New book on my nightstand

I’ve just started reading The List by Martin Fletcher. Yes, that Martin Fletcher of NBC Middle East reporting fame. He has three books to his credit and The List is his latest issue and first novel. The story is set in England during the period immediately following WWII and encompasses the run up to the 1948 Israeli war.  The story is about a small group of refugees who make it to England before the war ends and their attempt to make a new life.  The characters, all in their early twenties,  live in an England still suffering from the privations of war and rife with anti-Semitic attitudes and the violent policies of the Zionist movement.  It is against this backdrop that these survivors are left to the heartbreaking task of checking lists for the names of family members left behind in Europe. 

While I am not far into the book, it isn’t capturing me as Sarah’s Key did.  I wonder if the reason is because this is a first novel. Certainly, we know the author can write and make sense out of historical events, but can he tell a story and create characters you care about? I am not sure.

American Boy

I just finished American Boy by Larry Watson. If that author’s name sounds familiar to some of you, it is because our book group read his Montana 1948. This story, American Boy, is also about a young man (17), a doctor, and coming of age. It is set in western Minnesota in 1962. For the same reasons that I liked Montana 1948, I liked this book: plain strong writing, vivid characters, and the author’s ability to imagine the world through the eyes of a different age.

While Watson was born in North Dakota, he is, and has been for some time, a Wisconsin author. He taught at UW-Steven Point for 25 years. Currently he lives in Milwaukee and teaches at Marquette University.

Read the Denver Post review of this book.

Perfect Book for a Super Moon

Just finished The Last Werewolf. I loved it! It’s not the light-hearted undead of Sookie Stackhouse. This is gory and brutal. But, the main character, Jake, is a werewolf with a conscience (at times). He ponders morality, immortality, good vs. evil, etc. The book chews on these questions as well as could we/would we want to live without love? What would it mean to be the last of a species? What drives the people who say they are dedicated to eliminating evil in the world? Did I mention that I liked this book a lot?

Read the NY Times review of The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan