The Glass Rainbow

The Glass Rainbow (2010) by James Lee Burke. This latest in the Dave Robicheaux series of detective novels strikes me as one of the best, although I've only read a few of them. Burke has an elliptical, poetic style of writing the lends portent to even routine matters of police work; in this book, Robicheaux "sees" an old 19th-century paddle-wheeler coming up various bodies of water to take him away to the next life. It figures prominently in the shootout that comes at the end of the book. Burke creates a number of varied, interesting secondary characters to populate his story, and each one stands out vividly in one's memory of the book. All in all, this is an entertaining read, and one which will reward the attentive reader. Grade: B+

Freedom

Freedom (2010) by Jonathan Franzen. This novel is somewhat staggering in its scope and the skill displayed by the author. Franzen, author of "The Corrections," has produced another multi-generational story about an American family and the challenges they face in our chaotic times. This book tells the story of the Berglund family of Minnesota, which consists of Walter and Patty and their children Joey and Jessica. Franzen proves remarkably apt at switching points of view and voices in relating the struggles of the family and especially of Patty, who tells her own story in a book-within-the-book. Grade: A

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007) by Sherman Alexie. This book came to my attention because it was banned by local schools here in Springfield, Mo. Naturally, I had to read it. It's a compulsively readable, refreshingly honest portrayal of the life of Arnold Spirit, a native American born on the Spokane Indian Reservation. At the time of writing Arnold, also known as Junior, is a young teen growing up in extreme poverty on the "rez." He's being raised by alcoholic parents who nevertheless give many signs of loving him, including giving permission for him to attend the "white" school 22 miles away in the town of Reardan. Although he feels like he is betraying his reservation people by going to a white school, Arnold chooses to do so because he knows he'll get a better education there. After looking up Sherman Alexie on the Internet, it am pretty well convinced that this novel is autobiographical. What got it banned I'm not sure -- it certainly is tame in its portrayal of sex and violence. It's also frank in its discussion of masturbation, which some parents may have felt was not appropriate for youngsters. I think it's a great little book. The art, by Ellen Forney, is used very effectively to convey Arnold's talent as a cartoonist. Grade: A

Let's Take the Long Way Home

Let's Take the Long Way Home (2010) by Gail Caldwell. Although her writing is somewhat stiff and self-centered, Caldwell does eventually get around to telling the touching story of her friendship with the writer Caroline Knapp, and Knapp's subsequent death from cancer. The pair were well-matched: they were both writers, both loved dogs, and both loved water sports. Both were also ex-drinkers. They formed a particularly close friendship, described in the book, and Knapp's death was a body blow to Caldwell, who describes her grieving process in eloquent language. This is a slender volume, but not really what I would call an easy read. It takes a long time to get around to the business at hand, and then the business it gets around to is not easy to read about. But it's a good book. Anyone who loves dogs or who has suffered a loss could gain from reading it. Grade: B

Rich Boy

Rich Boy (2010) by Sharon Pomerantz. The rich boy of the title is Robert, who is in reality a poor boy made (temporarily) good. Possibly the most striking image in the book is early on, when Robert goes off to college, and his rich roommate is too lazy to wash his shirts. The roommate, Trace, wears the shirts a few times and then discards them. Robert, raised by frugal parents, rescues the shirts from the garbage chute, launders them, and wears them as his own. Robert and Trace become "friends," although Trace is more interested in Robert as an object of romance (i.e., Trace is gay). The book follows the lives of Robert and Trace and their circle of friends through the latter half of the 20th century, up until the market crash of 1987. It's a good read and an involving story, though not especially profound. Grade: B+

Cherries in Winter

Cherries in Winter (2009) by Suzan Colon. By economic necessity, Colon had to downsize her life. Part of that process was to dig up her grandmother's recipes and try cooking for hard times. A lot of those recipes are included in this thin volume, as well as Colon's reflections about living on a reduced income (hint: she's really not all that badly off). It makes for a quick and fairly entertaining read, and the recipes are definitely a nice touch. Not life-changing, however. Grade: B