A Perfect Romance

Still stuck on my usual, and in the mood for an old favorite, I picked up The Morning Gift.  I really am so boring, when did I last read this? Last year? But you know, it's just so so good.   In previous readings,  I have noted that Ruth's habit of "living deep" and the way everyone seems to be so enamored of it are not particularly appealing, but I can ignore it and just enjoy the rest of it. On this reading, I have to say, it didn't even particularly bother me.  Not sure what it was, whether I'm just getting less finicky or there is something I appreciated more, probably mostly the former.  But regardless, I didn't even have that to annoy me.   There was still the sadness of WWII, no getting around that, but as before, it isn't really enough in the forefront to be too much of a disturbance.

Which leaves me free to enjoy the meat of this book... succulent, delicious prime rib in this case.  Seriously, I do not think there is another book with so many "moments".   So much time together, such a perfect balance of angst with lightness, so much unspoken but there if you read between the lines.  I mean I'm just wishing I had brought it with me to reread, it was that good.  I don't even quite know how or why, but this book is pretty close to perfection for what it is.

Verdict: 5/5

Some Shorts

And here I am, still sitting phoneless on the train :( With nothing else to do but review books, and I don't even have the list of books in front of me to review :( But I'm pretty sure, based on the last time I checked, that all I have left to review is miscellaneous non-review books :) So you're going to get some selected shorts - 

1) I reread Reb Aharon Feldman's book on marriage, The River, the Kettle and the Bird.  Nothing earth-shattering (there wasn't really anything the first time around either) but always very, very good to remind myself of the basics of communication and relationships, especially with one's spouse :)

2) I reread Sandition, which I have reviewed previously - still really like this book.  If I'm being picky, it's not Jane Austen, and it's pretty obvious when you're looking - I wouldn't say it's perfectly consistent plot-wise with the beginning of the book either.  But who cares, it's a *great* story, and quite well told.

3) I reread the Ordinary Princess, mostly because I wanted something fast (and maybe that I wouldn't have to review, not sure :)) As good as always (reviewed last year if you're wondering).  Not much depth, but then, it's a fairy tale :) and charming, charming, charming.

4) QED - also a reread, though one I don't remember.  I used to read physics books a lot, I should start again, I really kind of like them :) This is a very interesting one, since it goes into a lot of detail without going over my head (much :)) By the classic physics for the masses writer of course (well maybe not quite that, but a very, very good teacher from what  I understand :)) Richard Feyman.

Well that's all I remember for now, but if I remember more or somehow obtain my list (which was stored on my dead phone but maybe just maybe was connected with the account instead of the phone) I will add others.

Jewish (Not Necessarily Kosher :)) Literature

Well that was the last of my kindle books - once I stopped, I didn't go back (hopefully I still will, as I will soon be in possession of both a kindle and a nook, having won the latter for signing up for back up daycare and my current activity is watching t.v. instead, which is not the greatest obv).  Anyway, what drew me away? Dov's grandmother gave me some paperbacks for my birthday.  A very nice gift, and of course I had to read them.  Not in my usual style (unsurprisingly, we don't really have the same taste in books) but I don't mind venturing out of my comfort zone *once* on a while :)  (Incidentally, she gave me three books, but one I had already read on one such venture, and enjoyed very much - the Henrietta Lachs book, reviewed here).  The first of the two I picked up was The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman.  She's I think a fairly popular author, not sure what most of her books are like but this one was serious historical fiction - a story of four Jewish women and the siege of Masada.  Interesting stuff, right?

(ok, I started this back in May, it is now the last day of June.. and I must have read this book in February (since that's when my birthday is :)) but let's hope I can still say something mildly interesting :))

Anyway, yes, the historical era was not my comfort zone, the sepia-toned cover didn't suggest a light-hearted romp, but I was going to read it.  And really, it's not like I ever find Jewish-themed reading boring... just sometimes offensive :) Well I can't say I was offended, per se, but I did take note of the *numerous* inaccuracies.  I'm sure there was a lot of research done, but there was of course a lot of artistic license applied as well... so I feel free to believe that the majority of the Jewish people at the time  of Masada were not, in fact, the practitioners and purveyors of magic (kishuf, that is) and that they did value the laws of marriage etc. more than this crowd seems to.  But you know, devout Jews wouldn't make for very good reading, this mix of mystical magic and earthy, opinionated women is a story people can recognize.

So taken out of the Jewish context, as it really must be to be appreciated on its own merit,  was the book good? It was a fairly mesmerizing read, I didn't have any trouble going through it.  And the history (the real history of Masada, or at least Masada according to Josephus) is definitely something I was happy to hear more about.  The story itself.. well it was one of those intertwined stories, four individual tales that only intersected at the end.  Though not necessarily the most fascinating tales outside of the history, the history in combination with the powerful voices narrating it (I think all told a good story, though I was more sympathetic with some than others) were decent reading.

Bottom line - not like I loved this book or anything, not like I expected to.  But it was on the higher end of my expectations for readability and, if you can get past the inaccurate portrayal of Judaism (not that I'm sure one should get past it) the subject matter is one that I at least, find appealing.

Verdict: 2.5/5

Confirmation of the Tastes of Years Gone By

Well it's been a while again... but with this pop back in, I have new material to review! True, I have been busier than I ever with my LO (that's a common abbreviation on mommy sites :)) but what with nursing and pumping, I do have time which is well-filled by reading.  Reading what? Some old favorites.  Well-loved, but I still don't (or maybe because of that don't) feel like posting full reviews.  So right here, you're getting three shorties :)

First, Friday's Child.  S.b. has a nice collection of GHs and I picked this one up - haven't read it in a while, though not in longer while than most other GHs.  It's always been a favorite of mine (well top ten) but I think it was (at least for a while) *the* favorite for Huvi.  She loves the humor, and I do think Sherry's band of bachelor pals are very amusing - their knowingness in some areas and cluelessness in others, their calm confidence in sometimes absurd notions.  So there's that, and then there's romance, which is as well done as any Heyer, and nicely original, again, as any Heyer :) That's always been my feeling on this book, and it did not disappoint upon this reread.

So after one successful Heyer, I was eager for another.  Picked up Devil's Cub, also a long-time favorite, but in quite as a different mode.  Devil's Cub is not a Regency, and thus lacks the classic Heyer Regency feel, which reflects the casualness and light elegance of the era (at least the era according to GH :)) It's Georgian, and dramatic.  This is not something I noticed on my first reading, but I did pick up on it a while ago - and while I think I prefer the Regency tone, it doesn't mean I don't still love Devil's Cub.  Yes, it may be a litttle overdramatic at times (a' la Scarlet Pimpernel, see that review) but still, solid, solid, romance.  GH does not disappoint!

When I finished Devil's Cub, it was a Shabbos, and I felt slightly guilty about picking up another secular book... so I went off in another direction, reaching even farther back into my reading past.  I have a habit (not so much anymore, it used to be more frequent) of quoting "Rabbi Wein stories" - this leads people to assume I am a Rabbi Wein aficionado, when in fact, my stories all come from one anthology of Rabbi Wein shorts not even written by him - Vintage Wein, by James Brown.  I'm not sure to whom the credit goes (both, I'm sure, actually) but the stories are short and very much to the point - poignant, pungent, moving and amusing.  I have read this book so often that even though I haven't picked it up in years, I don't think there was one unfamiliar story in it.  And it's still a great read, I breezed right through it - glad to be reminded of all those Rabbi Wein tidbits I can bring up in conversation :)

So that was that, three old favorites, all still 5/5!