THEN AGAIN

by Diane Keaton

Clearly Diane Keaton suffers from ADD, ADHD and a host of other conditions that are portrayed in her iconic Annie Hall persona.  She is at the same time clearly an abundant “creative", and for anyone sharing the same traits, tribulations and closeted abnormalities, the tone and rhythm of her recently published autobiography “Then Again”, rings true.

If you’re used to linear plots or well developed themes in your reading, take a step back; Keaton’s endlessly looping reflections, run-on sentences and long-lingering reflections will drive you mad.   For me they read as an unfolding of my own convoluted stream of consciousness as she shares her “collage” of revelations and wonderful anecdotes from her personal and professional life.

The book is not only about Di-Annie’s history but an intimate look into the life of her recently deceased mother Dorothy Keaton Hall, a suburban housewife of the fifties whose own awakening was portrayed through endless notebooks and catalogs left behind.   Reflections on not only the lives of her four children but much of her inner self are captured as life moved on and the times changed dramatically for her in the sixties and seventies.  After Dorothy ultimately succumbed to a prolonged case of Alzheimer’s disease, Diane chose to parallel her own life's stages against those of her mother in this book and what emerges is a deeply endearing portrait of mother and daughter; the life and joys they shared, and the many instances where intimacy was lost or connections just not made.  There is some regret.

Sad and sweet, this is a wonderful book, and by all means not in the chick lit category, it deserves to be seriously treated and seriously read.  I really, really loved it. 

NOTE:  This review was written by my new guest blogger, my husband George Kimmerle.  I haven't yet read Ms. Keaton's book, but will post my own footnote after I do.  Thank you, George!

ISBN: 978-0-8129-8095-0

Pub. Date:  Nov. 15, 2011

303 pages

Hardcover, Paperback and eBook

SMOKIN' SEVENTEEN - A Stephanie Plum Novel

by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum and her coterie of odd friends are back in this latest from Janet Evanovich.  When a dead body is found on the bail bonds lot, the office moves into Mooner's RV.

Stephanie and Lula try to apprehend skippers with their usual slapstick style and frequent bakery stops, while Stephanie's mother is foisting a former classmate on her as perfect husband material.  When more people turn up dead with Stephanie's name on them, it's starting to get personal.

This latest book in the series finds Plum sleeping with both Joe Morelli and Ranger after Joe's Grandmother Bella turns the evil eye on her, and she continues to destroy cars provided by Ranger at an alarming rate.

I like Evanovich's writing style.  I like the characters in the Stephanie Plum series.  I like the humor in Evanovich's books.  But I have to say that SMOKIN' SEVENTEEN was the same old, same old with just a little more sex.  Stephanie Plum is getting a little long in the tooth to continue the same lifestyle and inability to commit.  Although it's a fun, quick read with quirky characters, this book wasn't much different from SIZZLING SIXTEEN or the one before that, which is a real disappointment.

Pub. Date - June 2011
ISBN 978-0-345-52768-4
320 pages
Hardcover and eBook

WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS

by Dean Koontz - available in bookstores and eBook

WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS is the second book I read on my new ereader.  As I mentioned on January 2nd, Koontz always inserts words I've never seen before and this was no exception.  My ereader made it easy to just click on the word and get the definition.

Detective John Calvino is convinced the ghost of serial killer Alton Turner Blackwood has returned and is recreating his previous horrendous murder spree.  Calvino's especially worried because he was the sole survivor when his family died by Blackwood's hand  when he was a young boy.  Because of his personal connection to Blackwood, he's certain that his wife and children are being targeted. 

This latest from Koontz is a good police procedural/ghost story, but as usual, he inserted the ever faithful golden retriever, but this time in spirit form.

WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS was fun to read, but definitely not Koontz's best.

EVERY LAST ONE

by Anna Quindlen - available in hardcover

This is a very difficult book to review because I don't want to give away the storyline for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I've always been a Quindlen fan, and this book is breathtaking, literally.

Mary Beth and Glen Lantham are living what could pass for an average suburban life with teenagers when one of their twin sons becomes noticeably depressed. Signs of impending disaster swirl around Mary Beth while she tries to help Max with his depression.

What the book jacket calls "an act of violence" is totally shocking and changes everything for the Lanthams and the reader in this heartbreaking and poignant story.

When I finished reading this book, I just wanted to hug my family and keep them close. EVERY LAST ONE is the rare novel that can engage the reader to the point that you experience the same raw emotions as the characters; Anna Quindlen has done just that in this unforgettable story.

This is fiction at its finest and I highly recommend this book.