Bridget B

• Rated 5 stars

“Ta-Nehisi Coates came up in Baltimore, a middle son of a father who had seven children by four women. A Beautiful Struggle is the lyrical, poetic story of Coates’ parents’ struggle to imbue their children with the skills and education needed to master their often unfriendly environment.

Walter Moseley called Coates the James Joyce of the hip-hop generation and before starting the book, I questioned this assessment as perhaps overblown. As I read the book, however, I came to fully agree. Coates has an amazing facility with language, creating vivid visuals utilizing an interplay of rap inspired prose.

Having lived in DC and Maryland during the years Coates was growing up in Baltimore and aspiring to Howard University, I connected all the more with Coates’ memoir. But, even those readers not familiar with the world Coates inhabited will find The Beautiful Struggle a beautiful read. Sorry, I couldn’t resist . . .”

Bridget B wrote this review Monday, August 10 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Not for the prudish or homophobic.

But so long as you don't belong to either of those two groups, this book appeals.

Many of the anecdotes beg disbelief and, of course, since most of the players are deceased, there's no real fact checking to be done but Tiber's story is an aspect of Woodstock that hasn't been previously explored.

How and why The Woodstock Music & Art Festival ended up 50 miles from Woodstock is yet another piece in the improbable, nay, impossible event that took place nonetheless.

As a baby boomer who was 7 years old at the time, my knowledge of Woodstock was woefully lacking and Tiber's book is an intriguing, if at times appalling, introduction.”

Bridget B wrote this review Wednesday, July 15 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Um, not so much.

Much more graphic sexually than the original, not as interesting and really just blah.

Updike's last novel and certainly not his best (although what do I know, having only read this one and the Witches of Eastwick?).

Every once in a while, his descriptions caught me up short but for the most part, I was reading for plot, in a hurry to get it over with and find out what happened to the three friends.

If not for the plane ride, I still wouldn't be done with it.”

Bridget B wrote this review Tuesday, July 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Since I really enjoyed the movie version of Witches of Eastwick, I decided to read Widows of Eastwick. But I couldn't read Widows of Eastwick without having read Witches of Eastwick first.

The book and movie are vastly dissimilar. That I found this surprising is surprising. I mean, I've read enough books after seeing the movie adaptations to be well acquainted with the fact that the book and the movie are often vastly dissimilar. But I was surprised.

What I also found surprising is how intriguing I found Updike's prose. I read novels for plot. I skim the extraneous details, the superfluous descriptions. If it doesn't move the plot forward, it doesn't hold my attention.

And yet, Updike's prose grabbed me in spite of myself. Yes, even the ridiculously lengthy recitation of Jane's middle of the night cello concert kept me, if not engrossed, at least paying attention.

I enjoyed the story told by the movie better, especially the end but on a more superficial level. I found the book's story deeper, more conflicted, more unapologetic about its main characters' amorality.

Now, on to the Widows . . .”

Bridget B wrote this review Saturday, June 27 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Brooks uses the true story of an ancient Jewish booked saved by a Muslim museum curator during the Bosnian war as a jumping off point to take the reader on a sweeping, if fitful, journey through the centuries.

In the spirit of novels which imagine the realities behind works of art such as Tracy Chevalier's Girl with the Pearl Earring, Brooks uses clues found in the binding of the ancient work to fashion a creation story, one that unblinkingly exposes the reader to the separate and intertwined struggles of Jews and Muslims, especially as they attempted to navigate a harsh Christian world.

A bit choppy as it jumps back and forth between present day and days past, the novel also has a disingenuous foray into romance which hits a false note.

But, when it's focused on its primary mission, that of detailing the past, the book finds its groove.”

Bridget B wrote this review Sunday, June 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“A pleasant enough read.

While I have read another Joanne Harris novel, it was not Chocolat. That one I saw as a movie. I mean who can pass up a movie adaptation with Johnny Depp? Usually, if I hadn't already read the book, I would read it as a follow up to the movie but with this one did not do so.

So, while I picked up this book because of my familiarity with its characters, I'm unsure as to whether the book version and the movie version of the characters are all that similar, although it does occur to me that since Harris wrote this sequel after the movie, she could very well have smoothed out any discrepancies.

I was never enthralled but the book kept my interest well enough. Because Harris makes no bones about Zozie's amorality, a sense of impending doom hangs over the entire novel which frustrated me but also kept me invested enough to see how it all played out.

The novel is rife with identity issues and morals about the perils of not being true to one's self.”

Bridget B wrote this review Sunday, June 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Let me just start by saying that I highly recommend this book.

Just as I was beginning it, a friend forwarded me a rather snarky analysis of Kearns Goodwin's thesis or, I should say, thesis as he imagined it. I'm still not clear on whether he actually read the book or was just reacting to the press about it but, thankfully, I stopped reading about two lines in when his condescension became clear. Suffice it say that he believes that there was nothing remarkable about Lincoln's cabinet since all presidents up to that time culled their governments from their rivals.

Thankfully, Kearns Goodwin analysis of Lincoln is far more nuanced. While she clearly has a love affair going on with our 16th president, she persuasively shares Lincoln's qualities with her readers. As painted by Kearns Goodwin, Lincoln was a remarkable, ambitious but not egotistical, pragmatist. His ability to look past his rivals' personal slights and to see the strengths that they could bring to bear coupled with his innate diplomacy allowed him to cobble together a government during this country's most trying times.

Would that Lincoln's abilities had been equally as successful in his choices of generals. The most frustrating part of reading this book was the repetitiousness of the struggles Lincoln experienced with his parade of incompetent generals. More than once I found myself exclaiming out loud in frustration as Kearns Goodwin related yet another ridiculous episode with this general or that one.

Kearns Goodwin is obviously enamored of her subject and successfully persuades the reader that this admiration is well placed.”

Bridget B wrote this review Sunday, June 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“Illuminating.

Timely.

Eminently readable.

I read it because it's one of the books our new president is reading because, you know, our new president reads.

From the start, I was learning. There were many details of the Depression of which I was unaware. It was troubling how many of them mirrored today's headlines. But do the solutions attempted during the Depression have any applicability to today's circumstances?

Alter makes the argument that the key to the New Deal was the persona of the newly elected president and his willingness to basically just keep throwing darts at the dart board. According to Alter, Roosevelt didn't have so much a vision regarding what to do as a drive to simply do something. The appearance of activity went a long way in creating optimism.

Alter creates a revealing, well-balanced portrait of FDR. While his focus is the first 100 days of FDR's presidency, he provides plenty of lead in and follow up which gives the reader a solid overview of the entire era and a great deal of detail about the defining moment.”

Bridget B wrote this review Saturday, March 7 2009. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Yet another instance involving a short story where the movie is oh much better than the story upon which it is based.

Although, in this case, I'd have to say, loosely based.

The short story is rather monotone and drone-y. Emotionally gray, it merely marches the reader through the rather pathetic life of Benjamin Button with little empathy.

Fortunately for the viewer, the movie differs significantly from the story. Unlike Brokeback Mountain, which took every detail from the short story and fleshed it out to great advantage, the screenwriters for Button changed almost everything, retaining only the framework. This is to the movie's benefit.

So, the bottom line is see the movie, skip the short story.”

Bridget B wrote this review Friday, February 27 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“The editors at Smith Magazine have published another book of six word memoirs, this one focused on love and heartbreak.

This book, like their last, inspired me to cull out the six word memoirs with which I identified.

I've thrown in a few of my own, too.

He did not laugh at Airplane.

He was way ahead of me.

He called me, asked for her.

He was addicted, too many women.

I left though I loved him.

I wrote her a thank you.

First thought: He has nice eyes.

He's an artist and I'm not.

Couldn't give up B for W.

Eight years alone, met my guy.

He makes me laugh every day - Detta Owens, p. 11.

Became the other woman. Didn't know - Cameron Vest, p. 22.

Good sex was all we had - Kimberley Yvette Price, p. 39.

Forgot why I left; went back - Sharon Lewis, p. 44.

It helps to label the books - Juan Antonio del Rosario, p. 47.

Love plus laughter: happily ever after - Dan Goggin, p. 50.

Love almost always leads to heartbreak - Raoul Felder, Esq., p. 60.

Love at first sight is blind - Jace Albao, p. 61.

My heart is my strongest muscle - Shanna Katz, p. 64.

More complicated than movies let on - Erin McIntosh, p. 77.

Maybe he will call me tomorrow - Jody Madala, p. 80.

I love you and I'm leaving - Christine Stewart, p. 81.

Happiness is a bed to myself - Michelle Ponto, p. 82.

Three word memoir: Paper. Pen. Revenge. - Lora Mitchell, p. 120.

It's just a matter of luck - Ayelet Waldman, p. 122.

In hindsight, I'd still choose you - Natana Gill, p. 128.”

Bridget B wrote this review Saturday, February 21 2009. ( reply | permalink )