As if February weren’t bad enough on its own, turns out it was a lame book month. I read four books this month, none of which were that good. One of them – Headhunters by Jo Nesbo – will get its own review soon. But the other three just didn’t make enough of an impression on me to warrant separate reviews. Instead I’ve provided a quick run-down on each below:
- The Piano Teacher: I really thought I would like this one. Society Brits living in Hong Kong during World War II, gossiping, drinking, and having affairs. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. From a history nerd perspective, I found the part of the book about the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong interesting, but the “steamy” affairs at the center of the story weren’t that interesting.
- The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb: I should have known better on this one. I read Melanie Benjamin’s other book, Alice I Have Been, and didn’t like it. Mrs. Tom Thumb wasn’t as bad as Alice, but again, it just wasn’t great. It’s a fictionalized account of the life of Lavinia Warren, a small person who actually married Tom Thumb and worked for P.T. Barnum. This book was too long and I ended up being a lot more interest in Barnum than Lavinia. In fact, I’m planning to pick up a biography on Barnum.
- This Life is In Your Hands: This is the only non-fiction book in the bunch. I was really looking forward to reading this book and even convinced my book club that it should be this our next read. Turns out I let my book club down (sorry guys). In the book, Melissa Coleman tells the story of her family’s attempt at “homesteading” or living off an organic farm, before the concept of “organic” food even existed. Homesteading is not an easy life and on top of it, Melissa’s sister dies and her parents eventually split up, forcing them off the farm. This was a great story in concept, but not so great in execution. Unfortunately, the writing wasn’t great and the story was pretty boring – too heavy on the principles behind homesteading and too much wisdom and reflection inserted into a small child’s memories. Coleman also seems to hint that the tragedies her family endured are related to their attempt at homesteading, but in the next breath defends the theories and benefits of homesteading. I realize that nothing is simple black and white, but I found the point of her book muddled.
In a nutshell: Two and a half stars across the board. I’m looking forward to March.
Postscript 