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Novel Book Club, March 2013: The Dinner

2013-04-13T16:05:40Z

Welcome to the very March late edition of the Novel Book Club. I must admit that writing about this selection, The Dinner, by Herman Koch has been a bit difficult. Mainly, this is because my feelings about it are mixed. After some consideration, though, I realize that this is part of the goal of the novel. Most good novels make you think, cause you to relate to the subject matter in a personal way. The Dinner is perplexing though. And I think it's because when you read it, when you relate to it, you don't want to...]]> Welcome to the very March late edition of the Novel Book Club. I must admit that writing about this selection, The Dinner, by Herman Koch has been a bit difficult. Mainly, this is because my feelings about it are mixed. After some consideration, though, I realize that this is part of the goal of the novel. Most good novels make you think, cause you to relate to the subject matter in a personal way. The Dinner is perplexing though. And I think it's because when you read it, when you relate to it, you don't want to. The characters in this novel are seemingly straightforward at the outset, and I think you realize fairly early on who the author wants you to like. But things in this novel, as in life, are not always what they seem, and you can very easily find yourself on the wrong side of sympathy.

Here is the premise of the story: Two couples go out for dinner to a chic, upscale Amsterdam restaurant. The men are brothers and the foursome is meeting to discuss a very disturbing situation: the crime that their teenage sons have committed. To this point, their involvement is unknown to the authorities, but a video uploaded to the Internet will likely change that before too long. This meeting is to decide how they will handle the situation moving forward. What they should do and what would be best for all concerned.

Paul Lohman is a retired history teacher who loves his wife, Claire, and son, Michel. He seems an admirable husband and father. Beloved wife and doting mother Claire complements her husband and the impression is that they are as normal and happy as a family can be. Serge Lohman is a wildly popular politician, poised to become the Netherlands' next prime minister. In the spotlight at all times (even at this dinner where other guests want to pose for a photo with him) his negative qualities are the only ones that Paul's narration shares with the reader. So we are led to immediately dislike the celebrity politician driven by ego, by power, by his own desires. His wife, Babette, seems the stereotypical politician's wife who endures life in the spotlight and playing second fiddle to her spouse's career. They have two sons: biological son Rick and adoptive son Beau from Burkina Faso.

The novel progresses with the courses of the meal and with each plate that is ceremoniously served we become more exposed to the disdain that the narrator Paul feels toward everything and everyone around him. His animosity grows and through a series of flashbacks we are educated on the real nature of Paul Lohman. Not so much the average good guy, mild-mannered former history teacher. Rather his is a man filled with aggression and violent tendencies that he does not attempt to mask. As we learn this about Paul we also learn about the confidences and secrets kept by Claire. She is more devious than her sweet wife and mother exterior would have us believe. The dinner begins to wind down and it is the unlikely Serge who displays the most common sense and integrity about how they should proceed with their sons' situation.

If you haven't read the novel, I won't spoil it for you. If you have, I think you can understand how I was taken aback at the way events played out. I was shocked at the turn of play and at how I could so easily feel the disdain for Serge that Paul's narration dictated. How easy it was for me to think that the loving couple of Paul and Claire must certainly be more worthy of my admiration. While Serge's proposed course of action is actually the right and decent thing to do, he is opposed on all sides. It is understood that he will in no way be permitted to have his say. In the most despicable of ways, Claire has made certain of this with a plan that was well in place before they left for the restaurant. I am still ill at the mere thought of her actions. At the fact that she--and Paul once he was made aware--had no qualms about the scheme was more disturbing than I can say. But maybe the most frightening thing is this: in their minds, they did it for their son.

What would you do for your child, your spouse, your family? Are the despicable, unspeakable actions taken justified in this case?

Did they do what they did out of love? Is that really what love is?

What would you do in their shoes?

How did you react to the characters early on in the novel? Did your feelings change later in the story?

April's selection is a book many of you have probably read, but has until slipped on my reading list--The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

Come back on April 30 for review and discussion!

Novel Book Club, February 2013: Gone Girl

2013-02-19T14:18:17Z

If I were married to Gillian Flynn, I might be concerned. Scratch that, I would absolutely be concerned. Well...let me just say that I might be very careful Gone Girl is not only a fantastic mystery that I was barely able to put down, it is also a portrait of a marriage. A very twisted, very troubled, and in many ways, a very normal marriage.]]>

If you haven't read Gone Girl, please do. Really. I'm not kidding about not being able to put it down--I didn't want to either! It was so riveting that the day I finished it I went straight out to buy another of Flynn's novels (her first, Sharp Objects). I read that one in a day and a half. My point is, if you haven't already, read Gone Girl.

The early days of Nick and Amy Dunne's marriage seem to have been truly charmed. Two people, in love in their own private world of inside jokes, shared confidences, and that security that comes when you find your soul mate. Oh, wait...that's not Nick and Amy, that's every newly married couple... But after a few less than carefree years of marriage--dual layoffs, financial insecurity, a move from Manhattan to Nick's hometown of Carthage, Missouri, Nick's aging and dying parents--Amy goes missing on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary.

In a narrative alternating between Nick's first-person account of Amy's disappearance and the ensuing investigation and excerpts from Amy's journal, so begins the unraveling of a mystery as well as the dissection of a marriage.

Let's start the discussion with a few questions:

1. From the very first day, Nick insists that he has nothing to do with Amy's disappearance. Did you believe him? If so, did your confidence in him fade? If not, what made you think he was lying?

2. What was your impression of the couple's marriage? What formed your belief--Amy's diary or Nick's descriptions? Do you think their marriage is typical of the experiences of most married couples?

3. All couples have secrets--from the "outside" and from each other. What do you think are their biggest secrets from each other and why do you think they begin lying to the other?

4. Marital problems not addressed often breed resentment. Do you think Nick and Amy resent each other and why?

5. What did you think of Amy's anniversary treasure hunts? What do you think the purpose of them?

6. Were you surprised at the way the story unfolded? Do you think the author sustained the mystery throughout the book? Did she reveal the story's surprises well?

7. How did you feel about the ending? Were you content with the way the story wrapped up? How would you write the epilogue?

Here are my answers:

1. When Nick proclaims his innocence, I did believe him. I wanted to, if only so that the story wouldn't turn out to be a typical "husband kills wife" drama. My confidence did wane when we learn Nick's big secret, but to be honest, I didn't think he was clever enough to kill her.

2. It seemed to me that when they were living in New York, when they were both working (as writers) they had a good marriage. Amy's job did not seem to be as fulfilling as Nick's, but she seemed more concerned with her marriage than her job. When they both get laid off, and money becomes an issue, things fall apart. So all in all, their marriage is quite typical, money being one of the biggest trouble spots for most couples.

3. What are their biggest, as in most important secrets? For Nick I think it is that he feels inadequate--losing his job and relying on his wife's family money for a fresh start makes him feel like a lesser man. Amy, on the other hand, is needy for attention, affection, and loyalty at all times--and at all costs, something that she acted blase' about with Nick in the past. Not discussing these feelings with each other leads them to act and react in ways that are detrimental to the relationship and which ultimately bring out the worst in each of them.

4. Nick and Amy most definitely resent each other. Nick resents Amy from the start because she has never had to work for her financial security. He resents the perfect marriage of her parents and the seeming adoration with which they shower her. Amy resents the way that Nick is loved by all. While she has never had to work for financial security, Nick has never had to work to be everyone's pal.

5. Amy's anniversary treasure hunts seem to be a wonderfully romantic gesture on her part. They relive special moments of the couple's life during the previous year. But there is definitely a deeper purpose to them, one that is not so sweet and tender. I think that Amy has used the annual hunt in a way to prove to her husband that she cares more about the marriage than he does, that she is more invested in it.

6. I was surprised at the way it unfolded. A few general aspects of the story I did figure out, but the details and the motivating factors were definite surprises. I think Flynn did a great job of holding onto her cards and playing them at just the right moments throughout the novel. Just when I thought I knew the next move, she took another turn. Brilliant!

7. The ending. Well, let me say this: I don't think it could have been more perfect. That is, perfect in the way that the manipulative and twisted relationship of Nick and Amy's deserved. For an epilogue I'd like to flash forward about twenty years. I'm not going into detail just yet, as I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who might not have reached the final chapter.

What do you think? What are your answers to these questions? What other questions do you have? Please comment below and share this post with your friends and followers. I look forward to hearing your reactions to what this novel!

The discussion for this month's selection will remain open for one week. Please add your opinions, questions, debates as Comments.

March's selection will be The Dinner, by Herman Koch. Review and discussion questions will be posted on March 20.

In one week, when discussion on A Novel Bookstore has concluded, selections for our April book will be posted.

Novel Book Club, January 2013: A Novel Bookstore

2013-01-16T17:55:21Z

Welcome to the first virtual meeting of the Novel Book Club on Book Bound Saratoga. If you've read our first selection, A Novel Bookstore, fantastic! If not, no worries--read the review and discussion questions and maybe it will be your next read. For those of you who are true bibliophiles, I hope that A Novel Bookstore managed to feed your love of books and inspire you to read even more.

]]> Welcome to the first virtual meeting of the Novel Book Club on Book Bound Saratoga. If you've read our first selection, A Novel Bookstore, fantastic! If not, no worries--read the review and discussion questions and maybe it will be your next read. For those of you who are true bibliophiles, I hope that A Novel Bookstore managed to feed your love of books and inspire you to read even more.

Laurence Cossé delves deeply into the world of literature and the modern state of book publishing with the creation of The Good Novel, the subject bookstore whose mission it is to only sell "good novels." The initial stock selections are chosen by a secret committee--the eight French-author members don't even know with whom else they share this honor. One might consider that judgment what is a "good novel" is entirely subjective, that it is a decision that changes with each reader. But the purveyors of The Good Novel, Francesca and Van (short for Ivan), have a very set idea of what is considered "good." There are classics, yes, but more specifically, classic or modern, they are books that feed us. Books that validate our feelings, that inspire us, books that affect and respond to our condition. The bookstore is intended to be a place where the like-minded can come, read, browse, and converse in a welcoming and unhurried atmosphere.

What I think Cossé (and of course translator Alison Anderson) accomplishes wonderfully is the way that she exposes the ties that books, stories, reading, and writing, have on our lives and relationships. The lives of the book's characters are often affected by what they read or write, in a way that is very profound. Personally, I found this very relatable; I often tie certain memories or emotions with books I've read or characters I admire. For those who love books, it's not simply about the story, it's about the way a story resonates with life. Is this to say that one should never touch a beach read? A mystery? A humorous novel? Not at all. Will all those be good novels. No. But being entertaining absolutely does not exclude a novel from also being a good novel.

In a city like Paris, where the literary and the artistic have a rich culture and long history, The Good Novel is both lauded and vilified. It generates a discussion about worthy and unworthy literature and subsequently a debate on who exactly has the right to decide what makes a good novel. Of course, publishers and reviews make these judgments everyday and they go unnoticed, without comment or criticism. Opponents of the bookstore cry elitism and snobbery. Fans of The Good Novel support its dedication to fine literature and are thrilled to have a place where they can lose themselves in the books they love.

Ultimately, the attacks on the bookstore become more than just slanderous and turn criminal when several members of the secret selection committee are attacked. Though business is still booming, the future of The Good Novel is at risk. What is it about the opinions of others that so riles people of other minds? The endeavor was undertaken with the best of intentions, with no thought to harming or offending others, and with little risk of undermining any other bookstore's success.

What struck you most about the premise of The Good Novel? What position do you take on the matter: great homage to fine literature? Or a monument to cultural elitism? What makes publishers or critics--or Oprah, for that matter--more worthy judges of a good novel than voracious readers and lovers of literature? Along with these questions, here are some others to consider:

· Do you agree, as Van stated in the novel, that "one of the most fortunate purposes of literature is to bring like-minded people together and get them talking?" Can it also bring together people of disparate opinions and spark conversation?

· Francesca believes that "the perfect bookstore, the kind where you'd sell nothing but good novels, could only be viable in a big city with a strong cultural tradition, like London or Paris." Do you think this is true? How do you think a bookstore like The Good Novel would fare in a small town? A rural community? Your town?

· Before working with Francesca at The Good Novel, Van worked in another bookstore, owned by someone not as like-minded. In that store he had what he called "honey shelf," where he gathered what he considered the very best books in the shop. What would be on your "honey shelf"?

· In a response to anonymous attacks on The Good Novel Francesca composes something of a "readers' manifesto":
"We want books that are written for those of us who doubt everything...that cost their authors a great deal, books where you can feel the years of work, the backache, the writer's block...splendid books...books that prove to us that love is at work in the world next to evil, right up against it, at times indistinctly, and that it always will be, just the way that suffering will always ravage hearts. We want good novels."
Do you want this from your novels? All of the time? Some of the time? Never? What do you want from a novel?

· How would you describe your ideal bookstore? Do you have a favorite bookstore?

The discussion for this month's selection will remain open for one week. Please add your opinions, questions, debates as Comments.

February's selection will be Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. Review and discussion will be posted on February 15.

In one week, when discussion on A Novel Bookstore has concluded, I will post voting selections for our March book.

Novel Book Club, January 2013: Coming Your Way!

2013-01-16T05:49:36Z

Due to technical difficulties, the January Novel Book Club blog was not posted on January 15, but it will be posted later today, January 16th!

Many apologies for the delay and thanks for your patience.

Remember the January book is A Novel Bookstore, by Laurence Cossé!!

Book Bound, Novel Book Club

2012-11-20T16:19:29Z

We've travelled a bumpy road this year at Book Bound. After consideration, I've decided that the best way to ensure that next year is smoother sailing, is to establish a monthly Novel Book Club post.

I'm going to start out by selecting the first book for the first post, which will be in January. [With the holidays upon us and so much going on, I know many of us will be pressed for time to read a new book, but I'll put it out there.]

]]> We've travelled a bumpy road this year at Book Bound. After consideration, I've decided that the best way to ensure that next year is smoother sailing, is to establish a monthly Novel Book Club post.

I'm also providing a selection of books from which we will select our February book. Please send in your selections either via the comments or by email and I the most-voted-for book will be the February selection.

Then in January, on the 15th, I'll post my review of the book, along with a list of questions for discussion. Th February book will be announced, and a new selection of books from which to choose our next book will be posted. Occasionally, I will also post trivia questions about the book, or related to the author or the subject matter of the book. The first correct response will win a gift (to be revealed when the trivia questions are posted) from me and Book Bound. :-)

Please jump into the comments section and add your reviews, discuss the questions, suggest more questions of your own. Submit your choice for the next month's selection and suggest other books to consider. The only criteria is that the book be a novel. The book debate will remain open for two weeks, until the end of the month.

The next Novel Book Club post will be published on February 15 and then subsequently on the 15th of every month.

So, without further ado, the January 2013, inaugural selection for the Book Bound, Novel Book Club is...

Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse'

For anyone who loves books, loves to read, this is an absolute addition to your library. It will inspire your reading for the new year, and, hopefully, get ur "Novel Book Club" off to a great start!

Now , planning ahead, here are three selections from which to choose our February novel:

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

The Night Villa, by Carol Goodman

An evocative tale of intrigue, romance, and treachery, Carol Goodman's spellbinding new novel, The Night Villa, follows the fascinating lives of two remarkable women centuries apart.
The eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 buried a city and its people, their treasures and secrets. Centuries later, echoes of this disaster resonate with profound consequences in the life of classics professor Sophie Chase.

In the aftermath of a tragic shooting on the University of Texas campus, Sophie seeks sanctuary on the isle of Capri, immersing herself in her latest scholarly project alongside her colleagues, her star pupil, and their benefactor.

Beneath layers of volcanic ash lies the Villa della Notte-the Night Villa-home to first-century nobles, as well as to the captivating slave girl at the heart of an ancient controversy. And secreted in a subterranean labyrinth rests a cache of antique documents believed lost to the ages: a prize too tantalizing for Sophie to resist. Whatever shocking events transpired in the face of Vesuvius's fury have led to deeper, darker machinations that inexorably draw Sophie into their vortex, rich in stunning revelations and laden with unseen menace.

The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, Tom Rachman's wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as they struggle to keep it--and themselves--afloat.
Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff's personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his family's quirky newspaper.

So now it's your turn...

*pick up your copy of A Novel Bookstore

*submit your selection for our February book ASAP, before January 15

*read and enjoy our January selection while enjoying the holidays!

*return to Book Bound on January 15 for the first posting of Book Bound's Novel Book Club

In the meantime, I'll be back regularly with more reviews and book talk on fiction, non-fiction, and some great holiday book-giving ideas!

For the Love of Eli . . . and Nancy

2012-11-09T00:42:41Z

When Nancy met Eli, they were both looking for something. Though unable to express it in words, Eli was in need of a home, of a friend and partner, of a person who could care for him and grow with him. Nancy had felt something missing for some time when she met Eli. Having had to give up on the dream of having a child, there was a definite void in her life. It was the void of not having someone to care for, to nurture, and to raise. And then came Eli. A six-year-old former racehorse with the tendency to spook at the simplest things--think birds, shrubs, for example--Eli needed nurturing. His life had changed from the steady routine on the racetrack he was used to. He needed a constant in his life, and that would be Nancy.

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On her husband's suggestion, Nancy decides to take up riding again. After life and career forced her years-long hiatus, getting back in the saddle was a challenge which forces her to face her own insecurities and perceived shortcomings--both on horseback and off. Making the commitment to have her own horse changed the game. It upped the stakes. Much like parenting a child, when you are responsible for the welfare of a horse, you are forced to rise to the occasion and put their needs ahead of your own. Nancy could no longer dwell on what she thought she was doing wrong, she had to learn everything, from the ground up, and she had to get it right. For Eli's sake. And that she did.

Falling for Eli is a love story, for certain. But it's also a story of hope; the hope of fulfilling the desire to give--love, time, energy, patience. It's a story of change; facing it, embracing it, and finally seeking it out and making a new life for oneself. It's a family saga; from the early days of welcoming a new family member to the long nights--that sometimes turn into months--caring for a sick and injured family member. It's a diary of learning and growth; we experience Nancy's ups and downs as a rider and as a horse parent. We learn what she learns and follow her through her equine education as we are given a first-hand account of her different trainers and different barns. She shares her setbacks of knowledge, of experience, and of confidence with honesty and frankness and displays enviable strength and resilience in the face of sometimes frightening situations. Even when it seems she's unsure if she can face the potential consequences of the situation--for example Eli's EPM*--she is the ultimate mother to Eli, using every resource available to give him the best care.

Nancy's journey begins with trepidation and a good deal of self-doubt. But just as Nancy gives Eli the home and the love he needs, he provides her what she needed as well: the opportunity to give of herself in a way that only the parenting experience provides. He needs Nancy in a way that any child would need their parent--entirely. They both become whole because of the other. Today, sixteen years since Eli trotted into Nancy's life, they are still partners, their relationship growing and evolving every day.

I have to thank Nancy Shulins for writing Falling for Eli. Reading this book turned out to be a very personal experience for me, as I find myself at the same age, and in the same position as Nancy was when she begins her tale. I too have had to abandon the dream of having a family and I relate entirely to the vast range of emotions that she so openly shared and that ultimately led her back to riding and to Eli. Coincidentally, I too have a six-year-old former Thoroughbred racehorse that has caught my eye. I'm not sure if she's my horse yet, but she may very well be my Eli. Fingers crossed.

*EPM is Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalits. It is a parasite born disease of the central nervous system and can be difficult to diagnose as it can mimic other neurological diseases. Worst-case scenarios include blindness, muscle atrophy, and the inability to stand.

Drowning in a Sea of Our Own Making

2012-07-10T23:39:15Z

Parts coming-of-age story, love story, family drama, and mystery, The Drowning People has been one of my favorite books for over a decade now. It will pique your curiosity from it's first page and give you food for thought to last long after its final one.

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I first read The Drowning People upon its release in 1999. I was living in Toronto and found the novel in my local bookstore, never having hear of it before. One very cold weekend I picked it up and began reading. I was taken with the first lines:

My wife of more than forty-five years shot herself yesterday afternoon.

At least that is what the police assume, and I am playing the part of grieving widower with enthusiasm and success. Life with Sarah has schooled me in self-deception, which I find--as she did--to be an excellent training in the deceiving of others. Of course I know that she did nothing of the kind. My wife was far too sane, far too rooted in the present to think of harming herself. In my opinion she never gave a thought to what she had done. She was incapable of guilt.

It was I who killed her.

Intriguing, isn't it? Why, I wondered immediately, did this proper English gentleman kill his wife of several decades? What could she have done that would erase the love and good will that being married for a lifetime must engender? So, on I read. I devoured it, actually--not putting it down until I had read the last lines--I was so eager to discover the secrets of their long life together.

But James Farrell, our narrator, does not tell the tales of his decades with Sarah. He doesn't recount moments from a miserable marriage. Instead, we relive the years of James's middle-twenties. A formative time of growth and change for anyone, these years present James with some unexpected choices to make. An aspiring violinist, James rises above his middle class origins through education and then his musical talents. It is amid the sea of social elites that he comes of age, both discovering and questioning his passions and loyalties during these years.

Entertained by Camilla Boardman, the ultimate social butterfly among his peers; enchanted by and infatuated with the Anglo-American Ella Harcourt, a reluctant heiress with a self-destructive streak; confidante and musical accompanist to Eric de Vaurigard, his devoted friend who hides his true feelings for James; and finally seduced by Sarah Harcourt, Ella's fully British cousin who, though a near twin in appearance, is driven by vastly different motives.

It's impossible to know which of the choices we make in our youth will have lifelong repercussions. Now, at the age of seventy, the final ripple caused by a stone pitched perfectly into a calm sea over four decades ago has finally reached James. It's what forces him to see his life in an entirely new light and to take the action he does. He kills his wife because now, having uncovered that almost lost deception, he must at least try to compensate for damage that cannot be undone.

Mason's novel is a rich portrait of London's "bright young things" in late twentieth-century society. His portrayal of the intricate web of desires and motivations that underlies all relationships coupled with the hindsight perspective of our narrator have resulted a story about the desire of belonging, the necessity of acceptance, and the consequences of living life by any other than one's own plan. Every life has good, bad, truth, deception, mystery, and deception; the stories that result however, rely on what we observe, what we believe, what we learn, and what we admit.

***UP NEXT***

Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda

The Head or the Heart . . . or Both?

2012-05-21T15:31:58Z

It must be wonderful to know what you want to do with your life at a young age--at least I've always thought so. Certainly the kind of self-assurance which inspires an early career choice must be lasting. Well, not necessarily. Sometimes seeing your whole life laid out before you can be as frightening as not knowing what you want to do at all. Just ask Alex in Natalie Keller Reinert's The Head and Not the Heart . . .

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Natalie Keller Reinhart has spent most of her life around a horse. So it's not surprising that her novel The Head and Not the Heart should resonate so clearly with professional equestrians in almost any discipline. It's a

fine line they walk, those who love horses and also earn their living by them. It's an arduous work schedule, even on the best of days. And make no mistake, it is not just a job, it's more than a career, it is a lifestyle. Every aspect of one's day, one's season, one's life, is dictated by the needs and of the horse and the barn.

For the novel's heroine, Alex, things are no different. As is the case with many horse people, her lifestyle choice was made at a young age. The setting is an Ocala farm where she works and lives with her employer and lover (twice-her-age lover), Alexander. When we meet her she is twenty-five years old, already a veteran horsewoman in many ways--a knowledgeable and capable old soul. But she is also a vibrant and romantic--in the broad definition of the word--young woman. The ups and downs of the farm and training life cannot but affect the life and relationship she has with Alexander. On the eve of a last-minute trip to New York (to examine a horse in training at Aqueduct Race Track) Alex examines her life as it is--current professional and personal stresses fully comingled. It's all prescient of the life which lies before her and she suddenly wonders if this is it, if it's enough.

While most people have these crises of life a bit further on, for many who choose an equestrian career, one decade can feel like two or three--both psychologically and emotionally. When it comes to Alex's situation there are several pros and cons for her to consider, but it's the cons that are on her mind in New York. Her planned evening in the city consists of a dinner with an older (senior-citizen older) horseman friend of Alexander's and then turning in early to be at the track at dawn. After dinner she spies a group of New York twentysomethings headed out for the night and their carefree life sets her thinking about her own--what would her life be like if . . .

She follows the jovial group to a club and ends up befriending them, spending the evening drinking with them, talking to them, telling stories and comparing notes. Most of her newfound friends can't even conceive of a life like hers, they have no frame of reference for what an equine life entails. Alex considers and compares herself to her new friends and giving up her racing life seems like a very viable option. Certainly, the hangover she has only a few hours later when she is already at the track might have swayed her to consider a lifestyle with a less rigorous schedule.

What goes through her mind when she sees this potential addition to the barn? Will this horse be different? Will he be the barn's "big horse"--the one that makes a career, that makes history? Or will he be heartache and dashed hopes? This is the emotional pendulum that racehorse trainers experience with every new trainee. Is Alex willing to go through this again, over and over, for the rest of her life? Can she handle feeling those emotions indefinitely? Will she choose another life? Will she follow her head or her heart?

These thoughts, these feelings of uncertainty are the same that everyone has either had, or will have at some point--at least once. The choices we make in those moments are based on the information we have at the time, just like Alex does in The Head and Not the Heart. She's easy to relate to--equal parts doubt and hope, insecurity and confidence. I think she's inspiring, and will nudge her readers to face their own crises. After all, no matter what decision one makes, it will be the right decision . . . at least . . . it will be at the time.

**UP NEXT**

The Drowning People by Richard Mason

Upcoming Reads . . .

2012-05-15T14:33:28Z

Have you noticed the absence of posts at Book Bound? Well they're back, and on a schedule . . .

]]> It's been a while since Book Bound has seen a new post--too long a while. In the spirit of better planning and to encourage your participation here, I'm providing this schedule of book reviews to come, in the event that you'd like to read along. So get ready to kick off your summer reading list with some of the following novels . . .

May 18: The Head and Not the Heart, by Natalie Keller Reinert

May 27: The Drowning People, by Richard Mason

June 1: Here, Home, Hope, by Kaira Rouda

June 8: A Novel Bookstore, by Laurence Cossé

June 15: Lamb, by Christopher Moore

Saratoga Sunday, June 24: The Fall of the House of Walworth, by Geoffrey O'Brien

June 29: The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

I hope that you will choose to read along with some of the suggested titles and as always, any suggestions you may have are more than welcome!

Past, Present, Future: Revisted

2012-02-06T19:33:24Z

When she accepted the teaching position a the Arcadia School in Arcadia Falls, New York, Meg Rosenthal just wanted to make a fresh start for herself and her daughter after the sudden death of her husband. In the process she learned more about the past and her own choices than she could ever have expected. ]]> I was eager to read Arcadia Falls for a few reasons: I was looking for a good mystery; I was in the mood for some good literary fiction, and I have enjoyed all of Carol Goodman's previous novels (except one that I've yet to read!). Saying that I wasn't disappointed would be a gross understatement.

From her first novel, The Lake of Dead Languages, Carol Goodman hooked me with her prose. The only word I can find to describe it is haunting. The reader carries her beautifully composed words and imagery from page to page, chapter to chapter, book to book, and beyond. Arcadia Falls is no exception. Like most of Goodman's novels, this one takes place in rural upstate New York, where the author has some roots of her own. Having owned a home in Saratoga for almost eight years now, I'll admit that I was a reluctant transplant to the area. I had images in my mind of depressing winter scenes with entirely too much snow and grey sky. But Ms. Goodman's books promised and delivered a very different New York State. She infuses beauty and mystery into all of her settings and the reader is seduced and intrigued as much by them as by the characters and plotlines of her stories.

After the unexpected death of her husband, Meg Rosenthal uproots herself and her teenage daughter from their Long Island home with her daughter to the novel's eponymous town after accepting a position teaching folklore at the Arcadia School. Founded as an artist's colony the school maintains its dedication to arts and letters and traditions of the past. It is during one of the school's traditional celebrations, the First Night bonfire, that one of the school's top student falls to her death. Eerily, the tragic death mirrors the long-ago discovery of Lily Eberhart, one of the school's founders.

During the following months two investigations merge: the police investigation into the student death and Meg's research into the history of the school and, in particular, of its founders. The school has its secrets it seems, and while avoiding the all-too watchful eyes of Dean Ivy St. Claire, Meg will uncover them. In doing so, the truth about the women founders and the realities of the lives and choices of women in every generation are brought to light. In discovering the truth of the past she discovers remarkable truths about herself and her daughter.

It was no surprise to me that I would enjoy this book. What I find myself drawn to about Ms. Goodman's work is her distinct way of paralleling the lives of her characters to the regional history, art, and literature. Arcadia Falls is no exception. Her deft prose weaves the meta-story carefully throughout the novel and the result is a resolution that is satisfying and relatable.

If you've not read Arcadia Falls, I hope you are inspired to do so. If you have read it, please share your thoughts and comments!

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The Head and Not the Heart by Natalie Keller Reinert

Sometimes in life, a tool belt is required.

2011-12-30T19:46:19Z

There are few people who haven't experienced the feeling of everything around them falling apart. As far as I can tell, there are three basic ways to deal with this situation. ]]> You could ignore it. Just pretend none of it is happening and go about your business. This will work for a while and you'll live in blissful ignorance for a time. Mark my words, though, it will catch up with you. Another choice is to wallow. That's right, wallow. Sit around and lament your situation and think of all the reasons why you can't make it better. Probably the worst choice since not only will you not solve or fix anything at all, you won't have any fun at all in the meantime. Then there's option three: do something. Stop listing the voice in your head reciting the myriad reasons why you can't change or improve your situation and think of just one reason why you can and just one thing you can do to make things better. I'd bet the farm that not only will you improve your situation, you'll also feel better; and that's something that always improves everything.

Malena Lott's Fixer-Upper is the story of Macy Baxter, political wife living a seemingly perfect life with a seemingly perfect family in Atlanta. Only like most things that seem so, it is in fact too good to be true. Tired of acting picture perfect when her marriage feels anything but, she takes her daughters and heads to the Oklahoma farm/vineyard of her childhood for some R & R. Upon arrival she finds that the property is not only in disrepair, but is also on the verge of being lost. The vineyard and the family hardware business as well, are both failing. Added to her marital discontent and the PR fallout of her abrupt departure in the middle of her husband's senatorial campaign, Macy finds her world--all of her worlds, actually--in serious need of renovation.

Choosing the "do something" option, she dons her tool belt--both figuratively and literally--and gets down to the business of trying to save her marriage, fix up the Oklahoma homestead, and revive the family businesses. While knocking down physical walls in her childhood home, and confronting the deceptions of both local and national politicos and gossips, she breaks down the walls that have been standing in the way of a truly fulfilling life. Macy ends up rediscovering her inner country girl and reinventing the savvy modern woman that she is; and she does it all on her own terms.

Fixer-Upper is a story that many will relate to, that will help some find motivation to do their own "fixing," and that will provide many laughs along the way. It's easy to get caught up in the melodrama of a crisis (or two, or three), and stay a little too long at the pity party. But it's important not to take ourselves too seriously and rather remember that sometimes in life a good attitude and a tool belt are not only helpful, they're required.

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Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman

Curiouser and Curiouser: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

2011-12-02T19:32:57Z

Christopher Boone is a remarkable young boy who lives with his father. He's very intuitive, he's extraordinarily observant, he's beyond bright, he's supremely logical, and he's autistic. Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a mystery story, a family tale, and a view through the eyes of this wonderful, autistic boy of his very particular kind of coming-of-age.

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In the opening pages Christopher finds Wellington, a dog belonging to his neighbor Mrs. Shears, lying dead on her lawn, a garden fork protruding from his body. The discovery sparks Christopher's interest and inspires him to look into the murder and write a book about his investigation. While most other children might lose interest in such a grand undertaking after a day or two, this is not the case for our hero. On the contrary, the investigation prompts Christopher to go outside of his very strict comfort zone--he talks to strangers, ignores his schedule, travels alone away from home.

What seemed like a very simple task at first becomes a great adventure toward the discovery of the truth, of many truths as it turns out. As Christopher's mind is different than most, he follows his train of thought wherever it may go, and it leads him farther than he's ever been--both figuratively and literally. Christopher's father, who makes every effort to accommodate his son's needs, is at a loss when it comes to this new behavior. What he once thought was best for his son no longer seems to work and a new approach becomes necessary.

Living with an autistic child presents many and different challenges beyond the normal child-rearing responsibilities. What The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time does brilliantly is explore the stream of consciousness of an autistic mind. The chapters are numbered with prime numbers only--as the book we are reading is the book that Christopher is writing and sequencing the chapters that way is perfectly logical to him. When this same logic leads him to a thought that is best described with a graph or a drawing or an equation, he includes that too. It's what makes sense, doesn't it?

Mark Haddon spent time in his youth working with autistic individuals and has a unique comprehension that he transfers eloquently onto the pages of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. What we learn is that really, it's not that autistics think about different things than we do, it's just that they think about those things differently. This realization changes Christopher's relationships and brings him to a new stage in his young life. The growth is obvious--of both Christopher and those around him--and it is a testament to the infinite possibilities in every life.

If you've read this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Christopher Boone and his adventures. What did you find most compelling about his character or his story? Do you have an autistic person in your life? If so, how has this book affected your ideas about autism or your interaction with this person? Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions!

BONUS: A film adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is currently in the works here in the U.S.!

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Fixer-Upper by Malena Lott

A Thousand Words . . . or Pages

2011-11-18T22:04:21Z

We are all familiar with the saying: "a picture is worth a thousand words." Well, there's no doubt that that is very true . . . sometimes. Other times, however, a thousand words, fifty-thousand words, a thousand pages speak to us, move us, seduce us, and breathe life into us in a way that an image simply can't. And here's why.]]>

Words, combinations of words, descriptions of people, of places, of sounds affect us each differently. Each sentence can trigger a different memory, impression, or spark an idea wholly unique to each reader. In this way, the book comes alive in as many different ways as there are readers. To simplify one school of thought, it is a book's audience--its readers--who bring a book into existence, and so it exists differently for everyone. Whether it's a thousand words, or a thousand pages, there is no such thing as a "wrong" interpretation.

The primary focus of Book Bound: Saratoga will be fiction: book reviews, reading lists, and--whenever possible--author interviews. Unlike other book blogs, the titles highlighted on Book Bound won't necessarily be new titles, but what they will be is worth reading. Books set in or inspired by Saratoga Springs or the neighboring areas, as well as books either by local authors or related to Saratoga interests will also be featured in a monthly "Saratoga Sunday" post.

I hope that Book Bound:Saratoga will develop into an online book club of sorts. While the discussion may initiated by me, reader comments, interpretations, and opinions are highly encouraged and I hope that this becomes a blog you follow and look forward to reading every week--usually on Friday, sometimes on Sunday.

One more thing. Every week, with every post, you'll also get a preview of what to expect in the next blog update. This way, you can follow along and I hope it inspires you to participate. So while you may be snowbound in the next couple of months, maybe you'll enjoy being Book Bound too.

Thanks for reading and welcome!

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon