Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

This book is about the re-emergence of magic in England. Mr. Norrell is the magician who brings practical magic back to England. He allows no one else to practice magic until, that is, he gains a pupil, Jonathan Strange. Jonathan is very different from Mr. Norrell and before long it seems they must come to a parting of the ways.

General rating: 2 out of 4, but still a good read if you like this kind of book.

1. Is it plausible? This concept of "practical magic" actually makes this book about magic feel more plausible than many. It is certainly plausible within the fantasy genre. What makes it feel more real is its placement in a well-researched historical background. Unusual and cool.

2. Is it thought provoking? Not particularly.

3. Is it engaging? It's the kind of book that is slow to reveal the plot. And it's SUPER long (782 pages). It took me awhile to get in to, but once I did, I was hooked.

4. Is it uplifting? Not really. It's fairly neutral. I like a good ending and the ending to this book was unsatisfying. It cries out for a sequel, but no sequel currently exists (to my knowledge).

Language: none
Sex: none

My recommendation: I read a review of this book that described it as combining "the dark mythology of fantasy with the delicious social comedy of Jane Austin". Hearing it described as such made me like it better, actually. I did not dislike this book. It was very interesting in parts and after I read it, it stayed in my thoughts for days--I really like it when a book has that effect. But the ending was so... unfinal... and the beginning was so slow. There were parts of it that were definitely gripping. But I kind of had to talk myself into really liking it. So if you're in the mood for a long, mostly interesting read, go for it (but don't buy it--borrow it from me!). If you want something gripping with a "POW" ending, put this book off for the next long, cold, rainy day.

Women Food and God by Geneen Roth

Here's what one of the back cover reviews says: "This is a hugely important work, a life-changer, one that will free untold women from the tyranny of fear and hopelessness around their bodies. Beautifully written, a joy to read, rich in both revelation and great humor." Right. This was a book of new age philosophy, earthy and vague, with a few great concepts.

General rating: 1 out of 4 (really it scored a 2 out of 4, but I subtracted one because of all the terrible language and just because it was SO disappointing)

1. Is it plausible? Yes.

2. Is it thought provoking? Yes.

3. Is it engaging? If you can get through the extremely foul language in the first dozen pages of the book, and if you can wade through the new age mumbo jumbo that clutters up ALL of Roth's ideas, and if you can stomach her moral relativity, then you might be able to get through the book.

4. Is it uplifting? No, absolutely not. It might have been, had it delivered what it promised.

Language: Tons of offensive language
Sex: none (that I can remember)

My recommendation: There are so many other truly uplifting and meaningful books to read about "freeing untold women from the tyranny of fear and hopelessness around their bodies". I might have felt more positively about this book had the author not promised a food-life-God connection and then delivered obscenities, vague new-age spirituality and just what the subtitle promises: "An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything". This book leads basically to "almost nowhere". To be fair, there was at least one substantive concept that I found valuable. But this/these concept(s) can be found in "Eating Awareness Training" with less rambling and fewer distracting anecdotes. After I read this book I felt very conflicted: there were a few good ideas that I wanted to read again BUT I was unwilling to wade through all the garbage that they were embedded in. Grrr! My advice: skip it. There are far better books on this topic out there. I'll certainly try to find more of them.

Eating Awareness Training by Molly Groger

This book promises to teach the reader how to eat whatever he/she wants and to still lose weight. It is subtitled "The Natural Way To Permanent Weight Loss" and promises "No diets, no exercises, no pills".

General rating: 4 out of 4

1. Is it plausible? Yes.

2. Is it thought provoking? Absolutely! What an idea--lose weight without a diet! Not only is the idea intriguing, but Groger's program, if followed, will lead the reader to introspection and increased self-awareness.

3. Is it engaging? Short and sweet and useful--yes! It is very engaging.

4. Is it uplifting? Yes--it gives hope and instruction.

Language: no
Sex: no

My recommendation: I have been on many diets over the course of my life and I think they are destructive--with no exceptions. This book introduces the vision of a healthy (and slim) life with no diets. I believe the idea is sound. WELL worth reading and trying to apply. Can it change lives? Possibly. Well, maybe even probably. Will it solve every overeater's problems? Probably not. It's really hard to change, even if one knows how. But! I love this book's philosophy and it changed my perspective utterly. Now if only I could do as she suggests as "stay in the present" and practice "mindful eating". I'm still working on those....

Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne

This book is the sequel to "The Little Lady Agency", which (as I recall) was cute and entertaining. This book follows Melissa and her boyfriend (whom she met in the first book) to New York. Conflict and difficulties ensue.

General rating: 2 out of 4 (NOT thought provoking, not uplifting)

1. Is it plausible? I suppose

2. Is it thought provoking? Only if you don't indulge in a lot of thinking.

3. Is it engaging? Fairly

4. Is it uplifting? Not really. I actually found it kind of depressing, but I think that's because of my perspective as very morally conservative. This book was very much of a piece with much modern "chick lit". Girl lives with boyfriend, girl pursues career, girl must find balance between the two, etc. How pitifully destitute of vision and direction that all is.

Language: a bit of bad language, yes. This book will not join my collection.
Sex: Plenty, but no descriptions. This book could be considered as "clean" as regards the images painted for the reader. But it is in no way "clean" if the reader has standards that include celibacy before marriage, which I do.

My recommendation: This book contains what I most dislike--a smooth and acceptable portrayal of a totally unacceptable lifestyle. I will betray my rabid conservatism when I complain that this book makes pre-marital sex and feminism seem normal and desirable. It's the pervasive agenda to make what is unacceptable acceptable, to make what is ultimately empty and unfulfilling into something that looks fun and seductive--all packaged into a charming, empty-headed book. This isn't a "bad" book, it's just comparatively worthless. Entertainment at its emptiest. You can safely skip this book and spend your time reading something that is truly uplifting and thought provoking.

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

This book is subtitled: "The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise" and is a biographical summary of the author's experiences as the food critic at "The New York Times". It includes several of her recipes.

General rating: 3 out of 4 (implausible in places and "neutral" in the uplifting category--I'm getting pickier about the qualifications for "uplifting" as I go along)

1. Is it plausible? Well, it's a mixture of fantasy and reality. She dons a variety of disguises in order to secretly review top New York restaurants. That part's believable. But as she takes on these disguises, she also seems to take on different personalities. If we look at it all metaphorically, she's just exploring different aspects of her own character; she's on a journey of self-discovery, I suppose. But if we skip the metaphorical perspective, it feels a little bit histrionic and well, down right implausible. But! I'm willing to look at it metaphorically and as a metaphor it was clever. And let's not forget that this is an autobiography, so I think it must get almost full marks for plausibility.

2. Is it thought provoking? A bit. As Ruth Reichl explores aspects of her own personality, the analytic reader will be drawn into asking her/himself the questions that Ruth Reichl is asking of herself. And if food and recipes provoke your thoughts, then this book will be thought provoking for you also. It's all about the food.

3. Is it engaging? Yes, it is.

4. Is it uplifting? I have to keep reminding myself that my definition of "uplifting" needs to be pretty broad. There are books that truly uplift the spirits of the reader, and then there are books that are acceptable in this category simply because they don't depress. I am feeling my way as I review the books that I read: can I count it as "uplifting" if it's neutral? If it's not unpleasant? If it's not depressing? I'm not sure. The books that truly uplift deserve the label of "uplifting". This book was not that kind of book. But it certainly wasn't depressing--and books that are depressing or discouraging are NOT good books by my criteria. This book was perfectly entertaining and not depressing. It was a nice, neutral book.

Language: No, I don't think there was any bad language at all (I'm sorry to say that unless there is repeated strong bad language, sometimes I can't remember by the end of a book if there were one or two obscenties. Am I getting desensitized to this? I'm not sure).
Sex: nope

My recommendation: If you like food, you will find this book very interesting. I am not a "foodie", but I still enjoyed it a lot. Reichl's descriptions are lyrical, her story is entertaining, her personality is attractive. I liked the book a lot.

These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon

This is the third book in the Mitford series. Father Tim and Cynthia are finally married! And life goes on in Mitford...

General Rating: 4 out of 4

1. Is it plausible? Basically (see reviews of the other Mitford books)

2. Is it thought provoking? Yes. As usual, Father Tim's struggles and insights are interesting and thoughtful.

3. Is it engaging? Very much.

4. Is it uplifting? This is the best, the very best part about this series. It is VERY uplifting.

Language: none
Sex: none

My recommendation: Well worth reading, as expected.

A Light in the Window by Jan Karon

This is the second book in the Mitford series. Father Tim is: feeling in love and afraid, being pursued by an unpleasant widow, being imposed upon by a cousin, struggling to "parent" Dooley, and experiencing all the other joys and difficulties that go with being a rector in the small town of Mitford.

General rating: 4 out of 4

1. Is it plausible? I suppose so. On days when I'm feeling cynical I think things like: does God really answer all our prayers JUST the way we want? Father Tim sure seems to have his prayers answered spot on. But I'm a sucker for the ideal, and this book provides it, so I guess I'll quiet my cynical queries and just enjoy this series and the optimism and other good feelings it generates.

2. Is it thought provoking? Yes it is. I think the most real character in this whole series is Father Tim. His thoughts and struggles seem genuine and his difficulties and successes do make me think.

3. Is it engaging? Yes.

4. It is uplifing? Yes, without a doubt.

Language: none
Sex: none--this is a squeaky clean book!

My recommendation: A lovely read. I think I'll feel this way about the whole series. One thing... I don't find myself liking Cynthia very much. I don't dislike her, exactly, I just don't feel attracted to her. I feel similarly disconnected from virtually every other character in these books (so far). As I said above, I find Father Tim to be the most (the only?) filled out character in the books. The other players are entertaining, but feel a little one-dimensional to me--as if they are each just a representation of a "type". But! These books are so sweet and engaging, that I won't find serious fault with them. They are inspiring and uplifting; definitely they are good reads.