Monday 17 August 2009

A Reliable Wife


I can't say this was a good book or a bad book; it just was not for me. Even though Goolrick's debut novel, A Reliable Wife received rave reviews, I found it slow, repetitive and unconvincing. The author's lyrical prose drags on and on with a few high points here and there. The crescendo ending does make sense, but still leaves readers thinking "so what."

In Wisconsin 1907, a devious and lovely Catherine Land answers Ralph Truitt's newspaper ad for a reliable wife, thus the title. Truitt, a wealthy industrialist, practically owns the barren and frigid town. But he can't buy Catherine's love or crack her shell. The conniving temptress has her own agenda, which does not include Truitt.

From the very start, Catherine is not the person she claims to be. Before she meets Truitt at the train station, she throws her elegant velvet gown out the train window arriving in a simple black dress. She steps off his private train car into a blizzard to find a 58 year-old stern and solemn widower plagued with guilt, secrets and pent-up desire. Even the photo Catherine mails to Truitt is of another woman.

"This begins in a lie," he tells Catherine sternly as
he picks up her bags. "I want you to know that I know that...Whatever else,
you're a liar."


What starts as a cat and mouse game of lies, games and vengence turns into a tale of guilt, greed and desperation. Catherine and Truitt are both harboring emotionally charged secrets eating away at their very sanity. Eventually, the pathetic couple reconciles to each other's needs and differences.

The novel won the April 2009 American Book Association Indie Award and Columbia pictures bought the film rights last spring.

http://robertgoolrick.com/

Laura

Saturday 8 August 2009

Read-alikes

Have you exhausted your favorite author and want something new to read? Part of my job as a librarian is to help people find good books. You may be wondering where I get suggestions. Here are a few tips on finding new authors and novels.

Read-alikes are books similar to established authors such as John Grisham, Janet Evanovich and Dean Koontz. Lets use John Grisham as an example.

1. Go to Google and type in "if you like john grisham." Voila, you will receive many websites suggesting books similar to Grisham. Look for websites written by public libraries in the web address. This technique works best with popular authors.

2. Click on the this link http://www.readalike.org/. On the left hand side of the page, is a list of books sorted by genre. Lets try Historical. Up pops a page with reviewed authors and online resources. Click on Phillipa Gregory. You will receive an author bio, book review and read-alikes. Online resources also offer lots of ideas.

3. Many public libraries also provide reading lists for patrons.

Now curl up with a good book!

Laura