Review of "The Marauders" by Tom Cooper

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program, and couldn't be happier that I did.  My interest was immediately piqued when reviewing the hook summary on the back cover, as the book is set in very south Louisiana where I lived the better part of the past eighteen years.  

To that end the characters and setting all resonate with a comfortable familiarity.  Cooper quite accurately captures the essence of that "coon-ass" culture, nailing everything from the speech patterns to the physical description of the swamps.

The characters were all wonderfully developed and I found myself engrossed in most all of them.  The book's central character is Lindquist, a half-crazy, drug-addled, treasure-hunting shrimper.  His interactions with local drug lords The Toup Brothers (my favorite characters) were the highlight for me.  Cooper also gives us a heart warming and realistic father-son narrative the gives the book some needed warmth amidst all the hilarity and violence.

Negatives were scarce for me, but if I'm being picky I can find two small ones.  The character of Grimes, central to the story with a role that continues to grow, disappears from the narrative too early and for no apparent reason.  Additionally, the blurb on the back cover indicated the characters will come together "on a rollicking, shocking collision course."  Didn't happen to the degree that the book should be marketed as such.

This was an excellent first novel and I can't wait for the next effort from Mr. Cooper.

Review of "I Dare Me: How I Rebooted and Recharged My Life By Doing Something New Every Day," by Lu Ann Cahn

This was the first book I received through the Goodreads First Reads program.  While definitely outside my preferred genre, I was intrigued by the title and had a personal connection since I once tried something similar myself.

First the good news.  However you ultimately feel about this book, you can't help but admire the author's perseverance.  Few who have suffered as she has, surviving separate bouts of colon and breast cancer, could manage to maintain such a positive attitude.  The idea of her "try something new every day" challenge is daunting and requires more commitment than most of us could ever imagine.  I know - I tried and failed several years ago.

I enjoyed reading about some of the challenges and particularly enjoyed the blurbs at the end of each section, offering medical/scientific validation of her considerable anecdotal evidence.

On the down side, the book is fluffy and rah-rah to the point of distraction.  Although some must have been life changing, none of her challenges are addressed in more than a superficial manner.  I wanted more depth.

I also thought the book suffered through lack of chronological presentation.  This would have been a much more powerful story if we saw the ups and downs as they occurred throughout the year.  How did the challenge evolve over time?  Her attempts to present this thematically were quite weak.

To be fair, I visited her blog and found that it contained much of what the book lacked.  

In the end this was a great personal triumph for the author, an entertaining blog, and a book with unfulfilled promise.

Change of plans

I opened a Goodreads account and today received my first book to review - "I Dare Me," by Lu Ann Cahn.  So a change in plans, and Mr. Cooper must wait a few days more!

My New Book Blog!!

I read constantly.  I own an irrational amount of books.  Now I will blog about both.

For no purpose other than FYI, I am currently reading "The Art of Fielding," by Chad Harbach, and just completed "Then We Came to the End," by Joshua Ferris.  My first review (coming soon) will be "The Marauders," by Tom Cooper.   Stay tuned!!