  I understand now why many equated Communism with evil. I loved revisiting characters whom I had grown to love in Shanghai Girls.  But I also love that the author decided to write more through the eyes of Joy, the product of post-war America, more than from the eyes of the women who were featured in the first book.  I think it was a beautiful way to continue the story, as it particularly emphasized the strong family and generational bonds which the Chinese embrace. The title was a great double entendre, too.  I don't know if See intended to continue her first book, and therefore planned the name of Joy, but I like to imagine it just fell into place for her as she was contemplating her sequel.  It's just too perfect. Yours, Arianna

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