Hello, friends. It's another sunny, warm, and breezy day in southwest FL and I can't believe we're heading into May this week... wasn't January just a few weeks ago?? Yesterday I celebrated Independent Bookstore Day with a trip to our local indie. They are still in the midst of hurricane repairs and stock is limited, but I bought The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich, a local author and former food writer/restaurant critic for the local newspaper. I'm happy to support both local businesses and authors!
Finished last week//
Absolution by Alice McDermott
This is the third novel for my Vietnam project and my first by Alice McDermott. It was also another buddy ready with Tina! Inspired by Graham Greene's The Quiet American and set in the early 1960s, it focuses on American wives in Vietnam and their pursuit to do good and relieve suffering. Tricia, a shy, young, newlywed, is befriended by Charlene, a more experienced wife and mother of three. She is swept up by Charlene and her efforts to relieve local wretchedness. I especially loved the structure of this novel. Sixty years later Charlene's daughter, a child in Vietnam, reaches out to now 80-something Tricia. They both look back on their time in Saigon and reflect on how that pursuit of 'inconsequential good' effected the course of their lives. Was it actually more selfish than selfless?
McDermott also touches on a 60s version of feminism, family, faith, activism, war, and more.There is a lot going on in this book with plenty to reflect upon and discuss. I'll certainly be reading more by Alice McDermott!
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Set aside//
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
This is the June MMD book club selection and my library hold came in much earlier than expected. If I don't read it now, I might not get another chance before discussion time. So I read the first 60 pages yesterday. Maybe it's a case of bad timing - Alice McDermott is a tough act to follow - but this book just seems silly...
I'm not sure what I'll pick up next.
The week ahead//
I can't wrap my head around Wednesday being first of May! There has been a flurry of activity to get our post-hurricane repairs finished, and it's starting to look like we may just make it. I still expect some smaller punch list items may linger until next season.
This week I'm looking forward to MMD's live author chat with Ada Calhoun (Also A Poet and Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give), having friends over for dinner, and finalizing plans for our drive north in a few weeks.
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
Your review of the book about Vietnam is a nice complement to what Tina said about it. I’m not sure I want to read it, but your two reviews do tempt me.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - It's worth a read, for sure. Not sure why it's taken me so long to get to McDermott.
DeleteAbsolution sounds interesting. I like novels inspired by other novels. Will check out.
ReplyDeleteVintage Reading - I read The Quiet American last month, and was happy to have it fresh in mind.
DeleteOh, I am so envious of your warm, dry weather. We came home from our road trip on Friday and it's been chilly (just barely 50!) and rainy since our return. Sigh. I'm hoping that May will bring more summer-like weather.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I missed out on the buddy read for Absolution, but I will get to it sooner than later!
I'm kind of past "silly" books, so I'll probably skip The Husbands. I noticed that Katherine Center has a new book out, but the plot struck me also as silly, so I'm taking a pass on that one.
I'm still reading Still Life, which I began before our trip over three weeks ago. It's over 400 pages, which is partly why it's taking me so long to finish. Every night, I tell Rod that it's a great book and that I hate to see it end, so maybe I'm dragging me feet on finishing. It's the type of book that I want to start again and see how those early chapters read now that I know who's who and what's going on! Have you read it? It's by Sarah Winman. Highly recommend!!
Les - I am savoring this weather... the real humidity will set in soon, I'm afraid. Glad you got home safely, but I sure hope you get some warmer, drier weather before too much longer!
DeleteGuess I'm past silly books, too, especially following something as good as Absolution. I do want to try one of Katherine Center's earlier novels though. Maybe The Bodyguard for a light, summer read. We'll see.
Still Life is on my tbr list. It didn't get there right away, but I remember seeing it on quite a few 'best of' lists at the end of the year. Glad to know you're enjoying it... that definitely bumps it up higher for me!
I've only read one by Katherine Center (Things You Save in a Fire) and thought it was very good. (Link to review)
DeleteThanks for the link :)
DeleteIt's actually 80 here (in OH) for the first time this year. I am sitting inside while I should probably be outside! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteCindy - Glad you're getting some warm weather, too. Hope you can enjoy it this week.
DeleteI have Absolution waiting on my bookshelf waiting to be read. This might be the push I needed to pick it up next.
ReplyDeleteHena Tayeb - McDermott is a wonderful writer. Hope you enjoy Absolution as much as I did!
DeleteThe subtitle of The Mango Tree makes me very curious. Absolution sounds so good with important themes.
ReplyDeleteJoy - The subtitle of The Mango Tree is pretty catchy, isn't it?! So far, she's really captured the vibe of this area!
DeleteI've just started Absolution a couple of days ago, and I'm really enjoying the structure of the narration and the set-up for what's to follow. Once I caught on that Tricia is speaking directly to Rainey during the narration, it became a more interesting story for me in the way it hints that Rainey's mother may be out of the picture by then, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt really is hard to believe that Wednesday is already the first of May...and that it's almost time to start anticipating yet another Hurricane Season. Good luck this year.
Sam - I'm definitely a 'structure nerd' if there is such thing, and I thought this was such an effective way to tell the story. Tricia of 1963 could never have been so thoughtful and reflective... it's so interesting to learn what she makes of the events after so much time has passed. Rainey, too, has processed it all as an adult. Fascinating stuff! Have you read other McDermott novels?
DeleteI hate to even think about another hurricane season, but it's a part of life here. With so many wedding, showers, etc, again this summer, we will miss most of it, but prepare before we leave. Sigh.
I started and set aside Husbands, too. No, I don't think I will read it. It sounded so promising...
ReplyDeleteThe Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony sounds delightful. It's great that you were able to support both an independent book store and a local author.
Deb - The Husbands premise sounded like a lot of fun, but I just couldn't get into it. The Mango Tree is very good so far though.
DeleteI can't believe we're getting into May either! Hope you get all your renovations done. It is hard to follow up a wonderful story with one that's just okay. Can't help but compare. That sunset is beautiful! Have a lovely week!
ReplyDeleteRachel - The Husbands may have hit differently if Absolution hadn;t been so good... guess I'll never know...
DeleteIt sounds like you have a ton going on with repair work, getting ready to go north, book group and more. I hope it's all fun!
ReplyDeleteHelen - It keeps us busy, lol! But it is all good :)
DeleteI ended up sending Husbands back to the library as a DNF. It felt silly, like you said, and very repetitive without actually going anywhere. Hard not to compare it with Groundhog Day, which looks so much better in comparison.
ReplyDeleteAmy - The Husbands was a disappointment... I think I'm just over silly books.
DeleteAbsolution is on my list. This week looks like rain, so I can spend more time reading instead of gardening.
ReplyDeleteJenclair - I hope you got most of your gardening done when the weather was good. There will be a lot of yard work waiting for us when we get back, I'm afraid. Absolution is well worth the reading time!
DeleteI had a blast reading with you and look forward to our next book :-) I just started The Great Divide about the Panama Canal, by Cristina Heriquez. So far it's interesting, not as good as Absolution but I'll let you know.
ReplyDeleteThat's great you support the local bookstores and authors. There are few of the loacl stores here and get there now and then. Usually they have local authors as well.
Tina - The Great Divide sounds pretty interesting, I'll wait for your thoughts before adding it to the list. Thanks again for reading with me... we'll do another soon!!
DeleteAbsolution looks like a good one. I'll have to check it out. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYvonne - It was a really good read! Enjoy your week.
DeleteThe Husbands is also on my TBR list from the library. I hope that you get the repairs completed very soon. Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteJodie - The Husbands might have worked better for me if it hadn't followed such a great read... timing just wasn't on my side.
DeleteThe Mango Tree sounds really interesting - and now I know what to get my dad for Father's Day. It sounds like a book he would really love!
ReplyDeleteErin - I like it so far, but think there will be some tough parts coming up.
DeleteIf you think the months are flying by, that's because they are!! And for me, post surgery, I feel like I just had surgery but it's been almost four months now.
ReplyDeleteTi - You've had a lot to deal with this year, that's for sure. I'm glad to see that you are reading and blogging again... that's good progress!
DeleteSuch a beautiful sunset picture! I learned from a photographer that the reason we don't always see great sunset photos on our L.A. beaches is because at this point in the year, if we're standing on the beach in Santa Monica, for instance, the sun is setting BEHIND the hills of Malibu, up the coast. We still get colorful skies, but we don't see the sun set into the ocean, if you get what I mean.
ReplyDeleteJinjer - I do!! When we lived on the east end/middle of the island, we "lost" the sun setting into the ocean by midwinter. Now we live on the west end (and above the curved portion of the island) and are able to see the sun setting into the ocean all year long. That was actually one of our considerations when choosing a house.
DeleteBoth The Mango Tree and Absolution appeal to me--I love foodie/regional books, and I really am interested in learning more about the Vietnam War experience.
ReplyDeleteHappy May--so thrilled it is finally here--I am bursting at the seams with plants that need to go into the ground. If only I could be confident that it won't snow!
JaneGS - I've been reading a lot about Vietnam lately, but not the war specifically. Both Absolution and The Quiet American take place before the war has formally started, but help you understand how we got there.
DeleteMay snowfall was always a possibility when we lived in central NY... I still have remember the infamous Mother's Day snow in the early 2000s!
So glad you liked Absolution. I found it thought-provoking and a good read as well. After that one book, I think McDermott is a master and I must read more of her novels. Love the sunset photo!
ReplyDeleteSusan - Can't believe it's taken me so long to read something by McDermott... what a talent! I know I'll be reading more, maybe Someone or Charming Billy next.
Delete