Katharine Davis' Blog » Novels

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Katharine Davis — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:27:50 +0000

I read this novel several weeks ago and many of the characters have already gone out of my head–par for the course when I read one novel after another. Here is what I remember: The story revolves around a cooking school, Erica Bauermeister writes wonderfully about food, the overall feel of the novel was charming, and it was the perfect story to read after something dark or intellectually demanding. I recall turning the pages and savoring each scene along with the lovely illustrations. This book was a real pleasure, and to use a food analogy, this novel was like a perfect piece of Key Lime Pie-creamy, smooth, with just the right amount of sweetness, offering me the taste and texture of a delicious dessert.

The Other Family

Katharine Davis — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 01:28:54 +0000

I think I’ve read most of Joanna Trollope’s novels and I think she’s a terrific writer. I’m a fan of domestic drama and reading Joanna Trollope is like dropping in on a slice of British life. They say there are no “new” stories. This novel is about a death and a family trying to recover and get on with life. So, not a new situation, but Trollope creates such rich and interesting characters that the reader is immediately pulled into the story and begins to care deeply about this particular family and all they are facing. I really enjoyed this book.

Next week I’m traveling and won’t be posting on Thursday. I hope to have lots of time for reading on route and will report back on more reading suggestions the following week. Happy reading and let me know what books you have been enjoying lately.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

Katharine Davis — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:07:58 +0000

I finished reading this novel early one morning while sipping my coffee in bed. Tears ran down my face. Anna Quindlen’s ability to take an ordinary family– a mother and father, three teen age children with the expected day to day difficulties, and toss them into a horrific, but believable disaster, then deal with the aftermath– is truly amazing. This story is gripping, heartfelt, and an example of the endlessly fascinating richness of family life. I remember reading somewhere that ficiton is the elaboration of the human heart and Every Last One is a perfect example of that definition.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Katharine Davis — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:40:24 +0000

Please excuse the delay! I’m not sure where yesterday went, so I’m posting my Thursday Thoughts on Friday. Now that it’s August and we’ve had one beautiful day after another, I guess my brain is in a lazy summer mode.

In the summer I tend to take more car trips. There is nothing better to help the miles fly by than listening to books on tape/CD. Recently, I listened to The Art of Racing in the Rain in by Garth Stein and performed by Christopher Evan Welch. So I did not “read” this novel, but listened to it, and I recommend it highly! My sister loved this book and I was a bit dubious as it has to do with car racing and is told from the point of view of a dog- Yes, the narrator is a dog called Enzo. Even though car racing is not one of my interests, the story is just plain wonderful! Enzo is one wise dog and I fell into his story completely. There are sad moments, joyous moments, and the parallels to car racing and the human experience are thought provoking. I didn’t finish the book on my trip and spent the next few days playing it in the car as I did my errands. I didn’t care what anyone thought as I lingered in parking lots or in my driveway listening to every last word. I think you will enjoy this story on your summer travels, or in the car as you drive around town. You might even want to “read” the book.

Father of the Rain by Lily King

Katharine Davis — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:12:39 +0000

Some books are literary with richly developed characters and exquisite prose that can take your breath away. Others are plain old good stories that keep you turning pages long into the night. Father of the Rain is one of those amazing novels –it is both! Lily King paints the portrait of a family, in particular a father, who will upset you deeply. How did I keep reading? This novel is dark and troubling, but Lily King gives us moments when the human spirit shines through and I had to keep going. Upsetting, yes. but riveting as well. At the end of this book I felt wrung out, but also uplifted. Father of the Rain is truly unforgettable.

The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller

Katharine Davis — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:31:44 +0000

I loved this novel andI was immediately pulled into this fascinating story. Sue Miller presents a group of characters whose lives intersect around the performance of a play. As a writer, I was taken with the structure and the way the play itself, The Lake Shore Limited, served as the unifying factor. Miller weaves together events from the past and the present in a meaningful way and the disparate lives of her characters all touch upon each other in an amazing ripple effect. While I was reading this novel the story stayed in my mind even when I was “away” from the book. I longed to get back into this fictional world. A lovely book that will stay with me much like The Good Mother did so many years ago.

Beach Week by Susan Coll

Katharine Davis — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:45:53 +0000

It’s a rare treat to find a novel that makes you laugh out loud and Susan Coll’s Beach Week is wonderfully funny from the very beginning making it a great summer book. Yet underneath the humor, you’ll find a captivating story along with a set of characters who will touch your heart. The misadventures of parents dealing with children before they leave for college are hilarious. The behavior of the high school seniors is equally outlandish, and if you’ve already survived raising high schoolers, you’ll breath a sigh of relief. If you are still facing this stage of parenting, you might brace yourself for the ride! All in all, a truly entertaining book that will keep you thinking long after you’ve read the last page.

Trespass by Rose Tremain

Katharine Davis — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:56:43 +0000

If you haven’t read Rose Tremain, run -don’t walk- to your closest bookstore or library. A dear friend put me on to this English writer and kindly shares Tremain’s latest books when she is in the UK and buys them before they come to the US. Best of all, Tremain’s novels are all very different from each other. Trespass takes place in the south of France and it is both a mystery and a novel about the emotional complexity of family. I couldn’t put this book down and I hated to have it end. As the Brits would say, “brilliant!”

The Red Thread

Katharine Davis — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:15:34 +0000

Ann Hood has done it again. Her novel, The Red Thread, is one of those books you don’t want to put down. I remember talking with a friend about novels “with heart” versus novels, indeed often very fine novels, without heart. The characters and the stories that make up this wonderful tale of adoption in China are so strong, so true, that they stay with you long after you have finished reading. The Red Thread is a novel that has heart in great abundance. Reading this book is a life enhancing experience and a pleasure from the first page to the last.

The Irresistible Henry House

Katharine Davis — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:42:23 +0000

I remembered reading a good review of The Irresistible Henry House and found a copy at my local library. This novel by Lisa Grunwald is a sweeping story of a baby raised in a “practice house” in the home economics department at a college during the late 1940′s. It’s the story of Henry’s life from birth to adulthood within this unusual upbringing. I found it totally engrossing- a wonderful big, almost oldfashioned, novel.