Despite how busy July was, I managed to read twenty-one books and micro-chapbooks. Reading helps me mellow out when I’m stressed, and I was pretty stressed this month, so it doesn’t surprise me how voraciously I read. I’m also beta reading a novel for a writer that I deeply admire and I can’t wait for that book to be released into the world. What have you read lately that’s gotten you excited?
Now for the feedback. The following reviews will cover what worked well in the books. If you wish to discuss what didn’t work in the books or what you enjoyed about the books, then I’d encourage you to comment on this post.
Without further ado, here are the mini-reviews for this month. (Mild spoilers may follow.)
I first read Train Dreams during a class I took at Creighton University. I was surprised by how much I disliked the book and wanted to give it another chance by reading it again. While my boredom was not completely alleviated with the second read, I did manage to find some things I enjoyed about the novella.
Synopsis from the Macmillan website:
Denis Johnson‘s Train Dreams is an epic in miniature, one of his most evocative and poignant fictions. It is the story of Robert Grainier, a day laborer in the American West at the start of the twentieth century—an ordinary man in extraordinary times. Buffeted by the loss of his family, Grainer struggles to make sense of this strange new world. As his story unfolds, we witness both his shocking personal defeats and the radical changes that transform America in his lifetime. Suffused with the history and landscapes of the American West, this novella by the National Book Award-winning author of Tree of Smoke captures the disappearance of a distinctly American way of life.
What worked well:
- What I came to enjoy with the second read was Johnson’s use of imagery. His descriptive language at certain points is spot on and beautiful, especially of landscapes and manmade structures.
- Another nice thing about Train Dreams is that it examines a time period of significant change in the northwestern United States. The logging scenes alone are brutal, terrifying, and fascinating to read.
Who should read Train Dreams:
- Historical fiction fans
- Readers who enjoy man versus nature stories
- Those who like books about hard work
- Readers who like to read about feats of engineering
I received a copy of Abridged Classics by John Atkinson from my best friend for my upcoming birthday. Honestly, it’s just a short and fun little joke book that I read in its entirety immediately after my friend gave it to me. I loved it.
Synopsis from the HarperCollins website:
A collection of irreverent summations of more than 100 well-known works of literature, from Anna Karenina to Wuthering Heights, cleverly described in the fewest words possible and accompanied with funny color illustrations.
Abridged Classics: Brief Summaries of Books You Were Supposed to Read but Probably Didn’t is packed with dozens of humorous super-condensed summations of some of the most famous works of literature from many of the world’s most revered authors, including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Emily Brontë, Leo Tolstoy, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, J.R.R. Tolkien, Margaret Atwood, James Joyce, Plato, Ernest Hemingway, Dan Brown, Ayn Rand, and Herman Melville.
From “Old ladies convince a guy to ruin Scotland” (Macbeth) to “Everyone is sad. It snows.” (War and Peace), these clever, humorous synopses are sure to make book lovers smile.
What worked well:
- The brief summaries are hilarious. Truly, they’re really funny. I think I laughed at every single one of them.
- The illustraitions add to this humor. If you’ve ever read any classic books, go check this one out.
Who should read Abridged Classics:
- Fans of classic books
- Those who enjoy jokes about classic books
- Those who like books that you can read really quickly
- Readers who enjoy funny illustrations
I listened to The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker on audiobook through OverDrive. The novel started out strong and then kind of disentegrated for me. Still, the interesting parts of the book are definitely worth talking about.
Synopsis from the HarperCollins website:
An exhilarating saga of the Vikings that conjures a brutal, superstitious, and thrilling ninth-century world and the birth of a kingdom—the debut installment in a historical literary trilogy that combines the bold imagination and sweeping narrative power of Game of Thrones, Vikings, and Outlander.
Centuries ago, in a blood-soaked land ruled by legendary gods and warring men, a prophecy foretold of a high king who would come to reign over all of the north. . . .
Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the son and grandson of kings, grew up believing that he would one day take his dead father’s place as chief of his family’s lands. But, sailing home from a raiding trip to Ireland, the young warrior is betrayed and left for dead by men in the pay of his greedy stepfather, Olaf. Rescued by a fisherman, Ragnvald is determined to have revenge for his stepfather’s betrayal, claim his birthright and the woman he loves, and rescue his beloved sister Svanhild. Opportunity may lie with Harald of Vestfold, the strong young Norse warrior rumored to be the prophesied king. Ragnvald pledges his sword to King Harald, a choice that will hold enormous consequence in the years to come.
While Ragnvald’s duty is to fight—and even die—for his honor, Svanhild must make an advantageous marriage, though her adventurous spirit yearns to see the world. Her stepfather, Olaf, has arranged a husband for her—a hard old man she neither loves nor desires. When the chance to escape Olaf’s cruelty comes at the hands of her brother’s arch rival, the shrewd young woman is forced to make a heartbreaking choice: family or freedom.
Set in a mystical and violent world defined by honor, loyalty, deceit, passion, and courage, The Half-Drowned King is an electrifying adventure that breathtakingly illuminates the Viking world and the birth of Scandinavia.
What worked well:
- The Half-Drowned King starts off with one of the most exciting openings I’ve read in a while. Oar walking alone is enough to spark my interest but then you throw in an attempted murder and an encounter with the Norse gods and the hook becomes irresistible. The historical details and mythology that Hartsuyker adds in brings a lot of life to the book.
- Also, the exploration and adventures within the novel create some exciting scenes and plot points. The sailing scenes were of particular interest.
Who should read The Half-Drowned King:
- Readers who like Norse mythology
- Fans of historical fiction
- Readers who like adventure and exploration
- Those who enjoy books about betrayal
I bought Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique a while ago. It sat for far too long in my to-be-read pile before I finally picked it up. I’m so incredibly happy to have read a novel about the U. S. Virgin Islands, a place that almost never appears in the fiction I read.
Synopsis from the Penguin Random House website:
A critically acclaimed debut from an award-winning writer—an epic family saga set against the magic and the rhythms of the Virgin Islands.
In the early 1900s, the Virgin Islands are transferred from Danish to American rule, and an important ship sinks into the Caribbean Sea. Orphaned by the shipwreck are two sisters and their half brother, now faced with an uncertain identity and future. Each of them is unusually beautiful, and each is in possession of a particular magic that will either sink or save them.
Chronicling three generations of an island family from 1916 to the 1970s, Land of Love and Drowning is a novel of love and magic, set against the emergence of Saint Thomas into the modern world. Uniquely imagined, with echoes of Toni Morrison, Gabriel García Márquez, and the author’s own Caribbean family history, the story is told in a language and rhythm that evoke an entire world and way of life and love. Following the Bradshaw family through sixty years of fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, love affairs, curses, magical gifts, loyalties, births, deaths, and triumphs, Land of Love and Drowning is a gorgeous, vibrant debut by an exciting, prizewinning young writer.
What worked well:
- The way Yanique incorporates moments of important U. S. Virgin Islands history is really wonderful. For example, the “free beach” movement is something I knew nothing about, and it appears—fictionalized—in the pages of Yanique’s book. The protests she includes leading up to the Open Shoreline Act are some of the most elegantly written scenes I’ve ever read about protestors.
- Also, the relationships between the siblings is really fascinating—at times cringeworthy—and ultimately well-done.
Who should read Land of Love and Drowning:
- Readers who want to learn more about the U. S. Virgin Islands
- Fans of historical fiction
- Those who are prepared to read about taboo topics
- Readers who like novels about families
Of course I had to read another Two Dollar Radio book this month. This time I chose The Blurry Years by Eleanor Kriseman. All I can say is wow; this book left me conflicted in all the right ways.
Synopsis from the Two Dollar Radio Website:
The Blurry Years is a powerful and unorthodox coming-of-age story from an assured new literary voice, featuring a stirringly twisted mother-daughter relationship, set against the sleazy, vividly-drawn backdrop of late-seventies and early-eighties Florida.
Callie—who ages from six to eighteen over the course of the book—leads a scattered childhood, moving from cars to strangers’ houses to the sand-dusted apartments of the tourist towns that litter the Florida coastline.
Callie’s is a story about what it’s like to grow up too fast and absorb too much, to watch adults behaving badly; what it’s like to be simultaneously in thrall to and terrified of the mother who is the only family you’ve ever known, who moves you from town to town to leave her own mistakes behind.
With precision and poetry, Kriseman’s moving tale of a young girl struggling to find her way in the world is potent, and, ultimately, triumphant.
What worked well:
- Kriseman covers topics such as the neglect of a child, alcohol abuse, and sexual trauma without flinching. To depict and deconstruct these things within fiction is so important and should be discussed.
- The main conflicts center around other characters using Calliope and Calliope figuring out who she is and what she wants. It’s a great example of a novel about self-discovery and how we form our own identities.
Who should read The Blurry Years:
- Readers who enjoy coming-of-age books
- Those who appreciate difficult topics being faced head-on in fiction
- Readers who enjoy books about Florida
- Fans of books about mother/daughter relationships
I chose to listen to the audiobook of The Gunners by Rebecca Kauffman after I saw it appear on my OverDrive app. Frankly, I think the book’s structure, conflicts, and characters are messy, but there were a lot of good things about the novel too.
Synopsis from the Counterpoint Press website:
Following on her wonderfully received first novel, Another Place You’ve Never Been, called “mesmerizing,” “powerful,” and “gorgeous,” by critics all over the country, Rebecca Kauffman returns with Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration. He struggles to establish human connections—even his emotional life is a blur.
As the novel begins, he is reconnecting with “The Gunners,” his group of childhood friends, after one of their members has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself from all of them before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about the group and its individuals. Mikey especially needs to confront dark secrets about his own past and his father. How much of this darkness accounts for the emotional stupor Mikey is suffering from as he reaches his maturity? And can The Gunners, prompted by Sally’s death, find their way to a new day? The core of this adventure, made by Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam, becomes a search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness.
A quietly startling, beautiful book, The Gunners engages us with vividly unforgettable characters, and advances Rebecca Kauffman’s place as one of the most important young writers of her generation.
What worked well:
- The Gunners incorporated some moments of philosophical debate that I truly appreciated. For example: Can a person be objectively bad or good and how do our perceptions and opinions influence such labels? These questions are most often brought up in the dialogue, which was also a strong point of this novel.
- Kauffman is also an adept humorist and I found myself laughing out loud at many of the characters’ hilarious actions and one-liners.
Who should read The Gunners:
- Readers who enjoy books about childhood friends
- Fans of books with wonderful humor
- Those who enjoy books that explore what love is
- Those who are prepared to read about taboo topics
BONUS TITLES!
I read micro-chapbooks #22 through #36 in the Ghost City Press Summer Micro-Chapbook Series. You can find all of the available ones here.
Also, Space, Collisions released this month! I hope you’ll check it out.
Let’s start with the one that left me most aggrieved. When I picked up 
A friend recommended I read 
With my La Vista Public Library card, I checked out a book titled 
I wanted to read some more poetry, so I decided to take 
Around Halloween, I wanted to read a ghost story. I finally cracked open 
I decided to continue reading Graywolf Press’s “The Art of” series with Christopher Castellani’s 
Another craft book I finished this past month was 
I realized, with horror, that I hadn’t read any comics or graphic novels lately. I decided to obtain a library card from La Vista’s public library (I can as an employee of the college I work for) and check out what they had to offer. The first book I choose to read was a manga titled 
The other comic book I picked up was
And remember that book I was a beta reader for? Guess what, you can pre-order it now! It’s called 
I was excited to read 
Thanks to my awesome librarian friend, new writing craft books have been stocked on the shelves of Bellevue Public Library. With those new books came 
My professors in my undergraduate and graduate courses taught solely secular fiction. What was lacking for me—in a major way—was fiction that aligned with my faith tradition. I couldn’t find any character that accurately represented my faith in secular fiction. In the present, I’m seeking out Christian fiction like water in a desert. As a reader, I’m looking for characters like me—for accurate representation. As a writer, I’m seeking the elements that mix to create a good Christian short story.
I’m always seeking out flash fiction collections to read. My local librarian, also a flash fiction writer, suggested 
Romance, for any age group, is not my genre of choice—but I have to admire Jennifer’s ability to make love stories feel true to real life. The romance between Libby and Jack starts slow and with lots of initial loathing. From there, it’s not an easy transition to love and acceptance.
Hi friends! There is an explosion of awesome literary events happening in my neck of the woods (and a few other places) that you need to know about. Here’s a quick run down, starting with the most urgent.
We began the first part of our journey through Nebraska in the early morning, the Monday before the conference. It seemed even the birds had gotten the message that now was the time to travel. As I had the privilege to sit in the back of the car for a while, I used that time to catch up on some shut-eye, to read a bit more of 
As we climbed in elevation, I looked forward to seeing the Rocky Mountains again. The first time I saw the Rocky Mountains was at the Rocky Mountain National Park during a first year anniversary retreat with my husband. They were awe-inspiring then and they were still awe-inspiring the second time around. The mountains first appeared on the horizon like low-hanging clouds. As we drove closer, the sheer cliffs and evergreen trees, the snow caps and valleys, all came into clearer view.
We were about to enter Las Vegas as the sun was peeking over the horizon. I didn’t have my contacts in at this point (I was not driving) and so everything was a bit hazy for me. What I remember is the desert in its darkness and then all of a sudden there was what looked like a massive grid of lights sprawling before us. We were tired, and not so interested in Vegas’s flashy advertisements at the moment, so we drove straight through. I did manage to snap a blurry picture or two.
When we finally got to LA, I met our host and Nate’s friend Nathan (yes, I know many people with Nate/Nathan names). He was a stellar guy, let me tell you, and even more so for letting us crash for free in his living room for nearly a week. We found out his roommate, Tevin, who happened to be an accomplished slam poet and in the know about the local writing scene, was also wicked cool.
Literary Friction
A Vase of Wildflowers 