Tending Roses

Title: Tending Roses
Author: Lisa Wingate
Genre: Domestic fiction
Pages: 336
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***
Reviewed by: Jenn
Description: Katie, a new mom on her maternity leave, gets assigned to take her husband and baby to live with her grandmother who has recently had a stroke and is not safe to leave alone. At first Kate dreads the assignment to live with her blunt, seemingly harsh and nit-picky grandmother. She is also stressed out about money, and her marriage is suffering. But as Kate sneaks peeks into her grandmother's journal, she learns subtle lessons and eventually transforms her entire take on life, family, and priorities. The extended family, which was falling apart, is also benefitted and patched together, thanks to Grandma Rose's lessons.
Thoughts: Most of the members of my book club felt that Tending Roses, if nothing else, made them want to be a better person. While reading this book, I found myself avoiding harsh words, worrying less, appreciating what I have, and viewing my family as the most important part of my life. That should be reason alone to read it! Wingate brings out several themes that I agree are crucial in life, most importantly, "maybe you should start wanting less." The characters in this book are well-developed and easy to relate to. The only thing that bothered me was that in her attempt to teach life's great morals and lessons, Wingate gets pretty sentimental, if not preachy. But hey, sometimes it's a lot easier to let someone tell you flat-out what the moral of the story is!
Disclaimer: I personally didn't find this book offensive at all. There are a few "H" and "D" words, and a mention of a married couple's lovemaking, luckily with no details.

The Big Sleep

Title: The Big Sleep
Author: Raymond Chandler
Genre: Crime/Mystery/Detective
Pages: 231
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: The first of the Philip Marlowe stories, The Big Sleep, follows the story of a private detective (Marlowe) on a case involving murder, blackmail, and a millionaire. Set in the late 1930's in the seamy side of Los Angeles.
Thoughts: I've got to rate The Big Sleep pretty high up there on the mystery/detective list of books I've read. Chandler's writing is definitely in the classic detective style: short, spare sentences, attention to detail, and plenty of plot twists. A sample:

"I had a room and half on the seventh floor at the back. The half-room was an office split in two to make reception rooms. Mine had my name on it and nothing else, and that only on the reception room. I always left this unlocked, in case I had a client, and the client cared to sit down and wait.

"I had a client. "

At any rate, this book was very entertaining, fast moving, and had enough twists to get you tied in knots here and there. Marlowe is a bit like an American version of James Bond; less suave, grittier, and just enough luck to stay alive.

If you don't want to take the time to read the book, it was made into a movie with Humphrey Bogart. Jenn and I both think that the book is quite a bit better, though.
Disclaimer: This book is not G-rated. Like Bond, Marlowe has the opportunity to be a little promiscuous, but luckily has high enough morals to say no (unlike Bond). A nude photograph of a woman is used for blackmail. There is some swearing. There is plenty of smoking and drinking.

Suggestions, please?

We would love your recommendations for books to read! Please leave a comment on this post with any suggestions you have. Also, if you have read any of the books reviewed and would like to leave a comment, feel free to do so! Happy reading!

Dead Man's Folly

Title: Dead Man's Folly
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 240
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A Hercule Poirot mystery, Dead Man's Folly is classic Christie. There is a murder at a party, and practically everyone has a possible motive. Only Poirot can sort out all the details and find the murderer!
Thoughts: If you are looking for pure mystery, this is a great book to read. While I don't think it is quite as good as some as Christie's most famous books, it really drew me in and kept me entertained all the way through.
Disclaimer: None.

Brave Companions

Title: Brave Companions: Portaits in History
Author: David McCullough
Genre: Historical Essays
Pages: 232
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A collection of essays about historical figures that McCullough feels make "brave companions." Included in the collection are essays on Louis Agassiz, Harriet Beacher Stowe, Alexander Von Humboldt, Frederic Remington, Theodore Roosevelt, the Lindbergh's, and the builders of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Thoughts: McCullough is easily my favorite historical author (not that I've read many others, I guess) and this is the third book of his that I've read. The subtitle "Portaits in History" is really the best description of this book, as McCullough does a fine job of painting the lives of these lesser-known figures while adding his own touch to the narrative. Each of the essays was completely intriguing to me and, even better, I came away feeling smarter than I did before at the same time! Really, I would recommend anything by McCullough; he is a master of the discriminating use of detail, which makes the history lesson read like a novel.
Disclaimer: None.

The Pit

Title: The Pit: A Story of Chicago
Author: Frank Norris
Genre: Early 20th Century Muckraker Novel
Pages: 416
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: Follows the life of the protagonist, Laura Dearborne, and her relationship with her husband.
Thoughts: The description is very short because I don't want to give too much away about what happens in the plot. Suffice it to say that this is a book all about how your career can take over your life if you aren't careful. It was especially interesting to me because it is all about "the pit," which is the Chicago Board of Trade (like the game of the same title). There's something very compelling, competitive, and consuming about betting on trades in the market. This book tells the story of how the Pit almost ruined a man and his wife. It made me think about my career choices and what I really want in life.
Disclaimer: None at all.

The Magician's Nephew

Title: The Magician's Nephew
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Pages: 202 quick ones
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: The first in The Chronicles of Narnia series, this book was actually written after all of the others were. It gives the back story behind how Narnia came to be, and how the wardrobe become a portal to it.
Thoughts: Lewis' ideas behind Narnia are extremely creative, and the Christian allegory throughout the Narnia series definitely shows through in this book. I have to say it was highly entertaining, although I didn't find it quite as compelling as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. A great read if you are looking for something light, fast, and wholesome.
Disclaimer: None.

The Harlequin Tea Set

Title: The Harlequin Tea Set
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery Short Stories
Pages: 214
Rating (out of 5 stars) : *
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A collection of short stories by Agatha Christie. Most are mysteries, some just weird stories.
Thoughts: I try to save extreme ratings for exceptional books (good or bad), so you may be surprised I gave an Agatha Christie only one star. This was one of the few books I've begun and never finished. Most of the stories are psychotic suicides rather than your classic Agatha Christie. I really didn't enjoy any of them--they were just too gruesome, depressing, and weird. If you want to read Christie, pick a different book (And Then There Were None is highly recommended).
Disclaimer: A little grisly at times, nothing more.

When Genius Failed

Title: When Genius Failed
Author: Roger Lowenstein
Genre: Financial Non-fiction
Pages: 236
Rating (out of 5 stars): **
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: This book gives the history of the rise and fall of Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM), a hedge fund that went under in the September of 1998. LTCM was run by the brightest traders on Wall Street (two of them were Nobel Prize winners in Economics), but went under when the partners grew overconfident in their models, risked it all, and the markets went the wrong way. It gives some good insight into financial markets, leverage, risk, and the uncertainty of markets.
Thoughts: This book was interesting for me since (a) I have studied financial markets a fair bit and (b) I work for the NY Fed, which was quite involved in salvaging the whole mess. However, I felt that the author was pretty critical towards the partners, characterizing them as irresponsible, greedy villains. From an economics perspective, their theories were well-founded and, had they been able to hold on, they would have eventually come out on top. Their error was in underestimating how bad things could get before they got better, that's all. My only other difficulty with the book was that I look forward to my train-ride reading time as a break from the world of econ, and this book didn't provide that for me, obviously. Had I read it over the summer, I probably would have given it more stars. On the plus side, Lowenstein does a great job of making the book move along despite the density of the material, and I think that his insights are important for anyone working in financial markets.
Disclaimer: None.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Author: Zora Neale Hurston
Genre: Black Southern, set in Florida in the early 20th century
Pages: 240
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****
Reviewed by: Ben and Jenn
Description: This book follows the life of Janie Crawford, a woman living in one of the first all-black towns in Florida. She repeatedly struggles to choose between following society's expectations for her (especially as a wife) versus the desires of her heart. A classic piece of black literature written in a beautifully poetic voice, Their Eyes Were Watching God shows how freedom pertains to a lot more than just slavery.
Thoughts: Jenn listened to the audio version of this book, and would highly recommend Ruby Dee's rendition. Her reading is fabulous, making the book really come alive. Overall, we both really enjoyed this book. The plot moves very quickly, and Hurston has some way of planting beautiful little gems of truth on every page. The story is really about standing for something (black/woman power!), but let it also be a self-evaluation as each page teaches something about dreaming, loving, and living. It helped both of us recognize what we're really working towards.
Disclaimer: There is a brief mention of premarital intimacy, luckily without any details. No worse than a PG -- this book was quite clean.

My Antonia

Title: My Antonia
Author: Willa Cather
Genre: Classic, set in late 19th century Nebraska
Pages: 266
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****
Reviewed by: Jenn and Ben
Description: My Antonia tells the story of a Bohemian immigrant family in the late 19th century. It catalogues the joys and struggles of early western farm life, the rich stories of immigrants, and the simplicity of growing up in an empty land. The characters are vivid and real, and they have much to teach the reader.
Thoughts: We both absolutely loved this book. More than anything, it was just a rich and nourishing book to read. Cather's depictions of life on the plains are so stunning, you can almost smell the dirt, and you feel you have met the characters somewhere before. It says a lot about how to be a good, strong person who lives and loves life.
Disclaimer: There was nothing offensive about this book.