Book Review- Cari Luna's The Revolution of Every Day

I love stories about fringe societies and outsiders. Stories about lives that are so completely opposite of my own fascinate me. The theme is what really caught my attention in Cari Luna's debut novel, The Revolution of Every Day. 

Set in the mid-90's, The Revolution of Every Day follows a group of squatters in New York City, who are forced into a legal battle to legitimize their claim on a building that they have occupied for over a decade. The story is not as simple as just a group fighting for their home, there is also plenty of tension in the group, as certain members question their role in the community and the depth of their commitment to the cause. 

Luna tells her story through several different voices. There is Cat, a former junkie, turned leader and the resident old-timer of the group. Newly pregnant Amelia, a former teen runaway who was brought into the group by Gerrit, an expat from the Netherlands with a tragic past. Steve, a married man who is the father of Amelia's baby. Annie, Steve's unwitting wife, who joined the group to fight for social equality, but who longs to return to her middle-class roots. Luna's story is character based and although the fight for their home is a constant point of tension, the drama between the characters and the secrets that they hold within themselves, is really heart of the story.

All of the characters exist just at the edge of their individual breakpoint and the entire story is spent waiting to see who will crack first. It's surprising and engaging.

As always, Tin House has a great eye for debut authors. I read this book while on vacation and I absolutely couldn't put it down. Luna's rich characters and intense scenarios kept me wanting more. I flew through the story, needing to keep reading " just one more chapter" before bed or in stolen moments while waiting in lines at theme parks!

Luna's novel is a force to be reckoned with and I look forward to reading her future efforts. 

Booksparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge- Colleen Oakes' Queen of Hearts: The Wonder

My final book review for the Booksparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge is The Wonder, which is the second  book in Colleen Oakes' Queen of Hearts series. I have to confess that this was the book in the challenge that I was least excited to read. When I saw the cover and read the synopsis, I pushed it into the category of "not my cup of tea". Although, wanting to finish the challenge, I tried to keep an open mind when starting Oakes' novel.

I don't like to read series books out of order and I had not read the first in the series. Since I was anticipating the book to be a chore, I didn't bother reading the first one, I just dove in. Oakes does a good job at filling in the gaps for the reader who may have not read the first book. I felt like she gave me enough of a recap, without being tedious and after a few chapters, I could easily follow along.

Initially there was some confusion over Oakes' reimagining of Lewis Carroll's iconic Wonderland. In Oakes' Wonderland, Dinah is our heroine. This was my initial confusion, as I always thought of Dinah as a cat and not a girl. In this story, Dinah is the rightful Queen of Hearts, who is wanted for treason and is on the run. She must stay alive long enough to figure out a way to reclaim her throne. It took me a bit to suss out the differences in Oakes's Wonderland. For example, the Cheshire Cat, isn't a cat, he is just a devious man. The cards are soldiers. They are men, not actual cards. The only tie with cards, is the name, cards suites symbolize their order in the King's guard. Once I began to understand Oakes' version of Wonderland, I could begin to allow myself to get swept away by the story.

Oakes is a solid writer. Against my preconceived notion, I actually did enjoy the story and much of that owes to Oakes ability as a writer. The subject matter didn't catch my interest, but she managed to draw me in with her storytelling abilities and quick pacing. This is a bloody story that is filled with vivid imagery and loads of creativity.  Let's face it, Wonderland has been done to death and although Oakes had her own spin on the story, I spent most of the book wondering if it wouldn't have been stronger, if Oakes had set the story in her own imagined realm. As far as I can tell with the second book, it didn't actually need to be set in Wonderland. 

I like Oakes as a writer and although my interest in the Queen of Hearts series ends here, I would definitely check out her other books. I think that this series would have appeal to those who love fantasy stories and Lewis Carroll fans. 

Participating in the Booksparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge has been a lot of fun. I loved the exposure to new authors and the diversity in the offerings. As a reader, I was often placed outside of my comfort zone with reading stories that I would never have otherwise encountered. 

Book Review- Alexander McCall Smith's Espresso Tales

Thankfully, Alexander McCall Smith has a huge fan base. A huge fan base that convinced him to continue with the 44 Scotland Street series beyond his second collection, Espresso Tales. I cannot imagine him abandoning such a colorful group of characters, but as he mentions in his forward, he had intended Espresso Tales to be the end of the series and it would have been, had not friends and fans convinced him otherwise at a publication party. 

Although, I would argue that his intention of ending the series it is what made these stories especially sweet. In particular, the story of Bertie and his overbearing mother, Irene, had a heartwarming resolution, that might have not come, if Smith hadn't aimed to end the series. Irene was so tyrannical and irrational in the first book and the first half of this book, that it would have been cumbersome to have her character continue in the same direction. By the end of Espresso Tales, she is beginning to see the damage that she has been inflicting on her family and although it's not a total transformation, it is a believable one. The real hero of the story is Irene's husband, Stewart, who finally puts his foot down and confronts his wife. 

Another stand-out is the relationship developments between Matthew and his father Gordon. In Espresso Tales, the prickly relationship finally has resolution when the two men have a chance to really engage in an honest conversation.

Smith has a knack for writing well-rounded characters and for making the reader empathize with even the most difficult personalities. This is one of the reasons that I love his No. #1 Ladies Detective Series. He writes sweet stories that manage to never be trite or belittle the readers intelligence. He is a keen observer of life and has a unique way of expressing it through his stories. 

I look forward to reading the further adventures of the residents living at 44 Scotland Street in his already published follow-up, Love Over Scotland. Lucky for me, I just discovered this series last year and I'm seven books behind! It's a book lover's dream!