American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

Complexity. I fully expected to read a few pages of Jeffrey Toobin’s book titled, American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst, and then set it aside. Instead, Toobin’s presentation of the complexity of this story grabbed me, and I stuck with him to the end. While I was somewhat aware of the events surrounding this story both at the time they took place and in the decades afterward, Toobin helped unravel multiple dimensions of the story as he laid out the kidnapping, the actions while Hearst was with the SLA, and her trial, punishment and pardon. Both readers and Toobin are still left with unanswered questions by the end alongside great satisfaction in exploring the old story in a fresh way. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase American Heiress from amazon.com.

Hell Fire

Connections. In the twelfth installment of the crime fiction series by Karin Fossum featuring Norwegian detective Konrad Sejer, the inspector remains in the background, providing not much more than the connective tissue that resolves the plot. In Hell Fire, Fossum alternates the story of a single mother, Bonnie, and a young man, Eddie, forward and backward in time. Readers who enjoy the genre of dark Scandanavian crime fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel and this series. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Hell Fire from amazon.com.

Nutshell

Compact. I love Ian McEwan’s novel titled, Nutshell, for many reasons. The originality and cleverness of using a fetus as narrator was brilliant. The notion that this fetus is full of insight and broad knowledge was a real kick, especially when it came to the commentary of the fetus about wine. McEwan’s prose, like the title, packs a wallop with great efficiency. He never uses two words when one will do. He never uses one word when five are necessary to deliver just the right impact. Some readers may see this as a modern take on Hamlet and enjoy McEwan’s approach even more from that perspective. Finally, first and last really, this is fine storytelling involving deceit and murder. Readers who love finely written literary fiction are those most like to enjoy this novel. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Nutshell from amazon.com.

Old Age: A Beginner's Guide

Mortality. At a certain age, it is very appropriate to think often about death. Michael Kinsley offers a short book about his own musings on the last stage in life in his book titled, Old Age: A Beginner’s Guide. Kinsley is a talented writer, and his prose in this book often weaves from humor to wisdom in the same sentence. He uses his personal experience with Parkinson’s disease to inform his thoughts on this subject, and that gives him a way to makes this book less antiseptic and more real. Readers of any age can enjoy fine prose and a lot of wisdom in this short book. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Old Age from amazon.com.

Sophia

Chess. My guess is that few readers will be ambivalent about Michael Bible’s novel, Sophia. I found the prose strange, the characters unappealing and the plot not very interesting. Eli is a chess wiz, and he and the Reverend journey around the country as Eli wins tournaments and the Reverend keeps the winnings. While there is a struggle with spirituality that might be happening over the course of the novel, I found that I didn’t care. I laughed on occasion, but returned often to reflecting on what an odd novel this is. Some readers are likely to love its quirkiness. Read a sample to see if you might be one of those readers. Rating: Two-star (I didn’t like it) Click here to purchase Sophia from amazon.com.

Sweet Lamb of Heaven

Control. Readers who enjoy finely written psychological fiction with thrilling and complex plots are those most likely to appreciate everything that Lydia Millet achieves in her novel titled, Sweet Lamb of Heaven. Anna is both protagonist and narrator and Millet draws readers inside Anna’s mind to lead us on a thrilling journey of confusion, voices, hallucinations and control by others. Anna’s marriage is troubled, so she takes her six-year-old daughter, Lena, leaves husband, Ned, in Alaska, and heads to Maine. What Anna finds among residents at a Maine motel, and what Ned does provide much of the plot of the novel. Millet writes with great skill, and I enjoyed all the cleverness, confusion and creativity from the beginning to the end of this finely written novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Sweet Lamb of Heaven from amazon.com.

Thomas Murphy

Poet. Take your aging mind and engage it with Roger Rosenblatt’s novel, Thomas Murphy, in which the irrepressible poet, Murph, wonders about his own aging mind, reflects on his life’s relationships, and charms every reader on every page. Once engaged, give yourself over to dreams, and beauty and laughter and all that remains possible for every day that we are alive. This novel is a song to life, sung by a great lover of life, an intelligent character created by a thoughtful writer. How much of the mind of either of them, or a reader, may be misfiring is another matter altogether. Leave that for another day. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Thomas Murphy from amazon.com.