Centuries of June

Have you ever noticed that after a while, books start to all seem the same?  There are frameworks that are used, to varying degrees of effectiveness, over and over.  It could be the person who has to confront and reevaluate her life due to a case of amnesia (see: What Alice Forgot, The Last Letter from Your Lover,  or Man Walks into a Room), or the scholar who stumbles into a centuries-old conspiracy that he has to solve before being killed by a secret cult that was long thought dormant (see: The DaVinci Code, The Rule of Four, or The Mozart Conspiracy), or even the couple destined to be together who are kept apart for years due to a family conflict or a terrible misunderstanding before finally realizing their mutual love and affection (see: ...oh, I can't even start to narrow down that one).  Regardless of how good they are (and some of the titles I just mentioned -- though not all -- are very good) it sometimes feels like there are a finite number of structures into which a story can fit and that the book's merit is based solely on how the author operates within that structure.  

And then...something different comes along that is so unique that it has the effect of being refreshing.  Enter Keith Donohue's new book, Centuries of June.   It begins with a late night trip to the bathroom that goes bad when the narrator falls and injures his head.  From there, the early hours unfold as he is visited by an old man and eight unique women, each of whom had been wronged by a man in another time, and who form a unique community in his bathroom as they listen to each other's tales.  The vagaries of time, space, and a talking cat only add to the narrator's confusion, but as he begins to understand the women and their place in his bathroom, his role becomes clear.  The blending of different times, situations, and dialects ultimately comes together to a cohesive conclusion that is satisfying without answering every question. 

One the most laudable aspects of this book -- its unique style that sets it apart from other stories -- also makes it somewhat difficult to write about, since there is no natural comparison.  I can't say, "well, if you liked X book, you'll definitely like this."  (The closest I can come if you're really looking for a comparison is Andrew Davidson's The Gargoyle, which I consider high praise.)  Kirkus calls Centuries of June "[p]eculiar and quirky and sure to appeal to offbeat tastes."  I say if you're looking for something a little different, give it a try. 

I've Read The Lost Symbol...Now What?

What happens after all the hype dies down concerning Dan Brown's newest novel The Lost Symbol? Once you whet your appetite by reading Brown's latest, what will you read next? Don't worry! The library has you covered with more works that build upon some of common elements Brown includes in his stories. For example, check out Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, Michael Jecks' The King of Thieves and Katherine Neville's The Eight if you are interested in the Knights Templar and Freemasons. For other art history mysteries try A Finder End by Iaian Pears, Headlong by Michael Frayn and The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga.

If the religious conspiracy aspect of Brown's novels intrigues you try The Assassini by Thomas Gifford, The Genesis Code by John Case and The Book of Q by Jonathan Rabb. The role of women in the early church is another interesting topic that comes up often in Brown's works and is also discussed in The Prophetess by Barbara Wood. Some other titles to consider are The Portrait and An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears, Daniel Silva's The Confessor and Daniel Quinn's The Story of B.

Oh, the giddiness, the giddiness!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...it's finally here -- the middle of September, my new favorite month! It's always been a great month (the beginning of fall, school, and the football/chili season are all big draws), but this year, a couple of books have put it over the top and I have been waiting for this for months.

First up is Dan Brown's highly anticipated The Lost Symbol, due out in just four days, on Tuesday, September 15. Now, I know that there's a lot of fuss about Dan Brown not being the greatest author to ever touch pen to paper and about his tendency to vicariously romanticize himself in his books through Robert Langdon, since many argue that Dan Brown sees Langdon as himself. I wouldn't put up an argument about that. Still, his stories are consistently interesting, entertaining, and have a fast pace that keep me hooked from the get-go.

I will definitely finish The Lost Symbol in less than a week. How can I say this for certain? Well, first of all, Brown's books are fast reads. More importantly, though, is that I need to be done because of the book that comes out one week after Brown's latest and which, I have to confess, has had me completely giddy since I heard about its release date last year: After four long years of waiting, Diana Gabaldon's seventh book in the Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone will be released. My mom got me hooked on this fascinating fantasy-romance-historical fiction series in the early 1990s. Since then, every four or five years has been punctuated for me with a burst of excitement as each new installment has been released. This book has been a long time coming. I've put my family and friends on notice that I will be taking myself out of commission for a few days so I can immerse myself in the world of Claire and Jamie. I love talking about all kinds of books with patrons who come through the library on a daily basis, but I have noticed a particular enthusiasm for this series by those who have read it. One gentleman even told me a few months ago that his wife and some of his friends were on a trip to Scotland to find Jamie! Since a trip to Scotland is not in my immediate future (it will probably have to wait until after my trip to Prince Edward Island with my daughters to find Anne), I'm going to travel through time and distance vicariously when this book comes out...soon!