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Fall means
cooler days, back-to-school for many, and more time spent indoors.
Perhaps cuddled up with a refreshing mystery...or international
thriller...or dark paranormal romance. Try a new cookbook or learn a
new craft. We have books for all these endeavors. New trade-ins are
arriving daily at both stores!
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September 23, 2009 - John recommends:
Ubik by Philip K. Dick
I’ve actually read almost everything
Dick wrote and Ubik is both a favorite and one that I recommend
to readers who haven’t read Dick before. It’s fun and compelling but
still offers his trademark reality-pulled-out-from-under-your-feet
feeling. Ubik tells the story of Joe Chip, who works for Glen
Runciter’s security agency, which protects customers from telepaths
and paranormal attack. While on a job on the moon, Runciter is
killed…or is he? Odd messages from him keep appearing to members of
the security team. And objects start devolving, like Chip’s stereo
that turns back into a Victrola. And then there are the repeated
advertisements for a miracle product named “Ubik.”
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September 10, 2009 - Jean recommends: Kill the Competition
by Stephanie Bond
If you enjoy reading about how a character thinks and grows, this
book could be the romantic suspense for you. Belinda moves to Atlanta,
Georgia to start over after a failed relationship. She's got to learn
to live with: big city traffic, southern manners, sharing with
girlfriends, carpooling, and murder. |

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September 10, 2009 - Jean recommends: Dead End Dating by
Kimberly Raye
I actually recommend the entire Vampire Love series of books, of
which this title is the first. Lil Marchette is a born vampire
(as opposed to a made vampire) in a world where born vamps are snooty,
rich, and pure-blooded. Lil wants out of that destiny. She lives in
her own small apartment in New York City. Rather than work for
the family firm, she starts her own company-a dating service for other
born vampires. Soon her clients include werewolves and other weres,
made vampires, even humans. In each book in the series, Lil has to
balance her passion for high end fashions, a hot made vampire named Ty
Bonner, her nagging mother's desire for grandchildren, her clients'
desires for the perfect date, and her desire to lead an independent
life versus the costs of paying your own bills. While so many of us
can identify with her problems, the real joy in these books comes from
seeing her character develop strengths she never knew she had as she
solves dilemmas and a mystery with each book.
Vampire Love series, in
order
Dead End Dating
Dead and Dateless
Your Coffin or Mine?
Just One Bite
Sucker for Love
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July 30, 2009 - Jean recommends:
Moonlight Warrior by Janet Chapman
Janet Chapman is well known among paranormal
romance fans as the author of a series about time-travelling highland
warriors who now live in the mountains of Maine. Moonlight Warrior is
the first book in a new series that overlaps the previous one.
Kenzie Gregor is a soul warrior whose calling is
to help displaced souls. He moves to Midnight Bay, with Daar, the
ancient wizard from the previous series, and a grumpy dragon called
William. Midnight Bay is on the coast of Maine and is in an economic
and emotional slump caused by loss of jobs in fishing and lumber. Kenzie
buys land to set up his farm, from an impoverished widow and her
petite, blond, divorced daughter.
Kenzie has a job trying to break through the
embittered daughter’s heart. Meanwhile, the town of Midnight Bay is
about to be invaded by money and magic and overrun by huge work crews
of manly men with Scottish burrs!
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July 23, 2009 - Nick recommends: A Spy on the Bus: Memoir of a
Company Rat by Margean Gladysz
Out of the Furrow: The Autobiography of Kalamazoo’s First
Pediatrician by H. Sidney Heersma
I love reading memoirs and recently, to my
delight, I discovered a blog located at
www.100memoirs.com written by Shirley H. Showalter, a former
college president who is now the Vice President for Programs at the
Fetzer Institute here in Kalamazoo County. If you like reading
memoirs and people writing about their favorite ones check this site
out.
Two local memoirs which are currently popular at
Kazoo Books are A Spy on the Bus: Memoir of a Company Rat
by Margean Gladysz and Out of the Furrow: The
Autobiography of Kalamazoo’s First Pediatrician by H.
Sidney Heersma.
During the last half of the 1940s Margean Gladysz
worked for Greyhound, Trailways and other bus companies as a “spy” for
management to report on the drivers, routes and anything else deemed
appropriate. About six years ago she discovered in an attic trunk the
letters she wrote home almost everyday describing her adventures. The
result was this charming memoir which some local book clubs have
chosen to read.
This summer Dr. Heersma turned 100 years old
which renewed interest in his autobiography which he published in
2002. A fascinating read, Dr. Heersman tells a good story while
coming off as an admirable man of integrity who has accomplished much
in his life. There is an abundance of fascinating local medical
history in the book which gives the reader a sense of how medicine has
changed over the years. |
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July 9, 2009 - Jean reviews: Ice by Stephanie Rowe
Like many of you, when I find an author whose work I like, I tend
to read everything that person has written. I liked Ms. Rowe's
paranormal romantic comedies immensely. Her contemporary romances,
like this one, seem a bit slow in comparison...but that may be unfair.
She can draw an over-the-top character quite vividly. (See my review
of June 30.) Making characters behave in a believable fashion is much
more difficult. This book is good...but I wish she would pull out the
stops and go back to romantic comedy.
Kaylie Fletcher lives a settled life, with a quiet, high-paying
job, in a big city. She gets a phone call telling her that her mother
has survived a mountain climbing accident that killed the other
members of her family. Then the mysterious caller hangs up. Kaylie
heads north to Alaska to discover the truth. Kaylie's best friend
hired Cort McClain to fly Kaylie out to her friend's house. He hates
snooty, rich women, which Kaylie looks like. She hates adrenaline
junkies, like the family she left behind in Alaska and bush pilot Cort
McClain. Sparks fly when they meet and continue as they get drawn into
a double murder and a stalker who is after after Kaylie.
Will romance survive their prejudices? Can either change enough to
satisfy the needs of the other? This is classic, escapist, summer
reading.
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July 9, 2009 - Nick is reading:
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
One clue that indicates a person is a book lover
is their attraction to a list of books and the joy experienced
perusing it. The July 13, 2009 issue of Newsweek contains a list of
50 books called “What to Read Now. And Why.” The list is based on the
premise that the educated American needs “…to know which books---new
or old, fiction or nonfiction—open a window on the times we live in…”
The first title listed is Anthony Trollope’s
The Way We Live Now, a novel published in 1875 and considered his
masterpiece. Supposedly this book mirrors much of what is going on in
our society today, especially in the financial realm. One character is
a ruthless swindler named Augustus Melmotte, who will remind you of
our own era’s Madoff, who was just sentenced to life in prison.
I have ordered myself a copy of this book and
will report back after I have read it.
The next four titles listed are:
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
Prisoner of the State by Zhao Ziyang
The Big Switch by Nicholas Carr
The Bear by William Faulkner
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July 2, 2009 - Nick recommends:
One of the great joys of reading is discovering a
series of books by an author which can keep you delightfully occupied
for months. During the past six months I have devoured almost three
dozen titles by Susan Howatch and the mystery master Robert Parker.
By Susan Howatch:
The Starbridge Series: Glittering Images,
Glamorous Powers, Ultimate Prizes, Scandalous Risks, Mystical Paths
and Absolute Truths
The St. Benet’s Trilogy: The Wonder Worker,
The High Flyer and The Heartbreaker
Between 1987 and 2004 Howatch published a series
of nine books set in 20th century England interrelated by
characters and the theme of spiritual development. The first six books
make up The Starbridge Series: Glittering Images, Glamorous Powers,
Ultimate Prizes, Scandalous Risks, Mystical Paths and Absolute
Truths. The final three are part of The St. Benet’s Trilogy:
The Wonder Worker, The High Flyer and The Heartbreaker. The
heroes and heroines of these books are spiritual directors. It was a
sad day when I finished the final page of the ninth book. These books
will appeal to anybody who believes one’s spiritual development can be
as dramatic and interesting as any dimension of the human life.
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The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker
I don’t read many mysteries but I happened to
read during a long plane ride The Godwulf Manuscript, Parker’s
1973 title which introduced his private eye Spenser, the Korean War
vet, ex-heavyweight boxer and ex-state cop who lives in Boston. The
more I got to know Spenser the more addictive the books became. There
are 36 Spenser titles with the next one coming out in October.
Spenser sees himself as an urban Thoreau who has worked hard to get
to where he is. He lives by his own code which sometimes does not make
any sense to anyone except Spenser and maybe the love of his life
Susan. Spenser is tough and witty and basically a good guy. You do not
have to read the books in chronological order to enjoy them. I have
already started to worry about running out of Spenser books.
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June 30, 2009 - Jean recommends:
Date Me, Baby, One More Time by Stephanie Rowe
Must Love Dragons by Stephanie Rowe
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot by Stephanie Rowe
Sex & the Immortal Bad Boy by Stephanie Rowe
I recently picked up a copy of Sex & the
Immortal Bad Boy, by Stephanie Rowe. It looked like a fun read-and
it was!
"Page Darlington is finally free of the literal
boss from hell-Satan. There's just one hitch: she's been cursed, and
will soon lose her soul."
It turns out this book was number four of the
series that all involve men and women who have worked for Satan (who
is a hoot all by himself) and are trying to redeem themselves. There
are dragons, curses, goblets of immortality, Satan falling in love and
needing romantic advice from his minions, and the eternal struggle
between heaven and hell. Satan as depicted in these books is something
straight out of Las Vegas, gold chains, open shirt, and over-the-top
theatrics. Add snappy dialogue and lots of foreplay and you have four
very fun books.
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If the Shoe Fits by Stephanie Rowe
I had so much fun with the previous four books that
I ordered a copy of If the Shoe Fits, also by Stephanie Rowe.
This is a contemporary romance with the main characters holding down
day jobs while they try to design the ultimate running shoe. While
this book is also humorous it is more a standard chick lit novel.
There's a cadre of best girlfriends, and ex-husband and a current
boyfriend all competing for Paris Jackson's affections. It is a very
good read.
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Lover Avenged by JR Ward
The newest novel in the brotherhood of the Black
dagger series by JR Ward is Lover Avenged. Just out in
hardcover, we have a used copy of it at each store. This was as good
as any of her others and explains a lot about the politics between the
vampires and the symphaths. The story revolves around Rehvenge, owner
of the Zero-Sum nightclub. He uncovers a plot to kill Wrath, the Blind
King of the vampires. Rehvenge falls in love and has to deal with his
relationship/blackmail affair with the princess of the symphaths.
There is more about Xhex and John Matthew. I think the resolution of
that relationship will come in a later book. This book is a treat for
all fans of JR Ward's work.
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Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
Fans of the Weather Warden paranormal series by
Rachel Caine should keep an eye out for her Morganfield Vampires
series. The heroine is a teenager in Texas who is smart enough for MIT
but who is sent to a local college by her overprotective parents. It
turns out the town is run by vampires. Book five of the series is
Lord of Misrule. The simmering battle between Amelie and Bishop
becomes full-blown. The entire town is at risk. Claire Danvers and her
friends try to survive the battle without condemning their souls.
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Forbidden by Suzanne Brockmann
Some old favorites for the summer-I picked up an
old Suzanne Brockmann book called Forbidden and it reminded me
why I like her in the first place. Kayla Grey travels from Boston to
Montana to get the help of Cal Bartlett, the brother of her best
friend Liam. Everyone thought Liam had died in South America (in an
island nation) but Kayla just received word that he's still alive. The
plot moves quickly with lots of drama and romance. At 245 pages, it is
the perfect size for folks who need a book for a holiday weekend.
The Curse of the Giant Hogweed by Charlotte MacLeod
Don't forget the oldies! Last spring I read a
Charlie Chan mystery. I'm about ready to read a Raymond Chandler
mystery. Classic good mysteries are a great escape. Well, a customer
told me about Charlotte MacLeod. She has written a number of mysteries
involving amateur sleuths with wacky names solving wacky crimes.
The Curse of the Giant Hogweed was published in 1985 and can be
found in our mystery section at the Parkview store. Prof. Shandy,
Balaclava College's best amateur sleuth, travels to England with a
couple of colleagues to solve the case of the giant hogweed, a garden
pest that threatens to overgrow England. This book is about as silly
and as fun as they come.
-J.C.
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June 30, 2009 - Gloria recommends Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron
Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent.
This book is sweeping the country with a story
told from the heart. When Deborah Hall involves her husband in her
volunteer work, he begins to see life from a different view. His
world of art and high society is far different from Denver’s street
life of substance and survival. Yet they find a common thread that
brings them together as friends.
The story is told from both perspectives and
let’s you see the transformation that each of them experience. Lynn
does an excellent job of writing this story.
This is a terrific true story that each of us
needs to hear.
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April 21, 2009 - Jean recommends: The Unquiet Bones by
Melvin R. Starr This is a wonderful murder mystery set in
medieval (1360s) England. Hugh de Singleton is a younger son who
heads to Oxford to become a church man. His roommate dies and
bequeaths a medical book to Hugh. Hugh's career is inalterably
changed as he discovers a passion for medicine.
His first job is to provide medical assistance to Lord Gilbert of
Bampton Castle. Lord Gilbert later asks him to investigate a set
of bones found in the castle cesspit. Soon Hugh is chasing down
leads about missing girls, jealous boyfriends, a missing knight and a
roaming band of entertainers.
The pacing of the language is wonderful. Starr sets the tale
carefully so the reader can easily catch nuances of social behavior
and the power structure of the day. The descriptions of food,
clothing, homes and travel really add to the entire adventure.
We hand-sell this book easily because the author did such a fabulous
job.
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April 6, 2009 - Jean recommends: The House
Without a Key: a Charlie Chan Mystery by Earl Derr Biggers.
The house without a key is the home of Dan Winterslip. He’s a leading business figure in Hawaii, and from the
traveling branch of a stiff Boston banking family. The traveling
Winterslips are not considered quite successful, no matter how rich
and happy they become. Visiting Dan is Miss Minerva. She’s a woman
of a certain age who came for a short visit that has lasted six
months. A beloved nephew is sent to retrieve her from becoming one of
those Winterslips. He’s staid, engaged to be married to a
respectable woman, and he’s a young banker. Within 48-hours Dan is
killed and young John Quincy Winterslip joins the Honolulu Police
force to try and solve his murder. He meets Charlie Chan and
discovers a whole new way of looking at the world. Charlie tells John
Quincy that the reason he is so good at solving mysteries is because
the Chinese people are sensitive, like camera film. Exposure to
Charlie Chan teaches John Quincy to see beyond the surface of people
and events.
Published in 1925, this book is the first is a
six-volume Charlie Chan series of mysteries. The reader gets lots of
information about the social rules and expectations the characters
were expected to live by in the mid-twenties. I really enjoyed that
view into the world of my grandparents. I also was tickled by the
Hawaiian’s reaction to people who come from other places and expect to
remain the same, driven, full of a need to meet high standards and
complete business. I had preconceived notions about Charlie Chan
because of the movies. The book introduced me to subtleties in his
character that the movies never came close to touching. I hope you
enjoy these books as well.
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Midnight Reign,
book two of the
Vampire Babylon
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March 31, 2009 - Jean recommends: the
“Vampire Babylon” series by Chris Marie Green. The series
includes Night Rising, Midnight Reign, and Break of Dawn.
I started this series based upon a recommendation
from a customer and I was well-pleased by the series. If you are
looking for another paranormal romance, this might not satisfy your
needs. If you want a paranormal story that involves vampires and
mysteries, then this series is for you.
Dawn Madison returns to Los Angeles to search for
her missing father, called from her job as a stuntwoman by a
mysterious firm of private investigators. Her father, Frank,
disappeared while working a case for Limpet and Associates. His
coworkers include Kiko, a psychic midget who dreams of making it big
as an actor, and Breisi, a Hispanic woman who was also dating Frank.
They take Dawn under their wing and help her fight the scary things
that go bump in the night.
She slowly discovers that the case her father was
working on involves a possible den of vampires living underground
around Griffith Park. The vampires have been helping actors and
actresses to extend their careers by becoming a vampire, faking their
death, and returning with a new identity years later. This may be
what happened to Dawn’s ultra-famous mother who died when Dawn was a
newborn. For all of her 24 years she has been trying to live up to
her mother’s legacy.
Dawn has to find her father, come to grips with
her mother’s legacy, discover how to conquer her addiction to serial
casual sexual encounters, and find out the hidden identity of the
mysterious Mr. Limpet.
Ms. Green is continuing the Vampire Babylon
series with a new trilogy arc. Each trilogy will involve a central
mystery that culminates in a resolution in the third book. Her new
trilogy starts with A Drop of Red. I will read that and
report back! April 21 - Jean is sorry to report
that I'm having a hard time finishing A Drop of Red.
The plot plods along, the characters aren't engaging and Ms. Green has
an annoying tendency to talk down to her audience. I don't need
the differences between British and American terms carefully explained
to me...complete with quote marks. It slows down an already slow
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March 32, 2009 - Kalyn recommends:
Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen
In my spare time I enjoy reading the classics.
I have recently made it a goal to read all the works written by Jane
Austen. Over the months I have read: Pride and Prejudice, Emma,
Sense and Sensibility, and most recently, Northanger Abbey.
In Northanger Abbey our young
protagonist, Catherine Morland, visits Bath, the city of social
highlight in 18th century England. There she learns the various do’s
and dont’s of society as she interacts with her new friends, the
Thorpes and the Tilneys. Isabella Thorpe and her brother John are the
example of all that is foolish and superficial in human nature and the
Tilneys, Eleanor and Henry, exemplify the ideal character, all
portrayed with Austen’s famous tongue-in-cheek wit.
When Catherine is invited to the Tilney’s
country estate, Northanger Abbey, Catherine’s young mind gets
the best of her as she suspects shady behavior of the father, Captain
Tilney, in the setting of the dark and secluded abbey. Follow
Catherine as she grows up, learning her imagination effects those
around her and as she stumbles through the throes of young love.
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March 19, 2009 - Gloria recommends: "Early
Read" books to get your children excited about reading!
These are some highlights to beginning reading levels
for pre-school and K. The series have several titles to choose from.
Biscuit Books by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and
Pat Schories ( I Can Read)
These stories are about an adorable puppy named
Biscuit. They feature 1 or 2 simple sentences about his puppy antics. He
has adventures with kittens, taking a bath, and following his mistress to
school. These are fun to read with wonderful illustrations.
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Fun with Dick and Jane You heard it
right! The Dick and Jane books are still out there and very much in
demand. Revisit the fun times and early reading lessons that made you a
reader and can help your child to read too. Learning to Get Along by Cheri J. Meiners
This is a series of lesson books for the early read level. Each page has
1 or 2 sentences. These support all ten Domain Elements in the Head Start
Child Outcome program. Titles include: Be Polite and Kind, Join in and
Play and Talk and Work it Out. |
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Beyond Early Read to First & Second Grade level.
Green Light Readers
Big Pig and Little Pig (English and
Spanish)
These are level 1 and offer a fun story of getting
along even if you are different. There are many titles available
that work the student into a growing vocabulary and can be used in a dual
language program.
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Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Erica Silverman
is great fun for girls or boys.
Cocoa is a talking horse and loves to
make trouble for Kate. This is an early chapter book and perfect for the
introduction into the short story.
Great illustrations on every page by
Betsy Lewin. |

Unimagined, a
Muslim
boy meets the
West
by Imran Ahmad
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March 19, 2009 - Gloria recommends:
Unimagined,
a Muslim boy meets the West
by Imran Ahmad This author’s life story weaves threads of cultural,
religious and class differences while he was growing up in London. It was
a time of extreme racism and class separations. He begins to wonder about
why he is different, even when he feels like he is the same as his fellow
students and friends. He has trouble understanding Christmas break at
school and the importance of gift giving. He wonders about the fuss from
his parents because he liked the Spam served at school lunch.
Now as an adult, he still wonders about differences
in people’s cultural or religious belief and what makes us all human and
brings us together.
Imran tells his story with a dry wit and humor that
shows how children are shaped and mature into their beliefs.
The author has grown up believing in Muslim’s gentle
way, while being immersed early in life into Western culture. He finds
his balance with humor and understanding human behavior.
Imran’s debut book was published in Great Britain in
2007. The book has now become available in the U.S. and the author is
making his way across the country spreading the message within these pages
of his memoir.
He has a daunting task of giving 40 talks in 50 days
traveling from Michigan to New York, Florida and California and states
in-between.
I had the good fortune to be the bookseller at one of
his first talks. He tells the journey of getting published and how the
publisher’s rejection letters thought the story would be more interesting
if he had turned out to be a “terrorist”.
Another story was from his travels into America after
9/11. As a business executive he made many trips to the U.S. before 9/11
and afterward he always planned on a 4 hour delay because of background
checks, until he arrived with a copy of his published book under his arm
and could show them his picture on the book and that he really was the
person who wrote it. Such are our fears and discriminations.
-Gloria Tiller
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 Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski |
March 5, 2009 - Gloria recommends: Woolbur by Leslie
Helakoski Each year there’s a children’s picture book that
really catches my eye. As an adult, I think these are some of the best
reads just for fun and reminding us of life’s lessons in simple terms.
This year my pick is Woolbur by Leslie
Helakoski. Illustrated by Lee Harper. Woolbur is a little sheep that
marches to his own drum. Maa and Paa are constantly pulling their wool
out at night and Grandpaa just says, Don’t Worry.
The great thing about Woolbur is his attitude. After
he decides to card the wool on his body that gives him that wild frazzed
look, he exclaims, Isn’t it Great!
Everything he does against the norm is Great!
Things go from bad to Great, when Woolbur starts to
get the other kids to follow his lead.
A great lesson for us all, after all.
Isn’t it Great!
-Gloria Tiller
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All Over but the Shoutin'
by Rick Bragg
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March 5, 2009 - Gloria recommends: All Over but the Shoutin'
by Rick Bragg I generally spend my spare
time, such as it is, reading book reviews. I can get through a lot of
books in a weekend. I seriously pursue handfuls of newspaper clippings,
collected from a friend who saves them for me.
Reading the Kalamazoo
Community Read book is always on my list too, but this year offered some
challenges since Rick Bragg has written 3 memoirs about his family. I
decided on his middle book called Ava’s Man. It’s about Charlie
Bundrum, his grandfather, on his mother’s side. All Over But the
Shoutin’ was the story of his mother and it made him think more about
her roots. How much influence did Charlie have on his children?
We find that Charlie had a
profound impact on everyone. One of those truly unforgettable characters
that live on in family tales told to children’s children. Charlie was a
constant worry for Ava as well as her constant love. He bid on her lunch
basket when she was 16 and he was 17. Love at first sight from 2 culture
backgrounds. Charlie’s skill was with a hammer and his tools. He was a
strong focused man that could use a hammer and his tools like an artist.
He could calculate building figures in his head and put on a pretty good
roof in decent time.
His children doted on their
father, but the same could be said of Charlie, he doted on them. Each
child held a special place in his heart. As child beget child, he would
make more room in his heart. They were his responsibility, his charge in
life. They would run to him for protection and most of the time, he would
be able to provide.
The dark side of Charlie
was not so much a part of him as it was a part of his place and time. He
grew up in Alabama, moving back and forth into Georgia as circumstance
required, dragging his growing family with him. It was depression times
and moonshine (likker) times and poor people making a life rich in
belonging to each other.
Rick presents the character
of his grandfather through the telling of the tales of Charlie remembered
by his aunts and uncles and nephews and friends, all people who knew
Charlie personally. He died the year before Rick was born and he feels
cheated from knowing this pivotal person in his family. Someone who
seemed to be the glue that kept things together yet was the cause of most
of the things that made things fall apart.
These tales are certainly
embellished memories of a beloved man in their lives. This story makes
Charlie a bigger than life presence today, but if each of us were to think
about our own grandfather, wouldn’t our memories do the same.
-Gloria Tiller
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