The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

My husband picked up this book because he liked some of Chabon's other books. He read it quickly, enjoyed it, and suggested I read it knowing that I like mysteries. Maybe it was my frame of mind, but I just couldn't get into the flow of this book. So much so that I read the first 50 pages, skimmed most of the book, and read the last chapter to see 'whodunit.' I don't feel like I missed too much.
Chabon has a unique style of writing. He is one of the few authors I know who writes a male equivalent to chick lit. The books deal with male bonding and problems more specific to men. In this instance I just did not feel engaged in the story line. Among other things I think my aversion had to do with the premise for the book. The story takes place in an alternate present in which Israel has fallen to the Arabs and much of the Jewish population has relocated to Alaska. As the novel starts Alaska is one year away from being given back to the United States (much like Hong Kong's return to China in 1997.) Being a historian I had a hard time relating to the premise.
In addition the book uses heavy Jewish jargon/slang which made it hard to read easily. I got the impression much of the book was tongue in cheek but I was outside the know and missed the joke.
I haven't told my husband yet that I have given up on yet another book that he recommended - another in that list includes Everything is Illuminated. He's also still waiting for me to finish the Gunslinger/Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. All in good time.
Since it is summer time and much of my reading will be done in the backyard while my boys run rampant around me, I think it is time for something light, enjoyable, and easy to read when continuously interrupted.

Claws and Effect by Rita Mae Brown

I picked up the ninth Mrs. Murphy mystery books by Rita Mae Brown because I needed something light. After Lionel Shriver and P. D. James I wanted something that didn't make me think deep thoughts. This book was effective for that. It was a light, breezy read.
I enjoy reading about the Crozet/Charlottesville area because I can relate to it. I like the dialogue between the animals and their environmental messages that shine through.
However, I'm getting somewhat tired of this series. I feel like Brown has kept them going because they're a cash cow. Each story she has a novel problem to solve, but they have become formulaic. And in this one the denouement was flat. There was no real surprise, no real expectation. The mystery was solved, the story was over.
I'll read the other Mrs. Murphy books because they're sitting on my shelf and because a light mystery is a nice break from time to time, but I'm no longer heavily engaged in the series.

The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver

I read this book for my book group. It's not a book I would have normally picked up, nor would I even be aware of it had someone else not recommended it. I always enjoy reading things outside my normal scope, so on that level, it was enjoyable. But, if asked in one word whether I liked this book or not, my answer would simply be no.
Shriver writes about a lot of compelling topics. She brings to the forefront issues in relationships that are worth pondering. She did make me stop and evaluate moments in my own relationship. On that level, I found the story engaging. (oh, and it is very sexual. A LOT of the relationship angst dwells in minutiae of long-term sexual relations. I wasn't offended, but I honestly didn't need to know that much detail about anybody's sex life. - but I do give Shriver kudos for writing so blatantly about sex.)
In addition, the format of the book is relatively unique. If you have seen the movie Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow it has a similar layout. In the novel the main character has a choice to make in the first chapter - whether to kiss a man who is not her significant other. The rest of the book alternates chapters based on her decision. The first is her life having kissed Ramsey Acton, famous snooker player in London. The second is her life having resisted the urge.
Here's my problem with the book though. In order to follow the two story lines to their logical conclusions, the book becomes trite. The author essentially had to create polar opposite story lines to keep the reader reading. Reading the same information in each chapter would not have logically worked. In addition, it would be too easy for the scenario in which she cheated on Lawrence to end badly and the scenario in which she was faithful to end well. But it is almost more obvious to reverse those scenarios: she cheats, yet it all works out in the end and she's faithful, but in fact that was not the right choice. I spent most of the book just waiting for it to be over to see if I was correct in my assumptions. On a overarching level, I was.
Finally, I didn't like the main character (considering that I couldn't even remember her name until just now tells you how memorable she was). Irina McGovern has to depend on her relationship with a man. Admittedly relationships do define much of who were are but I grew to dislike the character in both story lines. She needed to grow a back bone, stand up for herself, and leave both of the men. It's hard to read 500 pages when you know you're just going to get repeatedly annoyed at the protagonist.
Now, I'm just curious to get to book group and see if everyone else loved the book. If they did, I may be sitting quietly for most of the evening, because I'm not sure I will have much to add that's positive.

Children of Men by P. D. James

My mom sent me a copy of Children of Men after I told her I had seen the movie. This was one of those rare instances where I am glad that I saw the film before having read the book. There are often times when someone will think, "wow, the book was so much better than the movie." There are rare times when someone will think, "wow, the movie was actually better than the book." But, it is unusual - in my experience - to think "wow, those two stories had almost nothing to do with one another."
Don't get me wrong, the world that P. D. James created is the same world that is seen in the film. The main character is the same. There are one or two scenes that are almost word for word identical between the movie and the book. But overall, the two stories are vastly different. Both good, but with completely different motivations, themes, and outcomes. Honestly, I would have to say, given a choice, I liked the movie better than the book. The movie, staring Clive Owen, was incredible. All of my cinema students raved about the cinematography and the development of the theme. It was a fantastically interesting post-apocalyptic style movie. There are a lot of relevant contemporary topics that the movie addresses in very subtle ways.
James' novel, on the other hand, took a futuristic world in order to examine the inner workings of a jaded academic and his relationship with his cousin who has become the Warden of England. Much of the story revolves around Theo's inner thoughts about the state of the world. He is completely self-absorbed and only looks outside of himself when he gets to know Julian. There is very little examination of greater social ills that make the movie so fascinating.
If nothing else, I was intrigued to read a futuristic novel by P.D. James who is much better known for her mystery series. This book seems like a stark break from her general style. I am curious to go back and read some of her other work now and see if I can find the threads that led to the creation of the Children of Men world.
I wouldn't recommend this book if you loved the movie and want to know more about the world. You won't find it in this novel. To be honest, I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to. My husband hated it, but wanted me to read it. His comment was that he disliked the main character and couldn't relate to him or empathize with him. I didn't feel quite that strongly. But it is not the most uplifting read.

The Forest by Edward Rutherfurd

I love Edward Rutherfurd. He writes amazing books. They are long sweeping epics that focus on a geographical area. I was first introduced to Rutherfurd after reading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (and yes, I'm anxiously waiting for World Without End - the sequel - to be published in paperback). The first Rutherfurd book I read was Sarum which chronicles the story of Salisbury and the Salisbury Cathedral. The Forest returns to a similar world and chronicles the story of the New Forest located just south of Salisbury.
All of Rutherfurd's books follow the lives of four of five families over a millennium. In the course of the story fortunes are won and lost, hearts are broken, and the world changes around these small somewhat inconsequential individuals. Famous characters do appear in the periphery of Rutherfurd's books, but they are never the story of Queen Elizabeth or Winston Churchill. They are the story of normal, everyday people.
I found that I was reading along at a brisk pace, really enjoying The Forest when I suddenly came to a grinding halt. One particular chapter was really tedious. It took place in the late-1790s and should have been fascinating, but it really drug relative to the other stories. One particular character, Mrs. Grockleton, was such a clear mirror of Mrs. Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She is amusing, but almost too much of a caricature. The rest of the chapter was plodding, which I rarely find with Rutherfurd. I usually enjoy his long detailed description of locale and how it changes over such a broad range of time.
Once I finally skimmed and plowed my way through that chapter, the pace picked up again. The surest mark of a good book to me is the way that I feel as I read the last line. With The Forest I was pleasantly content. It was a really good book. I learned a lot - not 'useful' information per se - but I know more about Southern England than I did. And I was pleasantly entertained.
This is not a book for the lighthearted. It is over 600 pages long and it is dense. Rutherfurd relies on really detailed descriptions. But, if you like epics - think John Jakes or Leon Uris - then any book by Rutherfurd, including The Forest, is worth your time.

Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle

This is the second book in the coffee house mystery series. I enjoyed it. It was a nice light read. But I didn't love it. As I mentioned with the first book, this series tends towards chick lit. This book was very much a product of that genre.
As with typical chick lit there was a terribly handsome man. He was perfect. He was attainable. But, for the long term the main character could not end up with Mr. Right. Something had to be wrong - of course. The book is set up to make you wonder if Mr. Right is in fact the killer. But that would clearly be way too obvious.
The outcome of the book reads like a movie we've all seen (although I can't remember right now what movie that is. Nor would I want to give away the ending). It's just a bit too cliche.
If you love coffee it is still a fun read. If you want something light, you like series where you can follow the life of a character, and you want to learn esoteric facts about coffee then definitely read this book. However, after reading this one, I don't feel any need to pick up any more Cleo Coyle coffee house books. There's better stuff out there.
Oh, and Cleo Coyle is in fact a pen name for this couple. One author ( or group of authors) writing more than one series of mystery books seems to be a growing theme. It's probably good for business, but let some other people have a chance. Maybe getting some new authors on the shelves would open up some novel ideas that are less pat and over done.

Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osbourne

I have heard moms talk about the Magic Tree House series for at least two years. Last summer I browsed through a couple of the books at the stores and just didn't feel that engaged in them. They seemed too fantastical for my three year old son who was a very literal little boy.
Two weeks ago we were at the library's semi-annual book sale and they had the first six books in the series for 75c each. Since we have progressed to chapter books, my son is a year older, and this year is all about imagination adventures in our back yard, I thought we would try again.
He LOVED Dinosaurs Before Dark. We read most of the book in one sitting. He gasped with surprise. He was beside himself when the T-Rex showed up. He jumped and sat with his legs on the couch when Jack got to ride the pteranodon. I have honestly never seen the boy that excited over a book (At least not since he was a toddler and first discovered books with cars in them).
As soon as we finished Dinosaurs, we had to go get the other five books and see what they were about. We laid them all out. We figured out what order they went in. We looked inside the front cover to compare the pictures of the books. He wanted to jump immediately to Pirates Past Noon since he is still on the pirate kick. But, he was willing to concede to reading books two and three first.
So far The Knight at Dawn has not captured his imagination as much. But, I hold out hope. We just need another weekend day when we can sit on the couch together and really get involved. I will just say, I'm thrilled that there are good books out there for boys that engage their imagination and get them interested in reading. Yay! for Magic Tree House.