Wife of the Gods

Wife of the Gods: A Novel by Kwei Quartey

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this tightly plotted, character-rich detective mystery set in present-day Ghana. I especially enjoyed getting to know Darko Dawson, the big-city detective with ties to the small rural town where there are so many twists and turns to unravel.

The details about life in Ghana are rich and vivid. Quartey provides a robust and sensitive introduction to the country and its politics, without veering into pedanticism.

Plus I absolutely love a book with a map in it!

I found myself wanting to rush out to the store to buy the next installment. But dang, I have to wait for Mr. Quartey to write it.

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A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

My review

Surprised I never read this! But it’s nice to have such a classic to read for the first time with some life experience under my belt. Was inspired to pick it up by a couple things – one was reading the book about Josephine Bonaparte for book club and the other was an Oprah feature where some celebrity I like (but can’t remember now) listed it as one of her top influential reads and noted how it was so pertinent to the political climate today in many ways. Off with their heads, AIG, etc.

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The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very enjoyable historical fiction – for me, a new introduction to revolutionary France. Quite appropriate for today, although last I’ve heard, we aren’t guillotining the tarp bonus recipients!! But we are pretty angry.

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The Artist’s Way

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Working through this book again after a hiatus of about 5 or 6 years. I’ve “done” the book (it’s all about the exercises) three times before and each time gotten many new things out of it. Definitely looking forward to this new journey.

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Darling Jim

Darling Jim: A Novel by Christian Moerk

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Darling Jim was a perfect read just before St. Patrick’s Day, just by happy circumstance.

This is an engaging, romantic tale with healthy dollops of gothic fun and Irish superstition on top. Most of the action is credible, although I had to will myself stubbornly to continue my suspension of disbelief in several parts. Most difficult to believe were the bits about how instantly “darling Jim” put our main characters under his spell. The text veered dangerously into what I’d call “the Twilight zone” (and I do mean the teenybop vampire tale, not the tv show) but then recovered nicely.

Once past this slightly awkward stumble, the story was on its feet and running nimbly full speed ahead through ancient forests, twisted pysches, and sisterly bonds to my great delight.

I agree with earlier reviewers that I often wondered as I read,
“Why in the world aren’t they going to the police?!” or “Seriously, wouldn’t the police have looked into that further?” But if you can overlook these nagging doubts, there is much enjoyable reading to be had here.

I recommend it!

ARC from Library Thing Early Reviewers program.

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New topic: annoying obfuscation

I hope to find a better term for this thing that bugs me, this thing that I am currently calling “annoying obfuscation.”

It’s the thing where someone uses language in a completely unnecessarily complicated way, seemingly in order to look superior or to communicate that “this analysis is breathtakingly new.”   What’s the phrase I want??

Now, it must be said that I am a great lover of words.  And I love big, long words and big complex thoughts.  (I studied philosophy, for crying out loud.)  But when someone writes something in a complicated way where it absolutely does not need it, it vexes me.  Very much.   It pushes my “emperor wears no clothes” button.  So, I thought that people who share this vexation would enjoy a steady stream of examples about which to rant and the opportunity to share some of their own!

Let me start the ball rolling with the sentence that provoked me to write this today.  It started innocently.  An artist I like wrote about an artist he likes.  So I Googled her and got to this page:

http://www.hackettfreedman.com/templates/artist.jsp?id=GAL

And read the following sentence:

“Gale finds in all her subjects a center of gravity, a realm beyond “thingness” where we can see and feel the fathomless presence of existence.”¹

1. Michael Duncan, “In the Center of Gravity: Ann Gale’s Portraits,” in Ann Gale (San Francisco: Hackett-Freedman Gallery, 2000)

ACK ACK ACK.  (Said the eloquent blogger.)
Seriously though, what is the term for this?  It’s not just pretentious.  Not just obfuscation.  Anyone?

The Strain

 The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Finally, a vampire novel for grown-ups! Totally engrossing, a first-rate page-turner with characters I want to follow in the next 2 books.

The novel seems to be good for people (like me) who don’t usually like fantasy fiction, since the author’s grounded the main characters in a sort of “New York sceptic scientist” mode and it reads more like a murder mystery. Reminded me of Caleb Carr, but modern-day. In some parts, reminded me of Lawrence Block.

Loved the New York City settings, dialogue rang true, and most of the plot’s logic worked. I won’t note a spoiler, but one major character’s motivation for his most influential action (to the plot) didn’t get properly explained to me.

Of course, that did nothing to stop me from gulping the book down in two marathon sessions.  Zombie?  Well, yes, that would be me the next day at work after reading this darn book until 2 am.

This book will be in bookstores on June 2, 2009.

My review