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Half-Pint the House Cat

I remember primetime television as family-appropriate. Ma and Pa and my two sisters and me, could watch just about anything airing during the first hour of the evening, but we had our routines. Tuesday was for Happy Days, Thursday the Waltons, and Monday was Little House on the Prairie night. 

There was something intoxicating about the relationship of Pa and his daughter Laura, a man's man and the little girl who was his kindred spirit. I grew up wanting to be Charles Ingalls, or maybe just his son-in-law. I don't know how many other young boys were crushing on Melissa Gilbert, but her new memoir, Prairie Tale, gives some indication of the attraction she must have generated. 

In many ways the book is a classic retelling of every child actor's journey, with frequent flings (as Gilbert calls them), drugs, and later, booze. But there is something different here, if not redeeming. While Gilbert doesn't seem to regret much, she seems to have put her journey to use--trying to understand herself and her purpose in life. Like Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady), Melissa Gilbert could never be as good as her famous character, though she enjoyed the escape into her fictionally idyllic life. 

Prairie Tale lingers over the best stories of her years on Little House, revealing the parental role her TV dad played, even letting us in on her jitters at sharing a kiss and later a snuggle with an older actor when she'd never had these experiences for herself. For Little House fans largely unfamiliar with Gilbert's later work in TV movies, the book seems to spend too little time on the prairie, but it succeeds as a device to help us understand her journey. 

Inside are the breakups and reconciliations with Rob Lowe, her disastrous first marriage, and finally her years with Bruce Boxleitner. Gilbert comes across as a little girl lost--grasping for acceptance in all the usual ways, but placing a world of circumstance on her adoption as an infant, framing herself as rejected by the young couple who had her for just a day. Now in her mid-40s, Gilbert has found a more contented life, embracing her kids and family, her renewed Jewish faith, and her sobriety, accepting that she can never be perfect. 

But in the closing pages, as we read her happy wish to be a house cat in the next life, I felt empty, knowing there's a Father in Heaven who can give her everything she--and we--have spent our whole lives chasing. 

The Great President from Illinois

Abe Lincoln Grows Up is revealing and descriptive--filled with insights on not only his childhood, but on his parents and grandparents. In this Carl Sandburg classic, he draws on details that were unfamiliar to me, the almost-heroic strength and benevolence of the young man, his passion to learn, his life, and the life of this young country.

I was surprised to learn that Lincoln didn't move to Illinois until he was about 18, having spent his first few years in and around Elizabethtown, Kentucky and his formative ones in Indiana. Never had I heard of milk-sickness, but it claimed his mother and sister, and was a continual threat to people and animals. Lincoln adored his stepmother and was an incredibly enterprising young man, cutting wood and building homes before establishing a business where he transported goods along the Mississippi, landing in New Orleans a couple of times for trade. Here the book reveals scenes from the slave trade that Lincoln must have witnessed, including the very sickening way in which men, women, and children were described and offered up for trade--copy that reads much like today's used car advertisements.

Abe Lincoln Grows Up also details the political climate of the time--and the opinions Lincoln began to form about John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, with Jackson's countrified beginnings providing a door to the ascension of young Lincoln.

Recommended for anyone interested in the period, and for those looking for a reminder of the character forged by hard work and discipline. It is something unlike anything seen from the modern political machine.

A Confederate Outpost

How does one disparage a cult classic and winner of the Pulitzer Prize (1981)? I recognize the ingenuity and freshness of one Ignatius J. Reilly, the loathsome and quarrelsome protagonist of John Kennedy Toole's southern novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, but I may have read him too late.

To me, the novel was a labor to finish as I became distracted by other books, returning to "Confederacy" to read another 60 or 80 pages until I could tolerate it no more. There really is some genius to the madness inside, but the belching, bumbling story of ineptitude made me restless and discontent. I think perhaps the humor has been lost on me for the decades that have fallen since its creation (1960s) and publication (1980).

Better is the foreword to the book, provided by Walker Percy, who tells of Toole's mother and her labor of love to get the book into the hands of a publisher after her son's suicide in 1969. The opening chapter is a good preview of the ruckus that ensues throughout the story with Toole masterfully pulling together all the stray characters while recording the oddities of life in the Quarter during the era. Recommended for southern lit fans and those interested in the progression of literature.

Here's Marcia, Marcia, Marcia's Story

You want revealing? Try Here's the Story, the memoir of every male Gen-Xers first crush, Maureen McCormick (aka Marcia Brady). Not content to tiptoe through the cutesy flirtations of life on the set of "The Brady Bunch," McCormick begins with her struggles to dispatch the Marcia character and the very real pain her mother carried all of her life, and passed on to her only daughter. 

After crushing on just about every guy she mentions in the first half of the book, including her "brother" Greg, McCormick craters into a crippling cocaine addiction that only the Lord and the accountability of her church could rescue her from. She married a guy who should surely rank as one of the most patient and dedicated men on earth, who endured her rages and bouts with depression. 

The book is an incredibly revealing look at the pressure this young woman put on herself to be perfect like Marcia and the hole she put herself in when she couldn't measure up to her own standards. Trying to break the Marcia mold and have a successful acting career was also a challenge. Here's the Story is quite a journey, moving quickly through her personal struggles and the flits of her career and into her marriage. Just about the time she got things figured out, she suffered through the death of her mother and the strange behavior of her brother who turned her aging father against the rest of the family. 

A satisfying read for Brady fans or for anyone who's struggled with depression, bulimia, drug abuse, anger, or elder abuse--she's seen it all. Not the highest quality of writing, but very serviceable. 

On a final note: I had this memory that I'd started to doubt: Maureen McCormick's appearance in an early-80's Christian movie I saw at summer camp. We were all convinced "Marica" was a Christian. Turns out, she really did make the movie I had banging around in my head... and had become a Christian. Though after her conversion in the early 80's, her faith doesn't get much mention through the remaining 20-plus years of her story.

The Bold Fresh Guy

Suppose I should start this by acknowledging that I find Bill O'Reilly refreshing and informing. This kinda-memoir is an attempt by O'Reilly, of FOX News' "The O'Reilly Factor," to share the moments in his life that shaped his worldview. 

Told amusingly--full of slightly delinquent hijinks with crabby neighbors and Catholic nuns--O'Reilly emerges with a blue collar perspective and a passion to protect the little guy. I've enjoyed his program for his perspective, position, and confidence--particularly the way he cuts to the chase with his guests and exposes. But the book sharpens my understanding of what drives him (he sees himself as a crusader for good and an antagonist to "evil doers"). O'Reilly has a thoroughly developed sense of his purpose, and I find that inspiring. 

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity gets it title from the assessment an exasperated nun once gave to the young Bill O'Reilly--the analysis stuck with him. The book provides many opportunities for O'Reilly to opine about newsmakers, but he always goes back to his roots and the friends who joined him along the way. I enjoyed the audio version, read (of course) by the author, with his cadences and moderate catchphrases (a favorite is the way he says "okay" when he doesn't quite agree with another person's position). 

RECOMMENDED for O'Reilly fans. For others, it will likely reaffirm your belief that he's full of himself.

The Book: A New Milestone

Yay, for me. My wife was kind enough to let me stop at my favorite Starbucks on Friday for an hour or so between my day job and my evening commitment... in that time I was able to complete version 2.0 of my novel... now officially a 4-year venture.

I keep a writing journal to help me track time, ideas, struggles and such. Here's what I wrote tonight after completing this current stage:

"Just for the record: It’s 6:43 pm and I have just put the final sentence down! Yeah, baby! I like. After skimming over the last couple paragraphs, I’m surprised that what I just wrote is so short… I hope the reader can take in the scene and feel what I’m feeling. Will find out from my first readers, I hope. But realize now that I’ve used the word “baritone” about 4x in the manuscript. Once is enough. Will have to fix later."

But it's not done yet. I need to print the thing and give it a good read without the benefit of a computer where I meticulously rewrite and adjust sentences. Now I need to read it for the big picture. Paula will begin reading it for me, and just a friend or two until I'm sure it's ready for more readers.

I found this interesting: At the conclusion of the audio book, A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer, there was a brief author interview in which Archer states that he works January - February on his first drafts. Beginning a series of two hour writing sessions at 6 am and alternating with two hour breaks, until he finishes writing at 8 pm and hits the hay about 9:30 pm. It takes him about 330 hours over 45 days (6 weeks) to complete this. A Prisoner of Birth, for example, wasn't completed until 17 drafts had been developed. Ouch. And yet, I understand.

Add it to Your Collection

The Collectors -- by David Baldacci (A-)

Baldacci's follow-up to The Camel Club is a much better caper, featuring richer portraits for each of the club members. Whereas the first book in the series put the sizzle in the events of the book while neglecting the development of the main characters, The Collectors gets the formula right. In this adventure, the four men in the club are well distinguished from one another and the reader has the opportunity to know them so well that he can identify them by their characteristics.

Not only do the main characters come into brilliant focus, but the story involves two separate plots (that come together of course) that are equally compelling. One of my favorite genres for book and film is the casino caper--and The Collectors has a great one, featuring a very appealing woman in the lead. Meanwhile, the Camel Club takes up a case involving the Library of Congress and the world inhabited by Caleb Shaw (one of the group). And Oliver Stone, the leader of the Club, is vividly drawn to life while maintaining the mystery he needs to keep our intrigue. I also enjoyed the fun the author has with collecting, and how this hobby plays a role in the lives of many involved in the plot.

Though many of the minor players--and a few of the major ones--are drawn from stock character models, Baldacci more than makes up for it in his storytelling. The book also ends on a decided cliffhanger, making me anxious to read yet another sequel, but concluding it this way is not nearly as impressive as if Baldacci had been able to tie up all the loose ends in one volume.

A Yeoman's Effort

The Camel Club -- by David Baldacci (B)

A self-motivated undercover "homeless" man camps with the protestors and sign-wavers to keep an eye on our government. He reports back to his group of four, the Camel Club, and together they hold those in power accountable and set wrongs right again. The leader of this group is a former grunt for the military, albiet with exceptional skills in warfare. Joining him are a bookish guy, a brute, and someone who suffers from a repetitive disorder.

In Baldacci's first book in The Camel Club series, the story focuses on a national security director who has a curious influence on the President and the suicide of a national security officer that might not be all that it appears. The book is spread equally between the Camel Club's point of view, the perspective of various persons involved in a terrorist plot, and a Secret Service agent who's taken to trusting the Club's leader, Oliver Stone (not his real name).

I enjoyed the book most for the details Baldacci includes on the terrorist plot, particularly the role of the Middle Eastern nanny as she struggles to fulfill her role while protecting the young charges she has grown close to. The Alex Ford character (Secret Service agent) is also an appealing window into the plot and is a simple composite of Baldacci's past protagonists. Oliver Stone is serviceably mysterious but he seems a bit wooden in this first effort. With the multitude of characters running in and out of the plot, I was most confused in differentiating between the three other members of the Camel Club--they blended together and needed more definition to bring this book up to a top recommendation. Still, it was a fulfilling read and I'm looking forward to the next installment, The Collectors.

Don't Hestitate to Read This "Dear John" Letter

Dear John -- by Nicholas Sparks (A)

I've just finished the single greatest Nicholas Sparks book yet written. Dear John, the story of John Tyree, Iraqi war veteran and lonely heart, tops even The Notebook, Spark's million-dollar debut novel.

Yes, Dear John is another of Sparks' patented love-so-enchanted stories featuring the rough-around-the-edges protagonist and the confident, southern natural beauty, but this time the romance encounters more satisfying obstacles. What works best in Dear John is the growth of Spark's main character, and the progression he makes from an immature, self-seeking guy to one who understands love in its deepest forms. In other Sparks novels, the main character learns to share himself, to pursue his dreams, or to take a chance, but here, there is more depth.

The book also features a rich subplot involving Tyree and his father plus a respectful representation of people of faith.

There is a hint of strong character growth in Sparks' book, At First Sight (sequel to True Believer), as we read about a man who also endures loss, though the effect is marred by so many having-a-baby stereotypes in the first half of the book. In the case of The Notebook, we see a young, unbridled man and the wonderfully completed man he becomes, but his transformation is not shown within the book's pages. But Dear John treats us to the whole story--as John Tyree becomes what we all should hope to be.

JohnVano's Official 2008 Book List & Report Card

These are the books that made up my reading year. I hope you're inspired to pick up a few of them--there really are some great ones listed here. For those who are new to the blog, this analysis is based on what I did this year, not on what hit the markets for the first time. If someone won "Best New Author" it's because he/she was new to me, not to the publishing industry.

* Denotes fiction     # Denotes new author     + Denotes audio book

1. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston (A) +

2. Anonymous Lawyer by Jeremy Blachman (A) *#+

3. Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson (A) +

4. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (A) *#

5. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (A) *+

6. My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas (A) #+

7. Baseball by George Vecsey (A) #

8. This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley (A)

9. The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (A-) *#+

10. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (A-) #

11. All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg (A-) #+

12. Atonement by Ian McEwan (A-) *#

13. New Bedlam by Bill Flanagan (A-) *#

14. Free-Range Chickens by Rich Simon (A-) #

15. Fraternity by Bob Greene (B+) #+

16. Straight Man by Richard Russo (B+) *

17. Feeding the Monster by Seth Mnookin (B+) #

18. Writing for the Soul by Jerry Jenkins (B+)

19. Reflex by Dick Francis (B+) *

20. 30 Days with Jesus by F. LaGard Smith (B+) #

21. How I Write by Janet Evanovich (B+)

22. Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison (B) #+

23. The Overlook by Michael Connelly (B) *

24. No Way to Treat a First Lady by Christopher Buckley (B) *+

25. They Did It With Love by Kate Morgenroth (B) *#

26. Election by Tom Perotta (B-) *

27. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (B-)

28. Way Off the Road by Bill Geist (B-) #+

29. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen (B-) *

30. Cat O'Nine Tales by Jeffrey Archer (B-) *

31. The Woods by Harlan Coben (B-) *+

32. Built to Win by John Schuerholz (B-) #

33. How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead by Ariel Gore (B-) #

34. Death of a Gentle Lady by M.C. Beaton (B-) *

35. The Appeal by John Grisham (C+) *+

36. 10 lb. Penalty by Dick Francis (C+) *+

37. The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway (C+) *+

38. Why Courage Matters by John McCain and Mark Salter (C+) #

39. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks (C) *+

40. Cross by James Patterson (C) *

41. You've Been Warned by James Patterson (C) *+

42. Dishes by Rich Wallace (C) *#

43. Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons by Yogi Berra (C) #

44. Shattered by Dick Francis (C-) *

45. The Other by David Guterson (C-) *#

46. Feet on the Street by Roy Blount, Jr. (C-)

47. The Disappointment Artist by Jonathan Lethem (C-) #+

48. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich (C-) *+

49. At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks (D+) *+

50. Judge & Jury by James Patterson (D) *+

51. I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris (D) #+

 

BOOK OF THE YEAR -- The Monster of Florence

BEST in NON-FICTION -- The Monster of Florence; BEST NOVEL -- On Chesil Beach

BEST THRILER -- The Bone Garden; BEST in BIOGRAPHY -- Shakespeare: The World as Stage; BEST in HUMOR -- Anonymous Lawyer; BEST in SPORTS -- Baseball; BEST TRAVELOGUE -- Assassination Vacation; BEST in WRITING REFERENCE -- This Year You Write Your Novel

 

BEST NEW AUTHOR -- Ian McEwan

BEST FEMALE AUTHOR -- Tess Gerritsen

Other notables: Most reads of a single author -- 3 (Dick Francis, James Patterson); Total male authors -- 35; Total female authors -- 8; 29 paper reads/ 22 unabridged audio reads; 2008 book goal -- 50; 2009 book goal -- 60.