Book Review- Caitlin Moran's Moranthology

Caitlin Moran's Moranthology is my book of seconds. It has been my second Moran book, each of which were read on trips to the UK. Moranthology was read on my second trip to the UK.

Moran is a journalist and Moranthology is a compilation of her articles and thoughts on a whole range of issues, including social, pop-culture, feminism and politics.

Although between my two trips this year, I've spent nearly six weeks in the UK, there is still so much about British culture in which I'm clueless. I know that many things Moran writes about go right over my head. I did a silent cheer every time I "got" something, that I would have been clueless about prior to my vacations or dating my Brit.

There were some pop-culture things that I didn't get because there are shows, Dr. Who for example, that I don't watch. I skimmed that chapter. However, I got tears from laughing so hard over her dissection and tear-down of Downton Abbey. Downton Abbey is one of my favorite shows, but Moran makes some very valid points for it being a shoddy melodrama.

She has a great comedic writing style, but not all of her articles are funny. Moran lived a very financially disadvantaged childhood with her father on disability and her family scrapping by on public assistance. Her past is often a theme in her writing. One of her stand-out chapters is a very frank rant about why blaming the poor and cutting social services is not an acceptable or moral solution in modern society. As someone who has been fortunate to lead a very privileged life, it was a hard look at how the other half lives and a reminder to show compassion. Her words stuck with me.

Moran comes across as very likable and as someone that would be fun to hang out with in a pub. She's quirky, proudly shows her flaws and has the ability to laugh at herself. This makes her very accessible to readers, I only wish that I understood more of her references.

Book Review- Curtis Sittenfelds' Sisterland

The wait for Curtis Sittenfeld's Sisterland was a long one. I'm a huge fan of Sittenfeld's writing and her previous novel, American Wife, was released in 2008. As I said, it was a long wait!

I was so excited over her new novel, that I saved it for my UK vacation and only started reading it when the moment was optimal and free from distractions. I knew that it was a book that I would really want to savor.

Sisterland is the story of identical twins, Violet and Daisy, who share more than looks, they have psychic abilities. As adults, Daisy attempts to lead a normal surburban life as a stay-at-home mom and wife, keeping her abilities a secret. Violet is a complete contrast Daisy. She is single, a bit bohemian and makes a living as a psychic. Daisy finds her world turned upside down when Violet predicts an earthquake in their home town in Missouri and the prediction picks up steam in the local media. Daisy has to decide if supporting her sister and the prediction is worth the risk of having her quiet life destroyed.

I'm an only child and the bond between siblings is a complete mystery to me. The bond between twins is even more foreign. The sibling bond was a primary theme of Sisterland. My favorite stories involve characters with lives so different from my own and on that level, this story was a winner. I have no psychic abilities (don't believe in them either), I'm not a mother and I don't live in the suburbs. This doesn't mean that the characters were not relatable as people, just that the story contained so many unfamiliar things to my own life.

I have to be honest and say that Sisterland has been my least favorite Sittenfeld novel. That said, it's still a Sittenfeld novel and compared to a lot of other contemporary novels, a great read. If Sisterland had been her first novel, I would have been anxious for her followup. She's great at writing tense scenarios filled with biting dialogue. She writes characters with deep seeded secrets on the bubble of being exposed. Her novels are exciting to watch unfold.

She has a knack for writing characters that have really mortifying childhood stories. Sittenfeld novels are filled with cringe-worthy moments. Daisy and Violet had a childhood filled with awkward middle-school moments. None of her books have been "Young Adult", but she knows how to write realistic YA characters. Reading her novels will make you recall some of your most embarrassing childhood memories.

Sittenfeld almost lost me right off the bat with an earthquake scene at the start of the novel. I grew up and currently live in Southern California and have been through several major Earthquakes (Whittier, Northridge). Daisy's response to the quake didn't ring true at all.

Luckily, soon after the quake chapter, I quickly became engrossed in the story. On a whole it was a quick read that kept my attention. I wavered a little towards the end of the story, when the pacing slowed down and the story arc became seemingly muddled. Ultimately though, the conclusion of the story was very satisfactory, it just took hind-sight to see where Sittenfeld was going with the entire thing.

I hope that Sittenfeld doesn't wait another five years for her next novel!

Book Review- Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street

I'm a huge fan of Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Smith is a very fast and prolific author (writing multiple series and typically churning out a book per series per year) and I decided that it was time to plunge into another of his series.

I timed starting the first book in the series, 44 Scotland Street, with my trip to Edinburgh, where the story is set. Although I only spent a few hours in the city, it was enough to give me a small frame of reference. It's a gorgeous city and I hope that I will be able to return to it in the future.

As Smith mentions in the forward, his 44 Scotland Street series is reminiscent of Armistead Maupin's late 70's Tales of the City book series set in San Francisco. I discovered Maupin's series when I was in high school and quickly devoured all of the books over a Christmas holiday.

The comparison between the two series is a good one, as both include a plethora of quirky characters, a good mix of comedy vs serious content and both series make the city in which the story is set a primary character. The characters are all very much a product of their environment.

Just as in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, Smith writes characters with their warts exposed, but in a gentle manner. He has a keen eye towards social interactions and knows how to translate his observations into his writings. He has an ability to create a multitude of characters from all sorts of backgrounds, but manages to bring forth the commonalities make all of the characters relatable. I always feel like a Smith book is similar to watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie, except less sappy. Smith writes stories that leave me feeling warm and fuzzy.

I'm excited to have read the first book in the 44 Scotland Street series and can't wait to dive into the next one!