July 29, 2023 EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK

John Irving is one of my all time favorite writers. He's won many awards including a National Book Award for The World According to Garp, an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules anda Lambda Literary Award for In One Person. His novels have also found International fame and have been translated into forty different languages. In addition, five of his novels have been made into movies. My personal favorites include: A Prayer for Owen Meany, A Widow for One Year and A Son of the Circus. Irving knew he wanted to be a writer after reading Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations when he was only fourteen years old. After reading Dickens, Irving said, he wanted to move the reader like Dickens moved him--both emotionally and intellectually.  At the heart of any Irving or Dickens novel is some type of social or moral dilemma--orphans, absent fathers, poverty, sexual identity.  Dickens' influence on Irving is obvious in his obsessive attention to detail that often leads to long, windy sentences, complex plots and a cast of unforgettable characters. Irving's fifteenth novel The Last Chair Lift is vintage Irving. You will feel right at home if you are an Irving fan as he touches on familiar themes including wrestling, New England, Exeter, absent fathers, sexual identity and politics. It's like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in seven years. As this NINE HUNDRED page novel unfolds, Ray Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill Slalom Championships in Aspen, Colorado. After the games, Little Ray goes back home to New Hampshire where she finds herself pregnant. Little Ray and her son, Adam, live with her parents--Nana and grandfather also known as --the mysteriously mute principal emeritus. The novel spans eight decades as Adam grows up and tackles childhood, puberty, sexuality, unconventional families, illness, LGBTQ, death and the Catholic Church. There are so many wonderful characters in this novel--Molly, Elliot Barlow, Nora, Em---who help Adam understand that love and family can come in many forms.  Irving has this amazing ability to make serious, sometimes tragic events LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY TOO. He's a genius. Warning: This is probably not for the first time reader of an Irving novel. It's long (maybe too long) but for the SUPERFAN it is a MUST READ. Let me know what you think. 

July 16, 2023 ONLY SIXTEEN

Can't believe my little Tim is going to be sixteen tomorrow. SIXTEEN. He has an appointment for his driving permit this week. YIKES. Seems like he was just learning to ride his bike??? Time has certainly been a whirlwind. I didn't have Tim until I was 42 years old!!! ANCIENT. Although he wasn't really planned--he's been the greatest gift. Not sure what we would do without him. He keeps us young in so many ways. It's like we got a REDO.  With Timmy around--we still got to decorate for Halloween--go trick or treating----get an Elf on the Shelf--AND believe in Santa again. Good Times.  On to other news. I also had a good time reading Mary Beth Keane's new book The Half Moon. Set in Gilliam, a small suburb of New York City, Malcolm Gephardt is a bartender at the Half Moon who dreams of one day owning the place. After his boss announces that he is going to retire, he offers to sell the place to Malcolm. Although Malcolm really wants to buy the bar, is it really feasible or just pipe dream?  Meanwhile, Malcolm's wife Jess is a dedicated lawyer struggling to come to terms with infertility. They've spent six years and thousands of dollars on treatments that have put a heavy strain on their marriage and finances. As Jess struggles, she begins to question her marriage and choices in life. Keane's observations about marriage and midlife struggles are on point in this story as Jess wonders if the grass is really greener on the other side. -----Will Malcolm get in over his head and buy the bar? Will Jess come to terms with her problems? Will this marriage survive? Find out the answer to these and other questions when you read this 300 page well- written book for yourself. 

July 9, 2023 I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE

 

When I was a kid, my grandparents used to take me to The Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck. I remember seeing Sha Na Na, Jesus Christ Superstar, My Fair Lady, Singing in the Rain, Show Boat etc........Haven't been to this little gem in 40 years--until yesterday. Got tickets to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. It was a REAL stroll down memory lane. The theatre itself hasn't changed much--it's actually a "barn theatre"  that originally opened in 1933 to entertain and create jobs during the Depression. The theatre is actually celebrating its 90th year right now. That's amazing. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was ALSO AMAZING--as good as any Broadway show! The cast, dancers and orchestra were electric. If you get a chance to check out this little theatre by the sea--you won't be disappointed. In the meantime, you can check out my review of Jane Harper's newest book Exiles. If you like a good crime novel-mystery then look no further. Aaron Falk, the main character, is a Federal Investigator on his way to a small town in Southern Australian to visit his former partner Raco and attend his godson's Christening. The Christening coincides with the one year anniversary of Kim Gillespie's disappearance. Kim simply vanished from a carnival --leaving her infant daughter behind. Falk and Raco start their own investigation and interview the cast of characters in this small town--where everyone knows your name. Why would anyone want Kim dead? Why would a mother abandon her baby? Why was her shoe found in a nearby river? Find out what happened to Kim and the rest of the characters when you read this mystery for yourself. The writing is good--the characters and vivid description of small town life and the landscape--will make you feel part of the story. It's on 360 pages--that I hope you will enjoy.