I find, in my personal opinion, that male authors do not write women very well. But as I flipped through this tale, I became very intrigued with the author – Mr. Amor Towles – a man who seems to capture the very essence of the female mind in a way only comparable with Truman Capote a la Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Yes, yes, I am actually comparing this little-known author to authorific great, Capote, but with due cause – observe …

“As a quick aside, let me observe that in moments of high emotion – whether they’re triggered by anger or envy, humiliation or resentment – if the next thing you’re going to say makes you feel better, then it’s probably the wrong thing to say. This is one of the finer maxims in life. And you can have it, since it’s been no use to me.”

Amor Towles, a graduate of Yale and Stanford, is actually not a writer by day – however, he works for an investment firm. And I do not know if he is any good at his day job, but he is a terrific, poetic, honest and open author. His story was touching in the best way. Plus, in addition to truly ‘getting’ the female mystique, the man writes about New York like he has actually lived, loved, and experienced New York. Case in point, Amor’s spot-on analysis of the nuances of commuting:

“Anyone who has ridden the subway twice a day to earn their bread knows how it goes: When you board, you exhibit the same persona you use with your colleagues and acquaintances. You’ve carried it through the turnstile and past the sliding doors, so that your fellow passengers can tell who you are – cocky or cautious, amorous or indifferent, loaded or on the dole. But you find yourself a seat and the train gets under way; it comes to one station and then another; people get off and others get on. And under the influence of the cradlelike rocking of the train, your carefully crafted persona begins to slip away. The super-ego dissolves as your mind begins to wander aimlessly over your cares and your dreams; or better yet, it drifts into ambient hypnosis, where even cares and dreams recede and the peaceful silence of the cosmos pervades … what a relief it was, those few minutes with our guard down and our gaze inexact, finding the one true solace that human isolation allows.”

Now, I have not shared much detail of the story with you, this is true. But that is because I want you to read this tale. In fact, I urge you, plead with you, beg you. Then I would love for you to come back here and tell me about your experience with this story. Did it touch you as it did me? Did you find yourself highlighting parts of the book so that you could quickly reread certain sections later? Did you find the characters to be as real, and as fallible, and as truly unforgettable as I did? It is times like these I wish I was still a part of a book club – because novels such as ‘Rules of Civility’ can only get better after a nice hearty discussion.

And remember, “I guess there are two sides to every story. And, as usual, they were both excuses.” So tell me what your side is to this story and don’t give me any excuses.

The deal is thus … you bring a book, you share a book, you take a book, you read a book. This is how I came to hold ‘The Girl in Blue’. See, a friend had given me two of the ‘Twilight’ books because he was uninterested in the tale – and I admit to feeling the exact same way. But throwing away a book is incredibly wasteful, so instead I brought the two tomes to my book exchange and instead found this brightly-covered, humorous, little gem and was able to enjoy a tale much more to my liking.

‘The Girl is Blue’ is my first Wodehouse – of the Sir Pelham Grenville variety - and although I have always heard terrific things about the author, for some reason I have just never picked up one of his fanciful tales. Well, poo poo to me – because I was really missing out. He is hilarious. He is charming. He is adorable. He is British. Quote in point:

‘Anything in life that’s any fun, as someone wisely observed, is either immoral, illegal, or fattening.’

It was a simple, bordering-on-silly story full of multiple interesting and memorable characters. The plot touches on such ‘heavy’ themes as gambling, broken engagements, thievery, love, family fortune, heartbreak, and debt – but does so in such a cheerful and boisterous way that the reader has fun the entire way through the tale.

I am not sure I know exactly who to even call the ‘main’ characters in the book, because there were so many but if I had to hazard an assumption I would say the two main characters are Jerry and Jane. But they are surrounded by Barney, and Chippendale, and Vera, and Crispin, and Willoughby … and a few others – which all help to keep this read swift and blissful.

The good news is that most of Wodehouse’s books and short stories are now available for free download, which means I will be never be stuck on a late-running train without a book again. And it also means that you, dear reader, have no excuse to NOT read a Wodehouse. I have already chosen ‘A Damsel in Distress’ as my next P.G. read, and if you decide to jump on the Wodehouse wagon, I would love to hear what you think of his tales.

I originally found Sarah Addison Allen sitting on a clearance bin. Well not her exactly, obviously – but one of her novels, The Sugar Queen. And ever since I have been hooked. The woman writes women well. She speaks to my heart and is so dear and enlightening about love and relationships – platonic or passionate. Sarah reminds me that sometimes there is still magic  however small in the world. And when my husband bought me two more of her novels for my birthday, it only took me three days to fly through them both. Then my sister bought me one last Allen and  I blew through it overnight, not that this will be the only time I read through these tomes – these books are repeat offenders.

GARDEN SPELLS

Garden Spells is a book that centers first and foremost on the estranged relationship of two sisters. There are other relationships touching on love and motherhood that are explored and develop within the course of the tale – but the relationship between these two sisters, Claire and Sydney, is the defining aspect of the novel. These sisters not only have trouble relating to each other, but they have trouble relating to the world on whole. Sydney is running and attempting to protect her infant child from an abusive boyfriend, and Claire is just running from everyone – afraid to let love in or feel any pain.

Some favorite quotes of note:

‘… she tasted regret in her mouth. With a frown, she spit it out.’

‘She was so wound up that frustration singed the edge of her nightgown and she set tiny fires with her fingertips.’

‘When you know something’s wrong, but you don’t know exactly what it is, the air around you changes.’

‘It was like watching a dance when only one of the dancers know the steps.’

THE PEACH KEEPER

‘The Peach Keeper’ at it’s core is a novel that explores the friendships and bonds between women of a certain age. The two main characters in this novel – Willa and Paxton – are polar opposites, in different social circles, and at the end of the day, both incredibly lonely. It was only when they are able to find each other – and accept each other’s friendship and faults – that they found happiness and security and a return to the joy of life.

Some favorite quotes of note:

‘There was a strange but universal understanding among women. On some level, all women knew, they all understood,  the fear of being outnumbered, of being helpless. It throbbed in their chests when they thought about the times the left stores and were followed. The knocks on their car windows as they were sitting alone at red lights, and strangers asking for rides. Having too much to drink and losing their ability to be forceful enough to just say no. Smiling at strange men coming on to them, not wanting to hurt their feelings, not wanting to make a scene. All women remembered these things, even if they had never happened to them personally. It was just part of their collective unconscious.’

‘Those who decided to stick with her would be her true friends. The others would just be scenery.’

‘Happiness is a risk. If you’re not a little scared, then you’re not doing it right.’

‘Right now everyone is drinking bad wine made of sour grapes and hysteria.’

‘She inhaled deeply, instinctively wanting to savor it, but then she nearly choked when it landed on her tongue with a bitter taste … that her grandmother had described to her once … was exactly what regret tasted like.’

‘Every life needs a little space. It leaves room for good things to enter it.’

THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON

This novel was probably my least favorite of all of Sarah’s novels, but still not a story to miss out on. This story does not necessarily focus on one story or one character’s dilemma, but really issues surrounding several characters in a small southern town. That is probably why this story was not my super favorite, because my attention and compassion was spread out all willy-nilly and I lost some focus. Mainly, the story is about Emily and her reconnection with her grandfather – and the people she comes into contact with throughout this small town in North Carolina. Of course, there are some magical occurrences and some witty conversations, but in the end, the story is about acceptance and friendship and love and family – not too shabby.

Some favorite quotes of note:

‘We have history, you and I. You just don’t know it yet.’

‘Your peers when you’re a teenager will always be the keepers of your embarrassments and regrets.’

‘Adolescence is like having only enough light to see the step directly in front of you, and no further.’

I know I will wait with bated breath for Sarah’s next novel and until then I will probably read through her current novels a second or third time, or read some little tidbits on this fascinating woman. As for my little vice, some vices are worth kicking – but this little literature bug of mine, I think I will revel in it for good. And I would recommend reading a Sarah Addison Allen to anyone who enjoys a little enchantment.

And me  - expecting a sweet little story – found an in-your-face, wham bam, bordering-on-vulgar, yet nonetheless exciting mobster tale. Let me tell you, dear little Jackie Collins has got a mouth on her like a truck driver. She frequently drops the f’bomb, hesitates little in calling women C-U-Next-Tuesdays or – most blush-inducing for me because I hate the word – the p word {the p-word = sometimes followed by cat or willow}, and describes sexual acts in extreme details, aka this book is NOT for the faint of heart.

However, with a strong female lead like Lucky Santangelo, there is no way I could not love this novel. I am a sucker for a strong dame, as you might have guessed by a few of my other reads such as this one or this one. So many novels are full of sniveling, sad, and sorry excuses for women; women whom cry when they don’t get their way yet do nothing to change their station in life, whom obey every word their husbands mutter, whom do not think but instead titter through life – in other words, women I can just not relate to – nor want to. Lucky, however, while she might have started life semi-resembling the above, she soon learns to think, act, and behave outside her station – that of the helpless housewife her father attempted to make her.

Apparently there are other books in the series – ‘Lucky’, ‘Lady Boss’, ‘Lucky’s Revenge’, ‘Dangerous Kiss’, and ‘Drop Dead Beautiful’ – the last of which I read several years ago when I received the novel as a gift without knowing that this was a series tale. I have to say Lucky has hooked me into her story so much so that I am very curious to continue her tale.

WONDERPUG RATING: 3 Stars; the characters are memorable but the language is a little off-putting.

These next two series books were a continuation of Elphaba’s tale {aka the Wicked Witch of the West}, or more specifically those she left behind after her bizarre and accidental death. Now as a youth I was a big fan of the L. Frank Baum ‘Oz’ books and read nearly all of them {there is more than just the Judy Garland as dorothy infamous tale}, and I did like how some of the original little tidbits from Baum’s version did make an appearance – however different – in these two novels.

The book, ‘Son of a Witch’ mostly told the story of Liir – the suspected son of Elphaba. And although he was not a very likeable character – at least in my opinion – it was still a very interesting and at times unexpected story. Liir by the end of the story has learned to fly Elphaba’s broom; impregnated the woman who nursed him back to health; had a relationship with a fellow military man; and met his newborn, green daughter. The end of the book leaves the reader completely confused and wondering what could possibly happen to Liir – and his new daughter.

‘Indeed, she often worried if she were dead, or dying from the inside out, and that was the root of her calm … the reason she could surrender her character.’

The book, ‘A Lion Among Men’ – as assumed – continues the tale of the Cowardly Lion who traveled to the Emerald City with the famed Dorothy, but this tale also assumes to story of Liir’s young playmate Nor and the odd, frightening Mother Yackle. You hear little to nothing about the whereabouts of Liir, his newborn daughter, or his girlfriend – but the inference that they are alive and operating is clear. The Lion’s story is both disheartening and alarming – it is a story of a creature who has no home, no family, and little to no morals. But in the end it seems as if the Lion has turned over a new leaf and is now ready to fight alongside Liir and Nor.

WONDERPUG RATING: 3 stars; while these two stories were not as captivating as Wicked, they were still interesting enough to wet my appetite for the final tome in the series.

The story opens as three sisters: Rosalind, Bianca and Cordelia – named after characters from Shakespeare’s infamous writings – head back to their childhood home, for three different reasons and with three very different internal issues to work out.

The book’s title – and three sister collective – derive their name from the witches, also known as the Weird Sisters, in Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Macbeth’. The girls were named purposely after characters from Shakespeare by their father – a great lover of the Bard of Avon – and the novel is sprinkled with quotes from dear old Willy.

‘We wear our names heavily. And though we have tried to escape their influence, they have seeped into us, and we find ourselves living their patterns again and again.’

The story chronicles the changes taking place in each sister, along with how the sisters relate to each other.  The story is written in a quirky first-person plural omniscient narrative style … meaning the narrator seems to know everything that happens and everything that is coursing through the minds of each of the three sisters, thus the text is largely peppered with ‘we should have known’ and ‘we thought’ and ‘we feel’.  As a middle sister myself, I found myself most drawn to Bianca – the promiscuous {which I am not}, attention-seeking {which I, at times, am}, fashion-loving {yes, please} sister whom, in my opinion, changes the most throughout the course of the book  and she does so with style and flair.

‘I’m just like this speed bump in the middle, slowing everyone down because I keep fucking up.’

The novel deals with sisterhood and life in brutal honesty. The sisters are not lovely-dovey, always there for each other, sniveling snots – they are real {believe me, I am one of three and great chunks of this novel rang 300 percent truthful to little old me.} And as you go through the story you are privy to happy memories, sad memories and bursts of wisdom.

‘Forgetting wasn’t the same as being happy. Being drunk wasn’t the same as forgetting … we were at our most miserable when we’re doing it to ourselves.’

WONDERPUG RATING: 4 stars; a very honest assessment of sisterhood in a novel that only puttered out at the end – the author attempted to wrap up the tale too tightly in a pretty, perfect little bow … a direct contradiction to the characters’ earlier joint statement: ‘Sisters are supposed to be tight and connected, sharing family history and lore, laughing over misadventures. But we are not that way. We never have been, really, because even our partnering was more for spite than for love. Who are these sisters who act like this, who treat each other as best friends? … See, we love each other. We just don’t happen to like one another very much.’ Nonetheless, a novel worth your time – if you have sisters or not.

A.) It was on clearance
B.) I was desperate for a book
C.) I like sugar
D.) I admired the font treatment used

What I did not expect was this book to be so incredibly:

A.) Heart-warming
B.) Mystical
C.) Enchanting

Sarah Addison Allen, you have discovered a new fan in me. What a terrific, yet easy-to-read tale. The story is comprised of a miserably perfect, ice-queen mother; an over-weight, over-sheltered daughter; a philandering father; and the hidden, half-siblings that were kept secret. In fact the whole premise of the novel speaks of secrets that can no longer stay hidden. and human nature. And loneliness. And correcting mistakes. And pain.

‘Sometimes you weren’t supposed to share pain. Sometimes it was best just to deal with it alone.’

I really enjoyed it. It was a very honest story – even with all the fantastical, mystical aspects – which is a hard combination to write. And I enjoyed how at the end of the book, the characters found a resolutions of sorts, without the story being truly ended or wrapped up in a perfect bow.

WONDERPUG RATING: 4 stars. A lovely read; perfect for beach season, or any season really. I plan on picking up a few more Allen’s asap.

I picked up a moleskin formatted perfectly for my purposes – and of course, I end up drawing all over it {I am just not a girl to give clean paper to}. The journal has a spot for the name of the book, author, dates published, date read, publishing house, original language, quotes, your rating 1-5, your personal feelings, etc. I find that I would like a little more space for recording quotes – but overall this book has enriched my literary experiences.

Honestly, who knows if I will actually keep this journal until the day I die, but I sure know I am going to give it ye old college try. And in order to keep myself organized on the go – and stop myself from purchasing duplicate novels – I signed up for GoodReads. I have to say, I am thus far very impressed with this book-lover social media site.  I can access it via my home computer or on my phone, and am bordering on obsession with this latest way to keep organized and informed. I have found so many great recommendations from friends! Ps> Be my friend on GoodReads.

‘The Paris Wife’ is an exaggerated and semi-fictionalized account of the relationship between famed, slightly misogynist, writer Ernest Hemingway and {his first wife – out of four} Elizabeth Hadley Richardson – of whom the above quotation references.

The book is narrated through the eyes and heart of Elizabeth – referred to by all who knew her as Hadley or Hen. The book is heart-filling and heart-wrenching all at the same time. You love and supremely hate Ernest Hemingway in the span of 314 pages. And whether you are a fan of Ernest or not, it is impossible not to become a fan of his red-haired first wife while reading this novel.

She is deliciously self-deprecating and humble about herself:

‘If the women in Paris were peacocks, I was a garden-variety hen,’

And also incredibly honest and open about her relationship:

‘I got the very best of him {Ernest}. We got the very best of each other.’

Hadley, at the end, survives not only a horribly embarrassing affair by her husband, but she does so with grace and aplomb – and in an era where separation and divorce were not openly acceptable. She stands strong as her husband openly seduces and beds one of her very good girlfriends – in front of her and with little to no remorse. I for one could not act as ladylike as she did. She truly mimics the narcissus she once saw and marveled about.

‘The first time I saw a narcissus pushing through the ice and thriving, I thought it was perfect and wanted that kind of determination for myself.’

WONDERPUG RATING: 4 Stars. A wonderful, heartfelt, poignantly-written book. I could spend days simply lost in the language Paula McLain uses to share Hadley’s story. There are so many passages of this book I wanted to remember and take note, that my highlighter ran across nearly every page. Although Ernest is not my most favorite of characters, I look forward to reading and sharing my feelings on Ernest’s version of the same tale, ‘A Moveable Feast.’

I think she is fabulous. I think her stories are amazing, and heartfelt, and although not wholly realistic still semi-tinged with a sense of reality. And I don’t care if you think I am trashy for reading romance novels – because sometimes a little trash spices up a person’s personality. Case in point, three quotes from this latest tome all delivered eloquently and emotionally from one of SEP’s characteristically strong female characters {another aspect of her story-telling that I love – I for one never enjoy reading about weepy, wet-raglike women}:

‘You’re not company, you’re an infestation.’

‘They take electroshock therapy together. That way they get a group discount.’

‘If I were going to put a price tag on my lady parts I’d find a more appetizing buyer.’

Her latest novel, ‘Call Me Irresistible’ is the continuation of the ‘Fancy Pants’ story – or more specific the continuance of one specific characters’ story – and I must admit that I have been waiting for this novel for quite some time. I read it in one day. I could not put it down. I did not want to put it down. And while I can not sit here and preach that this … ‘this is high literature’ … I can say that this was an extremely satisfying story. And beyond the love and the lust, there was {and always is} a deeper story of friendship sprinkled with humor and wit. Please note, I refuse to delve deeper into the story because with 100 year old, well-know, well-critiqued works of literature I have no fear of spoiling the story. But here, this story is but months old, and I refuse to deprive anyone of the particulars that make this story so tantalizing.

WONDERPUG RATING: 5 Stars. Any of SEP’s books are always a pleasurable read, but this one is one of her best.