Wordless Wednesday - angel

Not really a review ... but I've been reading about Frida

I haven't posted any reviews lately, not because I haven't been reading, but more because nothing has really made me want to post my thoughts.   Actually, I just did finish a great book last night and meant to post about it ..... and then put it through the book return at the library and now can't remember what it was.  Do I need some time off? Um.... yes.

Anyway --- I recently read a book about Frida Kahlo, and then looked through a nice book of photography our library owns, so I thought I'd share a few thoughts on those.

I have always found Frida Kahlo's art to be intriguing and thought-provoking, but my interest in her was re-sparked again recently when I watched Frida, the film starring Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo.   I'd already seen the film twice (never caught it in the theatre, but brought home the DVD from the library).   After seeing the movie the first time, I found myself wanting to know more about Frida.  I also found myself wanting to wear big chunky necklaces and long skirts.  So, I did a bit of poking around online, and brought home one of the library's books of her art.  But then, I moved on to whatever the next thing I was reading....

This time, after watching the movie, I checked out two books: Frida Kahlo: The Brush of Anguish by Martha Zamora and Frida Kahlo: Portraits of an Icon.   The first book isn't very large, but it gives a lot of information about her life and her art, as well as photographs of her and pages of her paintings.   The second book is just photographs of Frida (and Diego Rivera).  I found it fascinating to study some of these photos after reading the first book, and then thinking about when the photo was taken and what was going on in her life at the time. 

Frida and Diego. 

She really was an interesting and vibrant woman, and while I can't say I love every single painting of hers, I find her art to be very thought-provoking.   Her personal life and the pain she suffered on a constant basis come through on her canvasses so clearly that you expect them to speak (or scream).  I don't know if I would have wanted to spend a lot of time around her, as her moods apparently could be quite unpredictable and volatile, especially toward the end of her life.  However, I can understand why so many people were drawn to her; she may not have had the happiest life, but she certainly seemed to live a life full of passion.   I do find it interesting that she was so drawn to Diego Rivera, even from an early age (and there was a substantial age difference between them).  However, although he wasn't the most handsome man, he apparently also had a lot of vitality and charm.  I can understand how their relationship could be both exciting and quite mercurial at times (he not only was quite charming, but many women found him attractive ... and he responded to that attention on a frequent basis).

So --- this isn't really a book review.  However, if you are interested in Frida, these two books are a good place to start. 

Wordless Wednesday .... a bit ahead of schedule.....

Since I'm in the mood, it being the first day of summer and all, didn't want to wait .....

This was taken on Isola Madre, Italy (off Stresa)

Exposure by Therese Fowler

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):   In Exposure, Therese Fowler has written her most gripping novel to date—a ripped-from-the-headlines story of ardent young love and a nightmarish legal maelstrom that threatens to destroy two families.

Amelia Wilkes’s strict father does not allow her to date, but that doesn’t stop the talented, winsome high school senior from carrying on a secret romance with her classmate Anthony Winter. Desperately in love, the two envision a life together and plan to tell Amelia’s parents only after she turns eighteen and is legally an adult. Anthony’s mother, Kim, who teaches at their school, knows—and keeps—their secret. But the couple’s passion is exposed sooner than planned: Amelia’s father, Harlan, is shocked and infuriated to find naked pictures of Anthony on his daughter’s computer. Just hours later, Anthony is arrested. Despite Amelia’s frantic protests, Harlan uses his wealth and influence with local law enforcement and the media to label Anthony a deviant who preyed on his innocent daughter. Spearheaded by a zealous prosecutor anxious to turn the case into a public crusade against “sexting,” the investigation soon takes an even more disturbing and destructive turn.  As events spiral wildly out of control and the scandalous story makes national news, Amelia and Anthony risk everything in a bold and dangerous attempt to clear their names and end the madness once and for all.

And here's what I thought:   My first thought after finishing this book was: I am so glad I am not a teenager.  I know, selfish, right?   But seriously -- the author's credits say "To my boys, who have to navigate a world fraught with challenges and dangers I never imagined as a teen."   Yes.    But enough about me --- how about the book?

The author does something very cool, and that's to tell the story from a number of different perspectives, setting it out there so that it's up to the reader to decide who's really responsible -- teens?  parents?    The two teens, Amelia and Anthony, are a bit Romeo and Juliet-ish due to Amelia's extremely strict parents.   They have good intentions, and they are in love ... but they are both a bit naive.   As an adult, and knowing what I do about how files can embed themselves in computers, sexting just seems like a bad idea.   And this is a point that is driven home in this book.

The parents in this story make an interesting counterpoint to the teens.  While Anthony's mother seems more laid-back and open to different ways to handle the situation, Amelia's father is completely the opposite.  In fact, he's the one who really blows the whole thing into a huge legal battle.   Instead of talking to Amelia and finding a way to discipline her when he finds the pictures on her computer, he immediately calls the police, saying he's like to "report a kind of sexual assault, I guess you'd call it---" (p. 60).   He's a bit one-dimensional and unrealistic in how overprotective he is, and how he reacts to everything.   However, I'm sure there are parents like this -- who have good intentions, but whose strong reactions cause a problem to blow up into something truly awful.

The story starts out somewhat slowly, building up to when Amelia's father finds the photos, and then starts to escalate from there, ramping up as first the police arrest Anthony, then turn and arrest Amelia.    The setting has a lot to do with it -- where these families live, the DA is pretty hard-nosed, and seems to want to make an example out of these kids, so he flexes the law as much as he can.   It's actually very frustrating, but it's interesting to see what happens when it all turns on Amelia's father, and she's arrested.   You can feel him backpedaling, trying to figure out how he can get control of the situation (and realizing that there's really not much he can do, now that he has started the process).     Things keep escalating until Anthony and Amelia decide to do something desperate, and it looks like this love story will end in tragedy.

It did feel like the author was being a bit heavy-handed at times with the "sexting is a bad idea" message.   The characters also sometimes seemed a bit predictable -- Amelia, as Juliet, has strict, overbearing parents, with an especially controlling father, while Anthony, as Romeo, is being raised by a single mother who is naturally more open-minded and forgiving.   However, it was interesting to see how this situation not only affected the teens, but the parents, as well.   I got annoyed with Amelia's father right away and at times, felt like his character was a bit over-the-top, veering too far into "obvious villain" territory.   However, this story definitely shows how decisions made by teens can have a much larger impact beyond just their own lives, impacting the lives (and finances) of their parents and making everyone's future uncertain.  Is it realistic?  Some of it, yes.   While the characters might not be completely realistic at all times, the situation of sexting, and what happens when teens get caught (especially the potential legal ramifications) is something that we see in headlines pretty regularly.     This is an emotional book about an important issue.   Whether it will resonate with every reader the same way, I think depends on the reader's own experiences and age.   If you usually like books by Jodi Picoult and are a fan of realistic fiction about social issues, this will be a real page-turner.    It's clear the author is passionate about this issue, and it comes through clearly in the story.

First sentences:  Nine hours before the police arrived, Anthony Winter stood, barefoot and wild, on the narrow front porch of the house he shared with his mother.  The painted wooden planks were damp and cool beneath his feet, but he hardly noticed."

Thoughts on the cover:  Completely in line with the story and very eye-catching, especially as the girl's eye catches yours as she is looking over the boy's shoulder.

Friday means it's Hopping Time!

Another week down!   I don't know about all of you, but this week seemed to fly by --  and here we are again at the Book Blogger Hop.

why yes, I do believe I'll hop!

I always look forward to the Hop, even if it means I spend a bit too much time noodling around online.  I think it's great that Jennifer always hosts -- and it's her 5-year anniversary today, so stop on over and leave her a nice little message, okay?   

This weekend might not have as much hopping for me -- I'm working tomorrow, and have family plans for Sunday .....  but I'm still going to go around and visit as much as I can.

This week's question is:  "How many books are currently in your TBR (to-be-read) pile?"   Um....  maybe I should just count what's physically in the library bag right now, which is 8.    I used to keep an Excel spreadsheet of what I wanted to read and it got to about 2000 books before I stopped adding to it.   Now, I just try to manage things through my library account, putting things on hold for myself and making a few notes.     I will say this --- being a librarian is both a blessing and a curse if you're a book addict like myself.   I manage certain parts of the collection (meaning -- I order books) and that means I'm always looking at Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, and a ton of other review sources.   Which means ....  I am always seeing what shiny, new books are coming out.    Add to that all of the great books I hear about from book bloggers and it's easy to see how my TBR list could get completely overgrown and out of control.    I just try to stay on top of it.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!  

Wordless Wednesday - door in Bellagio

Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):   It is the summer of 1980. A tamed brown bear finds himself tempted by the lure of freedom and the wild open sea. . . Meanwhile a grieving, broken family arrive on a windswept island in the Outer Hebrides, looking for the time and space to understand the strange, bewildering events that led to the loss of their husband and father.    
Letty clings to the island, the place of her birth –hoping it, and the tight community around her, will slowly begin to fill the void she feels within. For how can she ever begin to explain to her children that their diplomat father may have betrayed his country? Georgie, the eldest, has a secret. She knows more about her father's affairs than she can bear to reveal . . . Alba, the middle child, despises many things: over-polished furniture, easy listening music and shiny food. But most of all she hates the fact that everyone seems to be keeping things from her. Jamie, the youngest, accepts his mind doesn’t work in quite the same way as everyone else’s, but what he can’t understand is –if his father is lost, why isn’t anyone else trying to find him?

As the community’s search for the escaped bear intensifies, Jamie finds himself inexplicably drawn towards the beast. But when a storm sweeps across the island, the family once again find themselves facing the worst; and as events converge and mysteries are unearthed, the bear finally discovers his true purpose.

And here's what I thought:   Let's try a few words, shall we?   Lyrical.  Haunting.  Provocative.   I really enjoyed this story (and actually, was a bit surprised because from the description, I just wasn't sure how it would be).    I found the author just pulled me in, weaving the story in and around itself, and keeping me guessing about what was going to happen next.   I was sure I knew what might have happened to Nicky (Letty's husband), but then I wasn't sure --- there is a mystery surrounding him, and just when I thought I might know what was going on, something would change.    Bella Pollen writes in such a lyrical way --- I just savored certain passages of this book.   When she writes about the bear, it's pure poetry in parts.    And her pace in this book is so even that when things start to pick up, you almost don't realize it at first, and then you notice you're reading faster and faster.  At least, that was my experience.

The characters in this book are so varied -- which means that as you experience the story through them, it's constantly changing (which I like).  I don't usually break it down this way, but it's almost easier this way ---

Letty:   the mother, whose husband has died in an accident (was it really an accident?).  Turns out that she may not have known her husband as well as she thought she did --- which makes dealing with his death even more difficult.   Is she likeable?  Most of the time, although I sometimes became frustrated with her lack of interest in her children (although I chalked up her attitude to depression). 

Georgie:  the eldest daughter, she's quiet and somewhat withdrawn.  It seems like she's just trying to get through her current situation so she can move on and go away to school, thus escaping the rest of her family.   However, just when you think you've got her character sewn up tight, she does something unpredictable. 

Jamie:  the youngest, he seems a bit ... off.   Jamie sees the world in a completely different way than the rest of his family.  Is he simple in the head?  Hard to say.  Jamie definitely has a brain that works differently than most of us.  
He is definitely connected to The Bear.   At first, when you get the Bear's perspective, it's a bit odd --- but Pollen writes him in a completely believable, bear-like way.   But the odd thing is --- is he just a bear?  He's definitely not an average bear, and there is a clear connection that he has to Jamie.   But is he real?   Example:  (p. 126) -- But Jamie had already disappeared inside his head.  How was it possible?  The bear from the museum.  The bear on his flyer.  The bear waiting for him at the Zirkusplatz the day of his father's accident.  And now here he was on the island.  His island.  his bear.

"Hello, bear," Jamie whispered.
"Hello, Jamie," the bear answered.

Wonder what's going on here?  So did I.   And no, I'm not telling --- you'll need to read the book.    However, I will say that The Bear, as a physical bear, is real.   He's described: "The wrestler's grizzly is a hostile bugger, an aggressive beastie."  (p. 132).    I love the word beastie, by the way.
Alba (I've saved her for last):  the middle child, she's completely awful.   All the time.   She's constantly seething, using her anger to propel herself through the story.  When we first meet her in the book, in Chapter 2, it's quite clear that she's always angry or annoyed about something.    Example: "It annoyed Alba that people accused her of hating things indiscriminately.  It wasn't true.  She had her reasons for feeling the way she did and they were good ones... She resented fish, loathed any form of sentimentality and strongly believed that doors should be kept either open or shut, but never in-between."   (p. 9).   She seems to take special delight in tormenting Jamie (perhaps because he seems to be so intent on looking up to her and loving her), but she doesn't limit her nastiness to just him; she spreads it around and takes her attitude everywhere.   While I didn't like her, I found her to be an interesting character.  I will admit to having foul moods on occasion, but the idea of having this much irritation just boiling away constantly is draining just to think of (I don't know how Alba maintains it at the level she does).   Alba's definitely a compelling character -- and she makes an unusual sort of foil for the other characters.

Do I have you curious about this book?  I certainly hope so.   I thought it was a wonderful read.

First sentences: "It was the smell that drove him wild.  As though the ocean itself was a tantalizing soup made from the freshest ingredients and he couldn't get enough of it."

Thoughts on the cover:  At first, I wasn't sure -- this isn't the average cover art, with a shiny photo and striking font.  However, the more I look at it, the more I like it.  I like how the bear is an outlined shape, surrounded by swirling images of plants and water.  Quite cool, actually.


Please note:  I read an uncorrected proof of this book.  Thus, any quotes and page numbers may differ from the finalized book.