The Art Thief by Noah Charney

The Art Thief by Noah Charney is a promising book about duplicity and double-crossing in the art world, but it's let down by a disappointing ending. Three paintings are stolen: in Rome a Caravaggio altarpiece, in Paris Malevich's White on White, and in London another copy of that same painting. Or are they the same painting stolen twice for unknown reasons. Gabriel Coffin, an expert on art theft, is called in to investigate the crimes, and others are quickly drawn into the intricate plot. I've read other reviewers complaining about the thick art history in the book, but I think that's the only place it shined. When Charney expostulates on iconoclasm, modern art, and symbolism, the book is fascinating, and the pages fly by. But the story gets bogged down by overly quirky police officers in Paris and London. The cops are just a bit too precious, and the amount of backstory given to the Wickenden seems overdone considering his small role in the story. I went along with the story and even enjoyed myself until the final chapters when Charney pulls a double-cross on his readers and lost my loyalty. Characters who appeared to be on the up-and-up are the bad guys with all sorts of connections to each other that the reader couldn't be aware of. In the end, the plot fails when all of the players become known, and the theft was so complicated as to be confusing and pointless. I wanted so much more for this book, and if Charney stuck to the art at which he is an expert, I'd read more; just skip the suspense.

Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened

Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened edited by Jason Rodriguez is just the graphic novel to make you fall in love with the genre. I know you probably hear graphic novel and think: comic book, superheroes, men in tights, gore, geeks, teenagers. While that may be true of many, this one sets the golden standard to be something better. Rodriguez bought several antique used postcards and became entranced by the short messages on them. A few lines jotted while on vacation or away that spoke volumes to the receiver and whispers at mysteries to us today. 16 short stories by different artists and writers tackle postcards with cryptic, funny, and sentimental verses on them. Each writer imagined the writer and recipient and how the postcard fit into their lives. Sometimes the story answers a question, other times it's the question itself. The simple black and white artwork is evocative in each story. Send Louis His Underwear has short sketchy lines hinting at the darkness within. Homesick's long clean lines somehow manage to convey both the time of the Depression and the feeling of depression. Some stories are stronger than others, but all in all, this is a fantastic collection. It was impossible to put down, and when I did, I was sad it was over. I wanted more: more stories, more answers. From silly to haunting to desperate, these tales run the gamut.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Before I Die by Jenny Downham was the most difficult book I've ever had to read. Ever harder to review. I finished it a month ago, but it's taken me this much time to allow some of the ache to go away before I could get it down. It's the story of Tessa, who is 17 and dying of cancer. She lives with her father and younger brother and occasionally sees her estranged mother. Tessa has made of a list of the things that she wants to do before she dies. Many of the things on the list are stereotypical of the average teen: have sex, try drugs. Others are deeper: fall in love, not say no to anyone for an entire day. She completes much of her list, but the ramifications of some of them aren't what she hoped for. Sex with someone she doesn't know or love doesn't fulfill her; drugs are strange and take away what little happiness she has in life. Tessa's father struggles with his daughter's impending death. He feeds her organic food and vitamins in the unspoken hope that somehow, something will change. He and Tessa fight each other as she tries to live what little life she has left to the fullest and he tries to protect her. How do you put limits on or ground a teenager who is going to die? How can you keep her from experiences when all she wants is to feel? She swoops in and out of depression, refusing the leave the bed for days, then suddenly wanting adventure. Her best friend gets pregnant, her parents start moving closer to each other, she falls in love with the boy next door; all sorts of exciting experiences show themselves just as she can't be there to see how any of it turns out. I was shocked to find out that the author of this book was a middle-aged woman; she speaks so authentically as a teenage girl. This book is heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. Tessa is so real that I found myself hoping against hope that somehow the ending would change. But her peace and acceptance toward death was moving. As Tessa's soul drifts away on the final page, so do the words. As the mother of teenage children, this was an especially hard read, but I'm glad I did. Tessa discovers that life is worth living the best you can, even if the best you can is only 17 years.

The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher

The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher is the story of former boxer Tom Sayers in Victorian England. Tom works as a manager for a theatrical touring company and is secretly in love with the production's leading lady, Louise, when he is framed for the horrific murder of several young boys, including a page for the company. Tom tries to prove his innocence, but no one is likely to listen to a man who made his living with his fists, so he flees into the countryside. But he can't abandon Louise to the machinations of the monster who committed the murders and is still with the acting troupe. Things spiral even farther out of Tom's control and he finds himself fleeing from Inspector Sebastian Becker. Ultimately the quest for justice will take them to America cost Becker his job and possibly his life, and it will cost Tom far more. I'm a sucker for books about Victorian England, and one that features Bram Stoker as a "fictional" character seemed too good to pass up. The story is intriguing and the detail wonderful, but sometimes it feels a little too truncated. The acting life, history of Stoker, Aleister Crowley, boxing in carnivals; each of these could be a good book in and of themselves, but they suffer a little here for lack of space. The mystery of the murderer isn't much of a mystery (nor is it meant to be), the story is about Tom's quest to rescue from Louise and Sebastian's for the truth. The twisted plot involving Stoker just doesn't have the power that it could have, and because much of the book rests on it, it falters. I enjoyed this read, but couldn't help thinking with another couple hundred pages it could have been as powerful as The Meaning of Night or The Observations.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Book review by Jennifer Thiele
(BTW--A big thank you goes out to Christy who will be joining me in doing some book reviews on this blog!) :)


...Stephenie Meyer is a young adult author with a following. Her novels Twilight and New Moon are very rarely on the shelves, and often have very long lists of people waiting in line for the book. Her latest novel, Eclipse, is no different. This third book in her Vampire/Werewolf series follows Bella as she continues to be pursued by rival vampires. But most of the book focuses on the love triangle between Edward, a vampire she is in love with, and Jacob, a werewolf who is in love with her.
I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with this followup. The book was long winded and dialog driven, without as much resolution as I was expecting. It seemed to stall the inevitable decision that Bella will have to make--whether she will remain with Edward and become a vampire, or leave with Jacob to join the wolves. However, to the author's credit, she did say that Eclipse was not meant to be a stand alone book initially, and that it was cut from New Moon because the publisher thought it was too long. With this in mind I am highly anticipating the next book in the series, where some decisions will most definitely have to be made. A copy of Eclipse can be picked up at your library, but be prepared to wait as there is still quite a list of patrons waiting for it!

Down the Nile

Let me introduce myself. My name is Christy Lockstein, and I am blessed to review books. I get several a week from different publishers and post my reviews to my blog: Christy's Book Blog; Shelfari, Amazon, my MySpace blog, and occasionally the Oconto Falls Library blog. Jennifer has invited me to share some of my reviews with you. I hope that you enjoy them!

Down the Nile by Rosemary Mahoney is the story of one woman's quest to row a boat solo from Aswan to Qena, Egypt. This intriguing true story gives Nile trivia, a history of Nile travel, travelogue, and surprisingly little Egyptian history. Rose goes through all sorts of tortured situations trying to even get her hands on a boat in a country where women don't ever go in a boat by themselves or own a boat. The men think she's joking in her search for a rowboat to purchase, and she ends up using deception to purchase one. Most of the book consists of her search for a boat, the history she's read in preparation for the journey, and her meetings with various Egyptian peoples. The book is strongest in her descriptions of the countryside. Here's her take on the sky in Abu Simbel: ..night sky was a metropolis of its own, an enormous velvety parabola embracing the earth... The whole place was a swirling mass of stars. I felt short of breath and utterly insignificant looking at its hugeness and depth. This was a night sky you didn't have to raise your eyes to. It began below the horizon and was always right in front of you, wherever you turned. When I looked at it, the vortex of stars seemed to be lifting me off the ground, and I had to look down at my feet now and then to see that they were firmly planted. After that, I'm ready to grab my passport and head there myself! Rose's interactions with the people of the land are alternately funny and disturbing. Nearly every man propositions her sexually, and those who don't talk to her about sex with no compunctions whatsoever. The book falters when Rose tries to tie her trip down the Nile to trips made by previous travelers, and too much of the book is devoted to the writings of Gustave Flaubert and Florence Nightingale. While it's true that the journey is far more than the destination, the book ends rather abruptly when Rose meets her goal. This is a fascinating look at Egyptian/Nubian culture and well worth the read.