Review: The Imperfectionists (Tom Rachman)

Now, I work in a newsroom, so I have a little bit of a bias coming into this book. But the reviews had all said this book is fantastic, so I gave it a shot.

Will I sing its praises as one of the best books of the year? Yes, I will. Tom Rachman essentially wrote a collection of short stories all held together by the fact these folks work for an English language newspaper in Rome. None of these characters seems to have a completely functional personality. And, lets face it, most offices have its share of strange people. Newsrooms might have a bigger proportion just because of the nature of the job. Most journalists are glorified gossips. You have to lack a certain amount of shame to but into people's business.

You can think what you want about the media. Again, I work for a newspaper so I have my bias on this. The world of journalism could use a good shake up. Never would I refer to all those pundits out there as journalists. But, in the end, people want to make money and the "journalism" that is out there sells. You want something better? Stop watching the crap that's out there.

OK, that was my preachy moment. Back to The Imperfectionists. Racham really put together a collection of short stories with the newspaper serving as the unifying element. There is the hard-nose editor with a fairly decent family life; the copy editor that lives alone and makes her family believe her life is much more glamorous than it actually is (it's not at all); the accountant that feels the news staff doesn't understand the newspaper's situation; the editor in chief, an ambitious woman that chose her career over having a personal life; and a subscriber that reads every word of the paper, to the point that she is still over a decade behind on the news.

There are other characters, but you get the picture. You would think that working as a journalist in Rome would be a dream job. This book made me want to rethink my chosen field of work. It's realistic in that the relationship between journalists and journalism tends to be, shall we say, dramatic. We've all had our hearts broken by an industry that's intensely competitive and that seems to focus less on finding truth than in pushing certain agendas. The characters in this book have plenty of heartbreak to go around, in and outside the paper.

The reader can see what will happen when it comes to light that the paper has no online presence. After all, we've all seen the dismal numbers for most publications even if they have a strong online product. But Rachman makes them all sympathetic, even when you don't want to feel anything remotely like sympathy towards these folks. They are painfully human. But that's what makes this a fantastic read.

Stylistically, these episodes read almost like different sections of a play. Rachman uses quite a lot of dialogue. It's almost as if he doesn't want to interrupt these people's lives with narrative. If you're looking for detailed descriptions of Rome or Paris or other locations in the book, you will be disappointed. But the locales aren't the focus anyway. The characters make you think: could this be you?

Very worth reading. Considering that The Imperfectionists has been on several best of 2010 lists, Rachman's next book will probably find a lot of eagerly anticipating readers.

Next up: The Bad Girl, by Mario Vargas Llosa

Review: The Demon's Parchment (Jeri Westerson)

So it has been too long since I have signed in. I had teased that I would write about Tatiana de Rosnay's latest book, A Secret Kept. I will admit that I got through the beginning of the book, but I couldn't get interested enough to finish it.

It wouldn't be fair to review the book, since I'm not completely sure that it just wasn't the time for me to read it. Since then, I have plowed through a bunch of seriously crappy novels. The Demon's Parchment isn't included in the list of crappy books.

This is the third book in the Crispin Guest series. Author Jeri Westerson calls these "medieval noir." They are mystery stories with the hint of the supernatural. In the first book, Veil of Lies, we meet Crispin Guest, a dishonored knight that barely escaped execution after joining a conspirancy to assassinate King Richard II. Crispin now makes a living as a sort of private investigator. He's gained enough fame to be known around London as "The Tracker." The second book in the series is Serpent in the Thorns. Both of these books have Crispin looking for one relic of another.

Not high literature, but entertaining and quick to read. In this installment, the relic is Jewish, not Christian. Westerson doesn't modernize Crispin completely, which a little annoying but more realistic. In the beginning he's anti-Semitic, just as most Christians were back then I'm sure. He's hired by the Queen's physician, a French Jew brought in to help the Queen conceive, to find a Jewish manuscript which contains information that could doom the doctor and his son. Crispin doesn't readily agree.

The story moves quickly, with a few surprises (and not so surprising surprises) here and there. Although he's incredibly smart, Crispin does manage to get into trouble that he could avoid. He gets beat up several time, as he does in the first two books. He's no superhero. Still, he's likable enough that you want him to succeed.

I'm not particularly good at figuring out who did what, and I have to say I figured it out right away in The Demon's Parchment. Still, I wanted to see how Westerson got the reader to the big reveal. She has given Jack, Crispin's young "valet" if you will, a bigger role with each passing book. I'll enjoy seeing him work his way to becoming Watson to Crispin's Holmes.

Next up: The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman.

Review: A Curtain Falls (Stefanie Pintoff)

I picked up this book because I read Pintoff's first mystery, In the Shadow of Gotham, which I really enjoyed (see earlier review below). I didn't realize that it was a sequel to Gotham. Annoyed that I had stumbled upon yet another series, I thought about skipping it. So glad I didn't!

A Curtain Falls picks up four months after Detective Simon Ziele and Professor Alistair Sinclair wrapped up their first case together. They had both thought they wouldn't work together again. Simon starts the story mentioning that he actively avoided seeing Alistair again, as well as Isabella.

The case that brings them back together, of course, tests their intellect and their resolve. Simon still works for the police department in Dobson, but he works back in New York once in a while. His former partner calls him for help on this case. A chorus girl is found on a sofa on a stage, dressed as the lead, eyes open, looking every bit like a star. Except, of course, that she is dead. The murderer left a letter on the scene. Simon starts from there.

If you want to follow a series where there is more romantic development, look elsewhere. Isabella hardly shows up. However, Pintoff maintains her great pacing. His father plays an important role in this story and although it's important, their collaboration doesn't reveal anything about Simon the reader doesn't know. I do hope the his personal story moves along a little more in the next book.

Fun read and I'm looking forward to it.

Next up: A Secret Kept, by Tatiana de Rosnay.

Review: The Scarlet Contessa (Jeanne Kalogridis)

Jeanne Kalogridis has made a name for herself writing fiction based on women during the Renaissance. I've enjoyed her work so far, even if she does do some weird things in her stories once in a while. Her books definitely entertain.

Her latest, although the dust cover and the title make it seem like the story focuses Caterina Sforza, countess and all around super cool female leader who fought against Cesare Borgia. Actually, Caterina's lady, Dea, narrates the story. Indeed, this is more her journey than Caterina's. Dea has a gift for seeing the future, which comes in handy once in while even though she can't control it.

Several famous folks from Renaissance Italy make an appearance in this novel. Lorenzo de Medici visits the Sforza's in Milan early in the novel. And, of course, the Borgias play a pivotal role. Caterina holds her own against all of them. I kind of wish the story had her perspective, but Dea makes a great narrator. She may not be as outwardly exciting as Caterina Sforza, but she still gives the story a lot of drama.

Of course, there are dramatic revelations that have no basis on the historical record, but who cares. It's fiction and it's fun. If you've read anything by Kalogridis before, then you know what to expect. I still like The Borgia Bride better, though.

Next: A Curtain Falls, by Stefanie Pintoff

Review: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand (Helen Simonson)

I loved this book!!! Well written and with a heartwarming story (that's right, I wrote heartwarming) this book made my commute a joy.

It's the story of Major Ernest Pettigrew, retired, and Mrs. Jasmina Ali, grocer. Both have lost their spouses and still feel a little lost. They strike up a friendship after Mrs. Ali helps Major Pettigrew on the day of his brother's death. They discover they share a love of books (they had me at hello!) and an appreciation for long walks.

Major Pettigrew enjoys these simple pleasures and assumes there was a time when everyone did. Of course, times weren't really simpler, and Mrs. Ali shows him this. The story isn't preachy, but it does highlight race relations in a small English town. Simonson manages to do this while writing a witty, and funny book.

Secondary characters highlight the pair's differences, and that adds a bittersweet tone to the story. You cheer for the Major and Mrs. Ali, especially as they maneuver how people in town see them. Neither one is used to the attention or the gossip. Still, I was glad that the story still led to a satisfying conclusion. Usually books that are written this well have tragic endings. It almost seems like those authors do that because they take themselves too seriously. Glad this book didn't do that!

I can't recommend this book enough. A real treat!

Next up: The Scarlett Contessa, by Jeanne Kalogridis.

Review: The Confessions of Catherine De Medici (C.W. Gortner)

Portrayals of Catherine de Medici usually go the way of the evil-witch. I first heard of her during a discussion on religious persecution in Europe. So, of course, the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre came up.


Usually Catherine de Medici is described as a religious fanatic that dabbled in black magic and murdered a whole lot of people. After first hearing about her in high school, I'd forgotten about her, really, until I rented La Reine Margot. The French film, starring a very beautiful Isabelle Adjani and the also quite beautiful Vincent Perez, shows Catherine as evil and as having a borderline incestuous relationship with her favorite son (future Henri III). I later read the book on which this movie is based. Alexander Dumas really, really didn't like Queen Catherine.

Times, they are a-changing. Jeanne Kalogridis' The Devil's Queen, in which the author portrays Catherine in a much more sympathetic light. This book, although taking a different path, also portrays Catherine more positively. C.W. Gortner writes her character as a strong woman, but one whose actions are defined by her circumstances more than her will.


Gortner surprised me when he included an affair between Admiral Coligny and Catherine after her widowhood. He also brought Diane de Poitiers into Catherine and Henry's bedroom, and I'm not talking about it in a metaphorical sense. Granted, the relationship between Catherine and Henry must have been extremely complicated. She had no real power while he lived, but she clearly learned a thing or two before the became regent for her sons. Gortner shows her resilience and intelligence, although he has a lot of ground to  cover. She lived a long time and served as an advisor to three of her sons.


The story moves well, although it could get a little boring at times. I enjoyed The Devil's Queen more, but enjoyed this one anyway.

Next up: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson. Waited for this one for months to come in at the library. Woo!

Review: The Hand That First Held Mine (Maggie O'Farrell)

First off, this book isn't as entertaining at The Vanishing Life of Esme Lennox. Also, it worked as a form of birth control for a few days. One of the main characters, Elina, has a horrible delivery. Absolutely. Horrible. So, if you're looking for a story that makes motherhood sounds romantic, skip this.

It took me a while to get into this book. Not that Maggie O'Farrell presented a poorly written story. Indeed, she wrote something real and startling. She interwove two story lines that converge towards the end of the book. Supposedly, you don't know how until the crucial moment. I knew after a few pages in what was going to happen, more or less. And I don't say this in a snooty way. Really, usually I'm the last person to know what's going on in a story. I'm one of those that would read R.L. Stein and not know who the bad guy was until the author made the reveal. This story just wasn't a mystery.

Ok, so that bothered me a little. Still, Maggie O'Farrell's representations of motherhood made for a beautiful story at times. Her other main character, Lexie, epitomizes the woman of the 60s. She's a free spirit in a way, but ambitious and willing to put in more than hard work to build a name for herself. Lexie starts working as a journalist after leaving her family and moving to London. She hooks up with Innes Kent, the editor of the magazine. Now, it may look like Lexie gets the job just because she's sleeping with Innes. But, that's not why Innes hires her. Has has had many lovers and he hasn't employed them. He knows his connection with Lexie isn't just physical. And he recognizes her talent even before she does.

Elina, on the other hand, works as a successful artist. She lives with Ted, the father of her newborn baby. Save for the gory delivery, they go through all the strains of a couple that has become parents for the first time. Ted, however, starts to go through a major identity crisis. He starts remembering flashes of his past that don't mesh with his image of reality.

You can see where this is going. Not a bad book, but I just didn't get that into it.

Next up: The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, by C.W. Gortner. Hope I can finish this one before it's due back at the library.