Happy Valentine's Day!

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at The Printed Page, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

The Library of Clean Reads is hosting in February.

Last week was my birthday, so I got a couple of books for presents. I also got a couple for myself and a new release from Hawthorne Books.

The Chronology of Water: A Memoir by Lidia Yuknavitch (from Hawthorne)



Of German Ways by Lavern Rippley (one of my birthday presents from a friend who knew I would love it)



Weekends for Two in the Pacific Northwest: 50 Romantic Getaways by Bill Gleeson (from my mom for my birthday)



The Crime of the Century and Difficulties With Girls, both by Kingsley Amis (I got these for myself after my mom introduced me to ThriftBooks.com, my new favorite book site).

Review of the Day: Breathing Lessons

I could have guessed before starting Breathing Lessons that the book would involve an ordinary family in Baltimore facing problems in an awkward but genuine way and somehow bumbling through to a moderately happy and definitely realistic end. That description fits every Anne Tyler book I’ve read and it fits this one too.

Unfortunately, this book sticks close to the basic theme without the variations that made the others I’ve read more interesting. For instance, Digging to America applies the basic theme to immigrant families; The Amateur Marriage takes the story further, to a post-divorce phase; The Accidental Tourist takes the show on the road to Paris; and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant turns it around to the children’s perspective.

In contrast, Breathing Lessons is the basic story. It takes place in one day, when Ira and Maggie Moran drive to a funeral and, on the way back, stop to visit their granddaughter in Maggie’s attempt to reconcile their son and former daughter-in-law. In describing the events of the day, Tyler tells the story of the Morans’ courtship, marriage, and children’s lives. She does it with her typical and impressive authenticity.

My only problem was that Tyler’s authenticity seemed too typical. Stripped of the variations that livened up the other books, Breathing Lessons lacked a hook to grab my attention. If this had been the first Anne Tyler book I ever read, I would have loved it. But having read four others already, I felt like I was covering old territory with this one.

OTHER REVIEWS

If you would like your review of this book listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it.

NOTES

Tyler won the Pulitzer Prize for Breathing Lessons.  It was my Pulitzer choice for the 2011 Battle of the Prizes, American Version challenge.

Review of the Day: Shipwrecks, Monsters, and Mysteries of the Great Lakes

Shipwrecks, Monsters, and Mysteries of the Great Lakes by Ed Butts.

This is a short book with 10 stories of Great Lakes adventures, including monsters sighted on these inland seas and a sampling of the 6,000 or so ships lost on the Great Lakes since the Griffon disappeared in 1679.

It is a quick and interesting read for adults.  It would be a great book to read with kids ready to learn history. All the adventures and mysteries would make learning about inter-coastal commerce, industrial development, and navigable waterways much more interesting.

OTHER REVIEWS

If you would like your review of this book listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it.

NOTES

I got this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program.  I am making good progress on my list, but still have a few to go.

Opening Sentence of the Day: The Food of France

"As far back as the records go, the people of the land now known as France have thought of food in terms of its taste more often than in terms of its nutritive qualities."

-- The Food of France by Waverley Root.

This has been on my TBR shelf for way too long.  I am so pleased to finally read it.

It was first published in 1958.  I am interested to see if things have changed, food-wise, in France since then.  Certainly Michael Steinberger makes the case that is has in Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France, which I reviewed here.

This is on my French Connections list and is the first book I am reading for the Foodie's Reading Challenge.