What I'm Reading: The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving
by Jonathan Evison
Algonquin Books (August 2012)
Adult Fiction

Summary:

After losing virtually everything meaningful in his life, Benjamin trains to be a caregiver, but his first client, a fiercely independent teen with muscular dystrophy, gives him more than he bargained for and soon the two embark on a road trip to visit the boy's ailing father. 

Why You'll Love It:

• Has all the trappings of the movie Little Miss Sunshine, including embarrassingly funny surprises, side-splitting laughter, and the ability to steal your heart.
• It's a big-hearted novel that tackles the joys and heartbreak of caring for others, told with great wit and deep perception.
• Evison injects some levity with Trev's horny commentary and Ben's wry retorts, blending humor, sharp dialogue, and a rich and detailed backstory.

What Else You Should Read:

•  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
• Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova
• The Truth About Luck Iain Reid

The Ghost Writer by John Harwood

The Ghost Writer
by John Harwood
Mariner Books, 2005
384 pages
Literary Mystery/Gothic Suspense
Library Copy

Summary in a Sentence (or two):

Haunted by his mother's mysterious death, timid, solitary Gerard Freeman lives for two things: his elusive pen pal and the secret manuscript that his mother gave her life to protect. Suspecting that something within that manuscript holds the key to his mother's refusal to return to her childhood home, Gerard sets out to unveil the mystery shrouding his family.

My Thoughts:

You know that book you have to carry with you and read as you walk around your house, bumping your shins on coffee tables? That book you can't tear your eyes away from while eating so you accidentally dump lasagna down your chin, and you don't really care? The Ghost Writer is that kind of book. I read incessantly, stopping only for work, sleep, and any other sort of thing that gets in the way of finishing a great book.

All the elements are here: This book is a creepily Gothic, cozily Victorian story within a story, including one of the most frightening scenes ever to take place in a library. It all begins when Gerard finds a ghost story written by his grandmother Viola while snooping through his mother's room. Interspersed throughout Gerard's narrative set in present time are Viola's short stories, which I found to be my favorite part of the book.

Then, I reached the ending. I won't write anything spoiler-ish here for those of you who haven't read the book, because I think you will enjoy it immensely. I just don't think Harwood quite knew how to finish the dang thing. Regardless, I can't wait to read Harwood's next one, The Seance.

~ Read for the Bibliophilic Books Challenge ~

Also Recommended:

• The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
• Grange House by Sarah Blake
• The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
  

Other reviews:

Musings of a Bookish Kitty 

S. Krishna's Books 

We Be Reading

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Atonement

by Ian McEwan

Publisher: Doubleday, 2001

ISBN: 9780385503952

351 pages

Genre: fiction

Source: Library audiobook

 Summary in a Sentence: 

Imaginative thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis, misinterpreting a scene between her older sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, the housekeeper's son, later accuses Robbie of a crime she has no proof he committed and spends years trying to atone for her actions.

My thoughts: 

I usually make a point of not seeing a movie before I get a chance to read the book, but the opposite is true for my experience with McEwan’s Atonement. I rented the movie last summer from Netflix and as soon as the movie ended, I stared at the blank screen for a moment, blinked a couple of times in wonderment, and then hit play and watched it in its entirety a second time. Needless to say, I was completely entranced with the storyline and the cinematography. All of this is to say that after having such a wonderful experience with the movie adaptation, I began to worry that I’d ruined the possibility of having a good reading experience with the novel. I find it difficult to read a book after I’ve seen the movie since I have so many preconceived notions of the characters’ appearance and eccentricities locked into my head visually.

Never fear. I loved the book just as much as the movie. I actually listened to this book, mostly while driving, and I’m quite lucky I didn’t wind up in a ditch somewhere due to my complete inattention to my surroundings. I became so wrapped up in the characters, the story, and the heart wrenching consequences of one thirteen-year-old’s misinterpretation of a number of events and a rash decision. This was my first foray into Ian McEwan’s writing and it definitely won’t be the last. I was mesmerized with his writing style. The characters, especially that of the young Briony, were so well-drawn.  She is so frustratingly self-absorbed and narcissistic in the beginning of the novel, and her imaginative whims that so many young girls possess lead to such a catastrophic turn of events. I’ll say no more. You must read it for yourself.

I don’t often reread books anymore due to the sheer quantity of amazing novels out there that I must get my hands on, but I can definitely say this is a book I will revisit, perhaps a few times, in the future. 

Rating:  5/5

Also Recommended:

• Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
• Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
• The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies
• The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
  

Other Reviews:

• Books for Breakfast
• Trish's Reading Nook 
• Bookshelves of Doom