Recent Reviews:
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber (received through NetGalley)
5 stars
I just finished this hauntingly good book but I will be thinking about it for a while to come. Peter, an addict turned pastor, leaves his wife Bea in England in order to minister to an alien race on a planet far, far away. The two communicate via email-like communications and as Peter experiences triumph in his alien interactions, Bea has nothing but sadness to report as Earth devolves into catastrophe. While told from Peter's point of view, Bea's frequent emails portray her desperation and frustration that for the first time in their marriage, her husband is not there to understand what she is going through. There are some heart-breaking, thought-provoking scenarios in this book and the meditations on religion, relationships, community and responsibility to others are very deep and sometimes disturbing. I am sure there are so many layers to this novel that I haven't yet decoded but I was entranced by it and look forward to other readers' opinions and interpretations. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All Creatures Great and Small by James Harriet (received through Goodreads First-reads Program)
4 stars
This took me a while to read because it is really not a book to rush through in a couple of settings. It is a slow meditation on one veterinarian's first years of work in the Yorkshire Dells. I am actually surprised that I like this book as much as I did. It had beautiful passages describing the countryside and charming episodes with animals and their owners. I laughed out loud at some of his exploits working with stubborn animals and even more stubborn farmers and the most enjoyable scenes included his employer's arguments with his younger brother. Overall, this is a good book to read when the seasons are changing and you crave a simply enjoyable story. I received this book from a Goodreads First-reads Giveaway.
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