Archive for June 9, 2011
THE UPRIGHT PIANO PLAYER by David Abbott
David Abbott starts his mesmerizing and haunting debut book, THE UPRIGHT PIANO PLAYER, with a quote from Nietzsche: “The consequences of our actions take hold of us, quite indifferent to our claims that meanwhile we have improved.â€
It’s an apt quote because indeed, actions have consequences in the case of his protagonist, Henry Cage. Henry is, indeed, a caged man – uptight, disconnected, and alienated. Throughout his life, he has amassed the trappings of success: a sterling career, a spirited and beautiful wife, a sensitive son, an elegant London townhome. Yet he has squandered his gifts, eventually losing his marriage, destroying his relationship with his son, and ending his partnership in his firm – not of his own accord.
June 9, 2011
· 
Judi Clark · 
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Tags: Contemporary, Grief · Posted in: Contemporary, Debut Novel, Life Choices, Losses, Psychological Suspense
JOY FOR BEGINNERS by Erica Bauermeister
A few years ago, a new phrase burst into our vernacular: “the bucket list,” based on a movie in which two men confront their limitations and prepare a list of things they must do. The list is predictably exotic: skydiving, flying over the North Pole, eating dinner at Chevre d’Or in France.
In JOY FOR BEGINNERS, it’s the women’s turn to enact that list. On an uncharacteristically sunny day in Seattle, six women assemble to celebrate their friend Kate’s clean bill of health from breast cancer. Unbeknownst to them, right before arrival, Kate’s daughter had suggested an exhilarating white water rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Her friends urge her on and she agrees to go on one condition: that she gets to choose a challenge for each of her friends to overcome.
June 9, 2011
· Judi Clark · No Comments
Tags: Contemporary, Sisterhood · Posted in: Contemporary, Friendship, Life Choices, Reading Guide, Theme driven
